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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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