Our latest Good Town began as a company town, created by sweet circumstances before blossoming into an integral foundation of the Houston metropolis. Welcome to Sugar Land, Texas.
By age, it’s just a Baby Boomer. But it’s history goes deeper, rooted in a growing nation’s need for a simple carb that gave the town its name.
So we take you back to the end of the 19th Century, when the Imperial Sugar Co. gave this Good Town life, situated on what used to be an old plantation next to Southern Pacific rail. Soon, a post office, retail and homes sprouted, and the aptly named Sugar Land took roots. It would evolve into one of Texas’ most affluent communities.
The Imperial Sugar Mill survived floods and the Great Storm of 1900, the historic hurricane that ravaged nearby Galveston, as refined sugar became a staple in markets across the nation. Today, the former mill is now a popular historical site and the home of Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center, an interactive showplace featuring a child-size city dubbed Kidtropolis.
But the city’s growth is meteoric. Sugar Land wasn’t incorporated until 1959. Just over 60 years later, it’s one of America’s fastest growing towns.
The water town above Oyster Creek Park reminds you where you are. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
The entrance to the Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center mixes modern architecture with the original Imperial Sugar facility.
Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center, where Imperial Sugar once reigned, is a great way to spend an afternoon.
Food, glorious food, everywhere you turn. And being so close to the Gulf, oysters on the half shell are frequent menu options.
Just on the outskirts of Sugar Land, Tornado Burger is where locals send you in search of great fast food.
You can't go wrong with the double stack of deliciousness from Tornado Burger.
Of course, barbecue is a staple of Sugar Land. As you can see, it never disappoints.
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Sugar Land is the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a gorgeous Hindu temple.
The intricate artwork on the temple's exterior is mesmerizing.
Just a stone's throw from Sugar Land, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple includes a gift shop that must be experienced.
Space Cowboys Take Flight
About 20 miles from where the World Champion Houston Astros call home, the next-gen prepares for big-league success at sparkling Constellation Field, an 8,000-seat venue built in 2012. For the town, the stadium was a gamble that paid off with record crowds when the original Sugar Land Skeets joined the Atlantic League with teams spread out from Kentucky to North Carolina to Pennsylvania and upstate New York.
The Sugar Land Skeeters were wildly popular until they were no more. Because, in 2021, the Astros moved their Triple-A affiliate, one notch below the major league team, and redubbed the outfit the Space Cowboys. And, of course, the crowds kept spinning through the turnstiles.
For John Stacy, Regions’ market exec in Houston, Constellation Field is the perfect place to get away from it all. The venue offers a bevy of food and beverage choices, plus terrific sightlines no matter where you view the action for a sneak peek into the Astros’ future.
“It’s one of my favorite places,” said Stacy, whose son played in the minors. “I love what the stadium has done for Sugar Land, and the entertainment choice it offers the entire community.”
An entrance to Constellation Field, Sugar Land's gem of a ballpark. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
The view of Constellation Field from the Regions Bank Club suite.
Orion, the Space Cowboys mascot, checks out the pitching mound with Regions' John Stacy.
A view from behind the scoreboard, which is in the shape of the Texas state outline.
Deep on the left-field warning track, John Stacy takes a view of the pastoral park.
The Hub of it All
Sugar Land Town Square is the city center of the budding metropolis, drawing families for the shopping and food options. City Hall sits in the middle of it all, with a front lawn and water fountain that lure the playful and curious. It’s a cultural must-see, with nightclubs and live music, pop-up retail and plenty of parking.
It opened with a single hotel, in 2003, and exploded from there. In the 20 years since, it’s grown to include nearly one million square feet in retail and office space, and the hottest place for quasi-urban living in condos that line the property.
If Sugar Land Town Square is the place to see and be seen, the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences at Sugar Land is the perfect spot to blow your mind. This is where Drayton DuPree holds court. He’s the museum’s general operations manager and, with a background in science, he’s the perfect tour guide.
The museum is housed on the old Central State Prison Farm No. 2 – or Two Man Camp – where prisoners helped harvest sugar for Imperial. One of the former residents was the blues singer, Huddie Ledbetter. You know him better as “Leadbelly,” who incorporated his not-so-pleasant memories of his stay in his iconic song, “Midnight Special:”
DuPree’s love for science is evident as he takes you through eons of history, weaving stories from fossils and meteors to dinosaurs and the salt mining that made the area boom even before the discovery of sugar and oil.
“If I try to get through this tour in 30 minutes, I have to talk 21 million words a minute,” DuPree said with a knowing grin.
But the best, DuPree said, isn’t in the past.
It’s an optimistic vision of what’s to come.
“We are in the midst of a scientific evolution,” DuPree said. “The world these kids are growing up in won’t look like anything we see today. It will be wonderful.”
At the heart of Sugar Land's Town Center is City Hall, which attracts dozens of people on an early spring night. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
The Houston Museum of Natural Sciences occupies an old prison complex.
Our visit to Houston Museum of Natural Sciences at Sugar Land included a tour guided by Drayton Dupree.
Drayton Dupree, the general operations manager at the museum, loves his job -- and it shows.
Fossils, meteors and dinosaurs -- oh, my.
At the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences at Sugar Land, tour guides take you through the history of Earth.
Where Sugar Land began: the still-impressive Imperial Sugar facility.
A Nature Lover’s Paradise
There are plenty of ways to explore Sugar Land, but the best come on your own two feet – or four, if you bring a furry friend along. And that’s just what brings Rod Morrison, a long-time real-estate broker, to Sugar Land Memorial Park every few days.
It’s an expansive green space, with a lake, walking and biking trails, and a veteran’s memorial obelisk that’s the ideal spot to pump up cardio or spend time with family and friends.
Morrison moved to Sugar Land 28 years ago and never regretted the decision.
“You have a convenience factor,” he said. “Every store you could possibly need is within 5 miles, no matter where you live. You don’t have to deal with the traffic of Houston, even though downtown is just 19 miles away. The schools are great, and the people are nice. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
But we’re just getting started …
Brazos River Park, along the banks of the famous flowing water, features a golf disc course. Nearby, Oyster Creek Park is an oasis, landscaped to perfection with arched wooden bridges, miles of walking and biking trails, and water fountains. It’s also a photographer’s paradise. While we were there, one shutterbug captured glimpses of a family outing while another created senior portrait magic.
But the best-known nature preserve in the area is Cullinan Park, a slice of heaven with two lakes for kayaking and fishing, plus a wetland with boardwalks and an observation tower where you can visit the area’s most popular residents: alligators. It’s also home to one of the nation’s largest pecan trees, while other towering timbers offer the ultimate spot for bird enthusiasts. On our visit, visitors alternated between staring down at the gators to gasping as hawks circle majestically overhead.
In the great expanse that is Metro Houston, we’ve found heaven.
Sugar Land Memorial Park includes a massive salute to veterans./ GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
Real estate broker Rodney Morrison is a regular visitor at Sugar Land Memorial Park, where he can relax by getting his heart rate up with a brisk walk.
Eclectic art greets visitors to Sugar Land Memorial Park.
A statue of two children skating welcomes visitors to Oyster Creek Park.
At Oyster Creek Park, a turtle family takes swimming lessons in the surrounding waters.
A stork takes in the view.
Got a few hours to spend? Visitors to Cullinan Park say it's the go-to place for bird watching.
A stunning nature preserve in Sugar Land, Cullinan Park offers visitors an incredible experience.
The park includes two lakes, and an observation tower to take in nature's bounty.
Visitors climb to the top of the observation park to get a bird's-eye view.
If you stay on the boardwalk, you'll be OK. At least, that's what we were told.
While visitors flock to Cullinan Park to see the gators, the main attraction manages to get some beauty rest.
This gator uses the weeds as camo -- and to stay cool on a hot day.
Cullinan Park covers 764 acres.
Boardwalks branch out above the wetlands in both directions.
Visitors line up along the boardwalk for an up-close view of reptiles lurking in the water.
