The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Six white peaks of roof cover the front of this amphitheatre in The Woodlands, the town George Mitchell laid out in the pine forest north of Houston; the pavilion carries the name of his wife, Cynthia Woods Mitchell. It opened in late April 1990 with the Houston Symphony on the first night and Frank Sinatra shortly after, a mixture that has held ever since. About 6,500 sit under cover and up to 10,000 more on the lawn behind them. The Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet all take their summer seasons here, between the touring bills that pay for the rest of the year. After Hurricane Ike in 2008 the roof was rebuilt to withstand winds of more than 175 miles per hour — a practical detail, on this coast, and not a decorative one.