Take a snap of the We Love Houston sign, the Bayou City’s most public display of affection, at its new perch outside of 8th Wonder Brewery.
Standing at a whopping 28-feet tall, the We Love Houston sign (also known as the “We Heart Houston” sign) became a beloved Houston landmark at its previous location, alongside I-10 freeway adjacent to The Heights.
Today, nestled just east of Downtown‘s towering skyscrapers in EaDo, the sign’s new home is situated just behind 8th Wonder Brewery’s beer garden.
Origin of the We Love Houston Sign
The giant, all-inclusive, three-dimensional love letter to Houston was the creation of David Adickes, the Houston area sculptor responsible for some of Houston’s most larger-than-life public art, including his infamous and prolific President Heads, giant Beatles statues, towering Art Sculpture at Sawyer Yards, and (most whopping) 76-foot tall Sam Houston statue that stands proudly on display alongside Highway I-45 in Huntsville, Texas.
In fact, the 36-foot tall Beatles sculptures, depicting the band during their Sergeant Pepper era, are installed at this location, just inside the brewery. This makes the brewery’s ‘hood Houston’s unofficial backyard for all things David Adickes.
Adickes originally debuted the sign in 2011, but it remained onsite at his former, informal sculpture staging grounds at Adickes SculpturWorx Studio, then located at 2500 Summer Street, while the slow-going construction along the stretch of the Katy Freeway continued.
About David Adickes
Though he began his art career as a painter, David Adickes has become beloved in Houston for his iconic sculptures.
After studying in France and traveling extensively throughout the world, Adickes was commissioned in 1983 to make his first monumental sculpture, Virtuoso, at the Lyric Center in Downtown.
When discussing the inspiration for his We Love Houston sign, Adickes cited iconographic images from both coasts. He said the infamous Hollywood sign was the primary motivation, with an additional influence from the ubiquitous “I Love New York” logo.
“I wanted ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ because it’s a shared experience. We all love Houston, don’t we?” Adickes told CultureMap. But his individual devotion to Houston remains clear, given that Adickes funded the entire project himself.
Visiting the We Love Houston Sign near 8th Wonder Brewery
If you’re looking for a good time to visit the statues and hit the brewery, try a weekday afternoon or evening to catch a less crowded photo-op.
Underage visitors are welcome to the brewery as well, though you have to be 21 to purchase beer tokens and have a drink, naturally. Non-alcoholic selections are also available.
Also remember that, though the site is free to visit at any time since it is not technically held within the grounds of 8th Wonder Brewery, it’s probably best to visit between dawn to dusk.
The statue faces east, away from 8th Wonder, so budding photographers can even catch some of the scenic Downtown skyline in the background of a photo and Adickes’ Beatles Sculpture, too. Early risers can also photography the healthy glow cast on both the sign and Downtown during sunrise.
The We Love Houston Sign / We Heart Houston Sign
- Location: 2305 Polk Street, Houston, TX 77003
- Hours: Dawn to dusk daily. Brewery hours are from Monday to Saturday 11am to 10pm; Sunday 11am to 6pm; Brewery tours only available Monday through Friday at 7pm.
- Parking: Free lot and street parking is available in the surrounding area
- Creator: David Adickes
