Special Venues

• 

  Union Station in Dallas

  Dallas' Union Station has been the city's major train stop since its construction in 1916. Now, after the recent completion of a $23 million renovation of the second-story meeting hall, Union Station has become a premier meeting and function space as well. The project restored the building's original brick walls, cast-iron facades, and quarry-tile floors, while the second and third floors, along with the mezzanine, were reconfigured into 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including eight function rooms. Wolfgang Puck Catering is partnering with the Hyatt Regency Dallas to operate the station's new event space. (214) 741-7825

• Austin's Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum now has dedicated space for meetings and functions. The museum, which has three floors of interactive exhibits, the Texas Spirit Theater, and the city's only IMAX theater, offers views of downtown Austin and the state capitol. The meeting space can be reserved for evening events and can accommodate up to 400 guests for dinners and 600 for receptions or theater seating. (512) 936-8746, www.thestoryoftexas.com

• The Old Chisholm Trail used to run through the Beaumont Ranch in Grandview, Texas. Today, it's still a working cattle ranch and caters to individuals and groups. Located 30 minutes outside Dallas and Fort Worth, the ranch has 17 bed-and-breakfast rooms, a full-service spa, 40,000 square feet of meeting space, paintball courses, trail rides, an on-site café, and full-service catering. (888) 864-6935, www.beaumontranch.com

• 

  The Corinthian in Houston

  The Corinthian is a dramatic special-event venue on the first floor and mezzanine level of one of Houston's architectural jewels. In a magnificent 1905 neoclassical building near the city's theater district, the Corinthian can seat 1,000 for dinner and host as many as 2,000 for receptions. (713) 222-2002, www.thecorinthianhouston.com

• Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck opened in Dallas last February. The 150-seat restaurant rests atop Reunion Tower, the city's 560-foot landmark. It is celebrity chef/restaurateur Wolfgang Puck's first fine dining establishment in the city. Diners can gaze upon 360-degree views of Dallas through the floor-to-ceiling windows while enjoying Chef Puck's signature dishes, such as his chinois chicken salad and spicy tuna tartare in sesame-miso cones. (702) 369-0360, www.wolfgangpuck.com

• On the 48th floor of Thanksgiving Tower in downtown Dallas, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the city, the Tower Club is available for groups of up to 350 attendees for banquets and dinner meetings, or functions of up to 1,000 guests using the entire facility. The Tower Club recently completed a renovation of its main event spaces, adding state-of-the-art communication and entertainment sound systems, as well as videoconferencing capabilities and a new restaurant. (214) 953-3066, www.thanksgivingtower.com