The Houston Texans play at Reliant Stadium, located just over seven
miles southwest of downtown Houston next to the
Astrodome. The stadium opened in 2003 and and has a listed
capacity of 71,500, including 8,200 club seats.
Reliant Stadium has a retractable roof, the first stadium in the NFL
with such a feature. The roof can open and close in only ten
minutes.
Reliant Stadium
is a fairly tough place to play. The seats are
right on top of the field, and when the roof is closed the volume is
even louder than normal.
The stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004. (Houston also
hosted Super Bowl VIII in 1974 at Rice Stadium.)
The NCAA Men's Final Four
will return to Houston for the first time in 40 years when Reliant
Stadium hosts the event in 2011.
Plenty of parking surrounds Reliant Stadium, although most of it
requires a season permit. If you don't have a permit, there are
many public lots bordering the stadium lots, with prices ranging from
$10 to $20. Tailgating is highly encouraged; the stadium is one of
the better tailgating scenes in the NFL.