HOUSTON – If you live in Houston or nearby, chances are you’ve driven through downtown.
But have you ever really walked it?
Not just hurried to a destination, but looked up at the skyline and wondered what stood there before the high-rises. Or stopped to admire the historic buildings still holding their own in modern Houston.
Since 1978, Preservation Houston has worked with volunteers, grassroots organizations and community members to help protect the city’s historic places. Some buildings — like POST Houston — have been repurposed to serve Houstonians today while preserving pieces of the city’s past.
The organization shares those stories through outreach programs and walking tours across the city — including stories about areas with an unusual past. Watch the teaser below about a spirit that told a businessman to build a Houston railroad.
Upcoming Walking Tours
Westmoreland Architecture Walk
Sunday, Aug. 9
6 p.m.
Woodland Heights Architecture Walk
Sunday, Sept. 13
6 p.m.
Historic Glenwood Cemetery Part II walking tour: Houston After Oil
Saturday, Sept. 26
10 a.m.
For more information about walking tours and how you can help, visit preservationhouston.org.
For a closer look at some of the historic buildings that have shaped Houston’s story — and the efforts to make sure they’re not forgotten — watch the video above.