Downtown Houston Tunnel System
Below the bustling city of Houston Texas, you will find seven miles of tunnels filled with over 150 businesses, restaurants, shops, salons, doctor's practices and more. This tunnel system in Houston is the oldest and largest in the world. Originally the tunnel was created in 1930 for access from one movie theater to another across town. Today the tunnel connects 95 city blocks. On days that the Houston weather gets hot and humid, the tunnels are a great way for people to get around that are working or shopping downtown rather than going outside and feeling all sticky because the tunnels are fully air-conditioned (sticking true to their title of the world capital of air conditioning!). The tunnels have become so convenient for people that work downtown, that up on the streets the city appears to be empty. A top the ground, 80 of the buildings in downtown Houston are connected with the tunnel system, making it even easier to get from the parking garage, to your work building, to a food court for lunch, out shopping, then back to your car at the end of the day. The entrances to the tunnel are not obvious but can be accessed through escalators or elevators in one of 80 buildings above ground. The tunnels are accessible Monday through Friday from 6 am to 6:30 pm but are closed at night, weekends, and during national holidays.
Up On The Houston City Streets
Once you have explored the underground world of Houston Texas, make your way back to the city streets and take a Houston City Tour on a double-decker bus! On this tour you can get on and off at three different stops; one at Houston City Hall Visitor Center, one at Bagby Street In Downtown's Theater District, and one at Market Square Park.
Houston Visitors Center at City Hall is a great place to start off getting to know the city. You can also get souvenirs, funny t-shirts, or brochures to tell you about town history and popular attractions.
If you get off to check out Houston Downtown's Theater District, some of the places you may stop and see are Jones Plaza, Jones Hall, Sesquencentennial Park, Sunset Body Works spa, or Lancaster Hotel.
Market Square Park is a lively area near the center of the Historic District of Houston Texas. Here you will find a beautiful lawn area that is perfect for relaxing or letting out some energy through an active activity. Market Square is also home to Niko Niko's, a joint that serves Greek food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have nice seating outside for fresh air and a plaza for performances. Stop by Niko Niko's for a morning European coffee, breakfast pitas, gyro sandwiches, kebabs, Greek yogurt with honey, beer, wine, and more.
Southeast of Market Square Park is Minute Maid Park, home of Astros baseball. One hour tours of this iconic ballfield are available. On the tour, you will experience the old school baseball feel of the location, learn about local baseball history, see the manual scoreboxes, up-close seating, and a retractable roof that adjusts according to the weather.
