Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
The grandiose Hobby Center is located in the heart of downtown Houston. This $102 million complex contains two state-of-the-art theaters: the gilded, opulent, 2,650-seat Sarofim Hall and the warm, arts-and-crafts vibe of the 500-seat Zilkha Hall, as well as fantastical outdoor sculpture and wall murals by contemporary artists and the relaxed elegance of Michael Cordúa's Artista restaurant. Designed by Robert A. M. Stern, the visually exciting building occupies several city blocks and plays with the concept of transparency through its giant façade of 60-foot high floor-to-ceiling windows. The Hobby Center hosts many traveling stage productions, including Broadway Across America, and is the home to Theatre Under the Stars. If you can’t get to Broadway, just wait and those big-budget musicals that you’re longing to see will end up here.