Houston Theater District

Houston's Theater District covers about seventeen blocks of downtown and is one of the few places in the United States where resident companies in opera, ballet, symphony, and theatre perform within walking distance of one another. We find it a very tidy way to spend an evening: dinner nearby, a performance, and a stroll back to the Red Line without needing a car.

Wortham and Jones Hall

The Wortham Theater Center is home to Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet, two companies with national reputations. Jones Hall, a smooth travertine-clad building, is the home of the Houston Symphony. Both sit within a short walk of one another and the lit facades at dusk make the area feel quite grand.

Alley Theatre and the Hobby Center

The Alley Theatre is one of the oldest professional resident theatre companies in the United States, and it performs in a concrete modernist building from the 1960s with a strikingly sculptural shape. The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, on Smith Street, stages touring Broadway productions and local musical theatre. We choose seats near the aisle in summer, as the interiors are kept cold.

What a night out looks like

On performance evenings the streets around Jones Plaza and Smith Street fill with people in everything from jeans to evening dress, and pre-theatre dinners spill onto the pavements. We usually eat early, walk to the venue unhurried, and stay for a drink afterwards. Houston audiences are famously relaxed about dress, so no one will stop you for turning up in smart casual clothes.

Resident companies sell season tickets, but single seats are usually easy to find for most productions, and booking ahead is the best protection for popular opera or Broadway weeks.

Many of the companies run family matinees and free community events during the year, which are a pleasant introduction for anyone new to opera or ballet.

Tranquility Park and Bayou Place

Tranquility Park, named for the Apollo 11 landing site on the Moon, is a plaza of fountains and concrete forms set between the theatres and the courthouses. Bayou Place, a restaurant and entertainment complex beside Buffalo Bayou, has a live music venue and several bars where we gather before and after shows. For Houston's other nightlife, see our guide to coffee, breweries and evenings.

Getting there and eating nearby

The Red Line along Main Street serves the district, and the Main Street Square station is a short walk from most venues. Our METRORail guide explains how to use the line late in the evening. Downtown garages are plentiful if you drive, but exits can jam after curtain call. For dinner we browse the restaurants described in our food guide, and book ahead on show nights.

Staying dry between venues

Downtown's pedestrian tunnels link several of the surrounding blocks and are a useful escape from summer heat and sudden storms. They are quieter after dark, so for the walk back to the station at night we stay on the street with the crowds. Parking garages near the theatres tend to fill on big show nights, which is one more reason we prefer the train.

Combining it with downtown

A daytime visit makes the district feel quite different, with quiet plazas and a chance to study the facades without a crowd. We recommend a daytime stroll to scout your venue, so you know the route before you arrive in the dark and can walk straight to the door. The district sits at the western end of downtown, so it pairs well with an afternoon by the bayou at Buffalo Bayou Park or in the cobbled lanes near Market Square. In warm months the free summer performances in Hermann Park offer an outdoor alternative.