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Two-block-long oasis of water and walkways and mounds and depressions representing cratered lunar surface, the park's 32-level Wortham Fountain features towering stainless steel cylinders designed to resemble the Apollo's rocket boosters
General Information
Head northeast on Bagby St. Turn left onto Walker St. Take the exit toward I-45 S/Sabine. Merge onto Sabine St. Turn right onto Memorial Dr. Use any lane to turn slightly right onto Rusk St.
Tranquillity Park is located in Downtown Houston, between Walker and Rusk Streets, and west of Smith Street, with the United States federal courts building for the Southern District of Texas on one side and Houston City Hall on the other. It takes its name, notably differing in spelling, from the Sea of Tranquility, where man first landed on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. First opening to visitors in the summer of 1979, Tranquillity Park was officially dedicated on the tenth anniversary of the historic lunar landing. On bronze plaques placed along the main entrance, the first words transmitted by Neil Armstrong from the Moon, "Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed," are written in 15 languages. A replica of one of the footprints left on the Moon by Neil Armstrong is also on display inside the park.
A two-block-long oasis of water and walkways, the mounds and depressions throughout the park are meant to represent the cratered lunar surface, and the park's 32-level Wortham Fountain features towering stainless steel cylinders designed to resemble the Apollo's rocket boosters. Each year, Tranquillity Park hosts many city functions, art shows, and events such as the Children's Festival and the Houston International Festival. The park is also popular with downtown office workers seeking a shady spot to picnic during their lunch hour. In the northern part of the park, actually a smaller park across the street, there are two memorials, one for each Space Shuttle disaster.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tranquillity Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
