The Galleria and Uptown

The Galleria and Uptown form Houston's second skyline, a cluster of glass towers, hotels and department stores about ten kilometres west of downtown along Post Oak Boulevard. It has the largest shopping centre in Texas, a skating rink beneath a glass roof, and some of the best people watching in the city. We treat it as an air conditioned day out, and it works well after a morning in River Oaks or a long, hot walk elsewhere.

How the Galleria began

The developer Gerald Hines opened the Galleria in 1970, taking his inspiration from the glass-vaulted arcade in Milan. The result was Houston's answer to a European shopping street, rebuilt as a climate controlled mall with an ice rink at its centre, which has been a favourite for families ever since. Later expansions added more levels, hotels and offices, and the whole district grew up around it.

What to look for inside

Expect big department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstrom, alongside luxury fashion houses and every high street name you know. The Galleria suits anyone who wants to cover a lot of shops quickly, and we like to start at the ice rink court, which makes a simple meeting point when a group splits up. Our guide to shopping in Houston covers calmer alternatives if the crowds are too much.

Williams Tower and the Waterwall

Look up from the car park and you will see Williams Tower, finished in 1983 and for years the tallest building outside a downtown in the United States. At its foot stands the Waterwall, a horseshoe of falling water designed by Philip Johnson, with trees and a lawn that stay cooler than the surrounding streets. Go there at dusk, when the tower glows, and it feels like a separate city.

Uptown Park and Post Oak Boulevard

Uptown Park, just north of the Galleria, is a Mediterranean style outdoor centre with fountains, boutiques and café terraces that suit a slower lunch. Post Oak Boulevard itself is lined with young trees and sculpture, and the dedicated bus lanes down its centre keep buses moving through the traffic. A short walk between the two is pleasant in the cooler months and is best avoided in the afternoon heat.

Eating around the Galleria

Uptown is full of steakhouses and Gulf seafood restaurants that cater to business visitors, so booking ahead for dinner is sensible. For something more local, drive towards Hillcroft Avenue and the surrounding streets for Indian and Pakistani cooking, or see our guide to Houston food for neighbourhood dining that suits every budget.

Traffic and getting there

The Galleria sits beside the West Loop of Interstate 610, one of the busiest highway stretches in Texas, so allow extra time when you drive or ask for a rideshare. There is no METRORail line here, so combine your visit with a central trip by taking the Red Line to downtown and then continuing by road. Our METRORail guide explains what the rail network does and does not reach.

A rainy day plan

Houston storms arrive quickly, and the Galleria is where we go when the sky turns green. Between the shops, the ice rink and a cinema complex, a whole afternoon disappears pleasantly indoors. Hotels such as the Westin Galleria connect directly to the mall through covered walkways, which suits anyone arriving jet-lagged from Houston's airports who does not want to face the highway again that evening.

The district is easy to link with neighbouring sights. River Oaks and its tree-lined streets lie only a short drive to the east, and Memorial Park, with its running loop and wooded trails, is nearby for fresh air. We suggest taking the shops in the morning and the outdoors in the evening, when the sun is lower and the humidity eases a little.