5 Must Do Things Around Arts District Houston

Art Alley at Sawyer Yards | Courtesy of Fresh Arts

In our Must Do Things Around Greater Houston series, we take a look at Houston’s vast array of communities, neighborhoods and destinations to bring you five fun, tasty, surprising and enticing reasons you should give each one a visit.

Enriching the culture of Houston via arts and creative studios and galleries, dining and shops, public art installations and more, Arts District Houston is one of the city’s most invaluable treasures.

At its heart is Sawyer Yards, a creative campus spanning over 55 acres of industrial warehouses housing artists, makers, and local businesses. 

Visit to support local art, get a taste of local food and drink, and see what kind of fun this walkable area brings with our five ways to explore.

5 Must Do Things Around Arts District Houston

People in a hallway looking at colorful hanging artwork
Check out artist studios and rotating exhibitions at the Silos at Sawyer Yards | Courtesy of Arts District Houston

Check out the Artist Studios and support local art

The Silos at Sawyer Yards is an iconic building housing workspaces for over 300 artists, as well as retail, gallery, and office space for creative entrepreneurs and SITE Gallery, an alternative art space that sits inside its 34 rice silos.

The Art Alley at Sawyer Yards is your one-stop-shop for awesome mural art, with 8 artists collaborating to create an 800-foot-long mural wall.

And those who want some further entertainment can head over to the nearby Station Theater, an independent local theater focusing on live improv and sketch comedy.

Groups of people walking between market stalls
Sawyer Yards hosts its Second Saturday open studios and marketplace every month | Courtesy of the Market at Sawyer Yards

Shop the Second Saturday Art Market

Every second Saturday, the Market at Sawyer Yards features an eclectic mix of vendors, artists, makers, and creatives, located in the Art Alley from 11am to 5pm.

The event goes on in tandem with Sawyer Yards’ Second Saturday, when the artists of Sawyer Yards open their studios to the public from noon to 5pm.

Look out for even more upcoming events, from live music and art preview parties to auctions and pop-up shops.

A group of people sitting at a table with food and drink and the Downtown skyline behind them
Buff Brew in Arts District offers a rooftop beer garden with skyline views | Courtesy of Buff Brew

Reflect on all that art over craft brews

The Arts District is also home to several nearby watering holes and eateries, including some pretty stellar craft breweries.

Pair rooftop views of the city skyline with Crush City IPAs and Smoked Birria Nachos at Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company; hit up Holler Brewing Company to enjoy easy-drinking ales and lagers in its laidback taproom; get a taste of Australia and the always hoppy Platypus Brewing; or try out the inventive brews at the R&D brewery out of NOLA, Urban South HTX.

An overhead view of plates of food on a table
Arts District bombshall Xin Chao offers stunning Vietnamese in Sixth Ward | Courtesy of Xin Chao

Unwind with local food & drink

The area around Arts District Houston is ripe with fantastic restaurant options, including classic steakhouse and butchery B&B Butchers & Restaurant, modern Vietnamese kitchen and patio Xin Chao, fried chicken favorite Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, taco titan Tacodeli, and Sixth Ward general store and barbecue counter, Henderson & Kane.

Thirsty? In addition to the mentioned breweries above, you can also stop by the charming Southern cocktail bar Julep; neighborhood hangouts Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, Henderson Heights, and Darkhorse Tavern; and popular caffeine slingers Catalina Coffee Shop.

Tombstones with sculptures of Angels in front of blooming trees
The ornate grounds of Glenwood Cemetery makes for a park-like experience on Washington Avenue | Courtesy of Glenwood Cemetery

Take a stroll through the beautiful Glenwood Cemetery

Believe it or not, some of Houston’s most spectacular gardens sit in a cemetery, the 1871 Glenwood Cemetery to be exact.

Sitting just across the way from Sawyer Yards on the south side of Washington Ave, its pristine grounds twist and wind, filled with towering ancient oaks, gorgeous sculptures and architecture, and historic gravesites.

Cemetery grounds are open daily 7am to 5:30pm (closed on holidays). 


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Brooke Viggiano
Brooke Viggiano is a food and lifestyle writer residing in Houston. When she's not contributing to publications like 365 Things to Do in Houston, Thrillist Houston and the Houston Press, she's on the hunt for the coolest happenings in the city. You can follow her musings on Twitter @BrookeViggiano .