Contributor

Citysearch

In Short – Connecting the Gulf of Mexico to Houston, the 50-mile-long ship channel sees almost 5,000 ships and 40,000 barges pass through annually. Norwegian Cruise Lines even departs from the Barbours Cut terminal. The 40-foot-deep, 400-foot-wide channel winds westward toward downtown past several terminals to the port, home to the largest petrochemical complex in the nation. Visitors may view the turning basin from an observation deck, and 11/2-hour narrated boat tours of the ship channel are offered daily.