Advance ticket purchase is required for this walking tour. Scroll down to reserve tickets.
Our monthly Architecture Walks begin at 6 p.m. from June through September.
Just northwest of downtown, Houston’s First Ward is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Its roots go back to the 1830s, when railroad workers, grocers, immigrants and entrepreneurs began building a community near White Oak Bayou. Despite decades of decline, freeway construction and redevelopment, the neighborhood still offers a vivid glimpse of early working-class life in Houston.
This all-new docent-guided walking tour explores the First Ward’s rich architectural legacy and continuing transformation. Highlights include the 1903 Romanesque Revival Fire Station No. 3, the former Hynes Bakery on Houston Avenue and a mosaic wall created by residents Bob and Dawn Shumway — a symbol of the neighborhood’s growing identity as an arts hub. Along the way, we’ll share the stories of the people and preservationists who have helped shape this community for nearly two centuries.
This is an exterior architecture tour only. The tour will not go inside any buildings. There are no public restrooms along the tour route.
About the tour
Advance tickets are required and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate walk-ups on the day of the tour.
After you register, we’ll send parking and check-in details to your e-mail.
Please note that tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable unless Preservation Houston cancels or reschedules the tour. In the event of severe weather, we’ll be in touch as soon as possible to discuss options.
Do you have an Architecture Walks pass?
If you have joined Preservation Houston and received a pass for a free Architecture Walk, you may redeem the pass for admission to this tour. E-mail tours@preservationhouston.org and we'll be happy to help.
Passes are redeemable subject to ticket availability.