If you’re in the mood to spice things up a bit or are in the mood for dramatic performances in Houston, you’re in luck! Houston’s arts district, The Washington Avenue, has become one of the most vibrant and recognizable creative communities in Texas, boasting sophisticated acts, stylish shows and world-class performances by resident artists, bands and comedians. It is also the largest. Former warehouses have been converted into live performance venues and cozy bars, buildings have been transformed into SOHOs, and within some of the buildings are hundreds of studios owned by some of Houston’s most creative groups and individuals.
Due to its unique mix of offerings and affordable opportunities, people believe it has the highest concentration of working creative artists in the United States. The streets are also lined with restaurants, cafes, bakeries, fast food places, and coffee shops that have a casual atmosphere and an elegant, refined feel.
If you’re ready to relax and spend the day just soaking up the atmosphere, the Houston charter bus is always ready to take you to the following places. But first, here’s a quick sneak peek!
alley theater
615 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 220-5700
Located in the heart of downtown Houston’s art district, Alley Theater is a Tony Award-winning indoor theater housing ‘The Hubbard’, 9 towers and outdoor terraces. Amazed visitors were quick to leave behind a series of positive reviews about its castle-like atmosphere and spiral staircase. Alley Theater is one of the oldest resident theaters in the United States and is not an easy structure to evade due to its prominent brutalist style that took the architectural world by storm. In French, it simply means ‘raw concrete’. Its use has resulted in its pointed look that was popular in the 1950s in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and much of Europe. The humble former dance studio of Nina Eloise Whittington Vance (who opened the studio in 1947) also hosted big-name performances like Pulitzer Prize-winning Paul Zindel’s ‘The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.’
Given the enthusiastic nods of approval from ardent fans and critics alike, it is said to be the most striking theater in the United States and a successful statement, both theatrically and architecturally. His endearing qualities were also deeply recognized and quickly rewarded by the American Institute of Architects. For those visiting with young children or seeking educational opportunities, check out HYPE, the Houston Young Playwrights Exchange program, which offers bridge-building opportunities for aspiring young writers and performers ages 20 and under.
jones lounge
615 Louisiana, Houston, TX 77002
(832) 487-7050
Jones Hall, since it opened its doors in 1966, has formed the building blocks for creative local Houstonians. Staying true to the original dream and vision of its founder, Jesse Holman Jones (the publisher of the Houston Chronicle) and his wife, they pick up the pace with extensive theatrical performances and live entertainment throughout the year.
The hall has been attracting more than 400,000 visitors from across the country and around the world, with its hundreds of annual events. Today home to the Houston Symphony and the Society for the Performing Arts, it continues to push the limits and boundaries of small towns.
With its impressive dominating structure made of travertine marble, complete with an 8-story column and remarkably grand entrance, the magnificent structure is anything but benign at first glance. Beyond that, the philanthropists and his wife have succeeded in nurturing and uplifting entire communities throughout Houston, and their lifetime contributions to the common good of human beings continue to make an impact.
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
800 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 315-2525
Delicious wine and food are often associated with performances put on by The Hobby Center. And why not? It has an incredible atmosphere, hypnotizing music and songs, admirable acoustics and a balcony overlooking downtown Houston. Patrons are served South American food and beverages at the Artista restaurant located on the second level of the building, healthy salads, pasta and paninis at the Grand Lobby Bistro, while sweet treats and a variety of snacks and beverages (including delicious wines and refreshing cocktails) can be purchased at concession stands outside the venue. After opening its doors in 2002 on the outskirts of Houston’s theater district, the Hobby Center’s 60-foot-tall glass walls offering views of Houston’s glittering skyline, Tranquility Park and Houston City Hall have been attracting the attention They said it was the show before the show… and they’re absolutely right.
The theater is named for a local businessman and former Texas Lieutenant Governor, William P. Hobby, Jr., whose family foundation donated the center. The Hobby Center replaced both the Houston Music Hall and the Sam Houston Coliseum and today presents residents and touring groups with two main performance venues: Sarofim Hall and Zilkha Hall. The former seats more than 2,650 spectators, while the smaller Zilkha Hall is actually an intimate 500-seat theater.
Worthham Theater Center
501 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002
(832) 487-7000
Bold and beautiful – that’s how most people would describe the Wortham Theater Center along Texas Avenue. Hold your chin up as you walk near the street and you’ll most likely see it from the escalator. As grand and iconic as it is to the people of Texas, the theater also represents the deeply embedded local culture and legacy of its wealth during the early discovery of oil in the state of Texas and its continued rise in the performing arts during the decade. from 1980. Scheduled to be built on a budget of $66 million, much of which was contributed by passionate supporters, it is true evidence of what a community can do when they put together not just their heads, but their hearts and resources. The place is a testament to the fact that “where there is a will, there is a way”.
Helen Hayes’ chandelier hangs in the Green Room after Billy and Janie Lisa Price of Houston purchased it from the Fulton Theater in New York. The ‘full-scale staircase’ is actually a series of illuminated escalators designed by New York sculptor Albert Paley. When team effort is promoted, Houstonians demonstrate that a nearly 450,000-square-foot event venue CAN be built on budget and ahead of schedule. The Wortham Center is home to the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera, and along with the series of tours and local performances, they have managed to attract more than 8 million people to their venue… and counting.
Lively entertainment abounds in downtown Houston
However, at the end of the day, it’s not always about size. There are also smaller, more intimate and just as entertaining spots scattered throughout the vast expanse of the Houston landscape for you to visit and relax. For example, just a few blocks from the Houston Art District, you can stop by Bayou Place for a nice drink and hang out with your friends, take your kids to Cathedral House Montessori for art-focused early education programs, visit the quirky watering hole called Notsuoh along S Main Street, or get your funky vibes at an Irish pub like Shay McElroy’s Pub.
Live entertainment venues were the springboards for many established local artists, including the likes of Lyle Lovett and ZZ Top. There’s the historically significant Fitzgerald’s with over 3 decades of history and its open mic nights, nondescript live entertainment from alternative bands at Numbers, and the renovated 1920s warehouse in Houston’s Eado neighborhood, Warehouse Live.
- swamp square
500 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77204
Just a few blocks from the Houston Art District
(713) 228-2109 - Montessori Cathedral House
1112 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 222-2482 - notsuoh
314 S Main St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 409-4750 - Shay McElroy’s Pub
909 Texas St#A, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 223-2444 - Fitzgerald’s
2706 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007
(713) 862-3838 - Numbers
300 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 521-1121 - live warehouse
813 St Emanuel St, Houston, TX 77003
(713) 225-5483
Houston’s art scene is huge and beyond anyone’s imagination. Rewind a few decades ago, it would have been just a distant dream, and yet here we are today, with a city filled with a plethora of options. Now they’re bolder than imagined and more creative than ever thought possible, and we think you’ll have fun watching all the shows!
