Y'all went where

By Rice Thresher Staff     8/22/12 7:00pm

Free time at Rice University may come only every weekend, but living in the cultural epicenter of the fourth-largest city in the U.S. has its perks.

With refillable METROcards, free muse- um passes, the Hedgehopper card and other Rice discounts, venturing outside the hedges should be a cheap and easy diversion from Shakespeare and general chemistry.

Let Rice become your platform for adven- ture and kick-start your first year of explora- tion with the help of these upperclassmen's suggestions.

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Houston Museum District 1401 Richmond Ave.

"The Museum District is an awesome place to explore. Rice students have the opportu- nity to visit the Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Houston Zoo for free! Food trucks park in this district right by Rice, so this is an area that will appeal to your taste buds as well!" -Christian Woo, Sid Richardson College se- nior

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 1 Reliant Parkway

"Y'all should hit up the Houston Rodeo when it comes to town to get a real taste of Texas food and music!" -Jesse Passman, Baker College junior

Houston Galleria 5085 Westheimer Road

"Definitely visit the Galleria mall. The Galleria is the fourth-largest mall in the Unit- ed States, and it's a lot of fun to go shopping there. It's even fun to just go to people watch and see how diverse the city really is." -John Dietz, Brown College senior

Farrah madanay/thresher

Museum of Fine Arts Houston, 1001 Bissonnet St. &

Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas St.

"Certainly check out the local museums and performing arts such as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Wortham Theater Center. Although the idea may come off as cli- ché, or obvious, we're actually lucky to have such easy access to culture and history, so use the opportunity given!" -Glory Nwaugbala, Brown College senior

Discovery Green 1500 McKinney St.

"Surrounded by the towering buildings of downtown Houston, Discovery Green is a beautiful public park just a few blocks from Main Street Square. There are plenty of things to do and see here any time of year, from admiring the public art installations and relaxing on the rolling hills to cooling off in the splash fountain. In the winter, there is even a skating rink!" -Michael Apolinario, McMurtry College senior

Beer Can House 222 Malone St.

"Though alcohol-free, The Beer Can House draws swarms of visitors between Me- morial Day and Labor Day. Just pay $2 and step into John Milkovich's eccentric project, a house with an exterior covered in beer cans. Flattened beer cans and colored glass bottles substitute painted walls. Chains of beer can tabs and rims drape from the roof, softly clattering in the wind. The house epitomizes Houston's quirky culture."

-Farrah Madanay, Duncan College senior

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