# Houston, Texas



## Crossover (Feb 22, 2014)

Removed .


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## trainman74 (Feb 22, 2014)

Crossover said:


> 7. Minute Maid Park (HB&T Union Station )
> 
> This ball park at first was named Enron Field due to the scandal and as a result the name was changed to Minute Maid Park . It was constructed from Union Station which sat dormant and no tracks no longer serve it . The stadium was constructed as a monument to the station which has a locomotive and tender working on the roof during Astros games . It does have a retractable roof . The stadium is located in downtown in the northeast corner east of the city jail and the justice center. It is home to the Houston Astros .


My photo from when I was here for a game in 2010:







I assume the locomotive looks a bit different now, since the Astros have changed their logo since 2010.

(I stayed at the Hilton Americas hotel on that trip -- it was very nice.)


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## cirdan (Feb 26, 2014)

Crossover said:


> 7. Minute Maid Park (HB&T Union Station )
> 
> This ball park at first was named Enron Field due to the scandal and as a result the name was changed to Minute Maid Park . It was constructed from Union Station which sat dormant and no tracks no longer serve it . The stadium was constructed as a monument to the station which has a locomotive and tender working on the roof during Astros games . It does have a retractable roof . The stadium is located in downtown in the northeast corner east of the city jail and the justice center. It is home to the Houston Astros .


I don't know if there are official visitor tours of this building, but I managed to talk the security guy into turning a blind eye to me slipping inside and taking a few photos some years ago. He didn't seem totally comfortable about that though so I didn't push my luck too far.

I also visited the stadium some years previously as part of a corporate event in the nearby Convention Center, but they didn't provide very much information about the history, which is why I decided to come back and see more for myself.



Crossover said:


> 10. Hilton Americas Hotel
> 
> This Hotel is exquisite for those who do luxury travel . Located near the above mention venues , It will give you your moniesworth if you're looking for a hotel that has class and taste . Located in downtown near the park shops mall which is now a business center and food court .
> 
> There is more to come .


I did stay here once, when I was on the previously mentioned corporate event. I was too busy to explore any of the amenities though, so maybe it was wasted on me. Some years later I stayed at the Four Seasons, which I actually found more pleasant.

Also worthy of mention is the park between the hotels and the Convention Center. There is a pretty pond and some nice coffee houses where you can recharge your batteries during busy conventions. The area is very pleasant during daytime but at night vagrants and panhandlers do move in, although the ones I met were neither dangerous nor threatening.

Another nearby place worth exploring is Christchurch Cathedral. This is close to the Minute maid Stadium and I got a very fascinating guided tour.


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## trainman74 (Feb 26, 2014)

cirdan said:


> I don't know if there are official visitor tours of this building, but I managed to talk the security guy into turning a blind eye to me slipping inside and taking a few photos some years ago. He didn't seem totally comfortable about that though so I didn't push my luck too far.]


Looks like they do offer official Minute Maid Park tours: information here.


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## cirdan (Mar 2, 2014)

trainman74 said:


> cirdan said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know if there are official visitor tours of this building, but I managed to talk the security guy into turning a blind eye to me slipping inside and taking a few photos some years ago. He didn't seem totally comfortable about that though so I didn't push my luck too far.]
> ...


hmmm- How odd the security guard didn't direct me to that. I would have preferred an official tour to inconveniencing him the way I did.


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## cirdan (Mar 2, 2014)

I don't know if I have posted these before (apologies if I have), but these were taken inside the Minute Maid stadium when I was there on a corporate event in 2008. Unfortunately at the time I wasn't aware of the historical significance of the place, otherwise I would have taken more pictures. The first picture shows the train in the background on top of the wall. This actually moves and makes train noises. Behind it the head house of the old station can be seen.






a close-up of the train






a show, as you can see, most people weren't paying much attention






and the locomotive outside


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## trainman74 (Mar 2, 2014)

cirdan said:


> hmmm- How odd the security guard didn't direct me to that. I would have preferred an official tour to inconveniencing him the way I did.


Maybe they weren't doing the tours that day, or else he didn't have the information at hand? Looks like the schedule can be variable, to account for games and other events that are taking place.


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## cirdan (Mar 2, 2014)

Some random pictures that might be of interest. All taken pin my last visit in April 2012. The first is a building near UH Downtown with the logo of the Southern Pacific on it. Not sure what the story of this is ...






Metro tracks being put in






Inside the Astros / Minute Maid Park / Headhouse of old railroad station

(I'm not sure if photography was allowed here as the guard looked very uncomfortable when I took it, meanwhile the lady at the desk was doing her best to pretend she hadn't noticed)


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## cirdan (Mar 2, 2014)

continued ...

Oak lined walkway






going to the convention center






and some architectural gems


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## ehbowen (Dec 25, 2014)

Just thought I would add a couple of recommendations for restaurants near the Amtrak station. Just the other side of the freeway is the Downtown Aquarium, part of Tilman Fertitta's Landry's empire. It is worth a visit, and there is a Ferris Wheel and a carousel on property for amusement. I've had the food and it is quite good, although pricy pricy pricy.

Where I'm much more likely to head for a casual lunch or dinner is the Spaghetti Warehouse at 901 Commerce, just a little over a half mile (Google calls it 0.6 and 12 minutes walk) from the Amtrak station down Franklin Street (then jog a block to the left at Travis...if you cross the light rail tracks at Main, you've gone a block too far). Prices are reasonable and the portions are generous and good quality. Just be advised that this is a very popular place; if you arrive at the dinner hour on a theater night or just about any Saturday, don't be surprised if you see a line out the door.

One other place that I sometimes frequent downtown is Birraporetti's at 500 Louiisiana St., sandwiched between the Alley Theater and the Wortham Theater. It's a half-mile 10 minute walk from the Amtrak station as long as you don't take a wrong turn. As you might expect they cater to the late-night crowd and prices are on the high side but the menu has a good selection and it has a more upscale atmosphere than the Spaghetti Warehouse.


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## cirdan (Feb 12, 2015)

I just wanted to ask your opinions on the Space Center in Houston.

Looking at the website: http://spacecenter.org/ there seems to be lots of kiddy and family stuff.

I was wondering if it is also sufficiently interesting for a mid 40s grumpy bloke like myself who will probably be going alone.

Is it just noisy kids running around and pressing buttons, or is there something there for people who want to see more nitty gritty technical details?


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 12, 2015)

Visiting the Space Center in Florida is MUCH Better IMHO! But if you're in the Clear Lake Area its OK! It is Historic, worth a few hours of time and overall interesting for adults and kids!

There's plenty to see and do in the Houston Area, I'd recommend going on down the Gulf Freeway to Galveston,out to Baytown on I-10 to see the San Jacinto Monument and the Battleship USS Texas over the Johnson Space Center!

Disclaimer: I'm not a fan of the sprawl of Greater Houston and it's horrible traffic, but between about 930am and 200pm and after 1100pm till 500am you can get around on the Freeways if you have a car!


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## ehbowen (Feb 15, 2015)

If you have an interest in space it's worth a one-day visit.

They do have several historic artifacts on display, including the command module from _Apollo 17_. It's behind plastic, but you can walk right up and look (through the plastic) inside of it. There are also some lunar samples on display; again behind glass but up close.

There is also a group tour of the Mission Control Center and some of the training facilities. ETA: As well as Rocket Park, where a Saturn 5 and some other spacecraft are on display.

Disclaimer: The last time I was there was several years ago during the space shuttle era. I'm not up on any recent changes.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jul 4, 2015)

I'll be in Houston for three days and I was wondering if I should visit the Museum of Natural Science on the first day or the Holocaust Museum. Whatever I don't visit on the first day would be on the third day.

Also, is there any way to get to the USS Texas without a car?


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## Bob Dylan (Jul 5, 2015)

The USS Texas is docked on Buffalo Bayou ( now the Houston Ship Channel)next to the San Jacinto Monument in San Jacinto Park between Pasadena/Deer Park, Channelview and Baytown! There is no way to get there without a car unless you're with a tour group and make arrangements in advance! Its a good 20 miles from downtown!

A cab would be impractical and hugely expensive!

Sorry can't advise on the Museums, but downtown Houston has a lot going on including the Light Rail Lineon Main Street, and the 1st Place Houston Astros that play in Beautiful Minute Maid Park downtown that is built on the site of the old Union Station on Texas Avenue and Crawford St.! The front entrance is the old Head House for the Station!Worth a tour even if the Astros aren't playing!


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## printman2000 (Jul 5, 2015)

If you get to visit the USS Texas (which is very cool), I recommend the Hard Hat Tour if one of their dates fits your schedule. It an awesome tour going many places you cannot see on the general tour.

http://www.usstexasbb35.com/hard-hat-tours.htm


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jul 5, 2015)

Sorry, the link doesn't work. I probably won't get to visit the USS Texas, even though I'm a battleship enthusiast.


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## printman2000 (Jul 5, 2015)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> Sorry, the link doesn't work. I probably won't get to visit the USS Texas, even though I'm a battleship enthusiast.


Hmm. Link works perfectly for me. You could just Google USS Texas hard hat tours.

Too bad you can't go. I have been there many times and it is a very cool and historic ship.


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## ehbowen (Dec 13, 2019)

Unabashed commercial plug for a 90+ year old Houston institution...worth a visit if you can find an open location (they seem to be struggling lately):

James Coney Island


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## drdumont (Dec 13, 2019)

ehbowen said:


> Unabashed commercial plug for a 90+ year old Houston institution...worth a visit if you can find an open location (they seem to be struggling lately):
> 
> Hate to hear that. I'm a Bellaire grad (64), my late Mom loved the original place, and it was always a stop at least once a trip to Houston. Only place I know to get Delaware punch with a meal. Sorry to hear they are having issues. I'll have to make a pilgrimage soon. Hope it isn't too late. Haven't been in Houston in maybe 5 years.
> 
> James Coney Island


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## ehbowen (Dec 13, 2019)

drdumont said:


> Hate to hear that. I'm a Bellaire grad (64), my late Mom loved the original place, and it was always a stop at least once a trip to Houston. Only place I know to get Delaware punch with a meal. Sorry to hear they are having issues. I'll have to make a pilgrimage soon. Hope it isn't too late. Haven't been in Houston in maybe 5 years.



Yes, in recent months the three locations which I most often use...Downtown (Dallas @ Travis...the Walker Street original closed decades ago), Gulfgate, and Edgebrook have all closed. Can't be a good sign.


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## dogbert617 (Mar 7, 2020)

ehbowen said:


> Yes, in recent months the three locations which I most often use...Downtown (Dallas @ Travis...the Walker Street original closed decades ago), Gulfgate, and Edgebrook have all closed. Can't be a good sign.



At least I'd take heart that there still are a good bit of locations remaining, per this page(though the southeast Houston part of the metro now seems to have few left, unfortunately): http://www.jamesconeyisland.com/locs

I'll consider doing a visit to James Coney Island, if I visit Houston someday.



cirdan said:


> Some random pictures that might be of interest. All taken pin my last visit in April 2012. The first is a building near UH Downtown with the logo of the Southern Pacific on it. Not sure what the story of this is ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Great job, in doing all those pictures! That is weird the guard inside the former downtown Houston Southern Pacific station now being used for Astros offices, was a little uncomfortable in you taking pics. Good for you to get such a pic, though. Since it's a nice bit of former passenger rail history, still standing in downtown Houston thankfully!


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## ehbowen (Mar 7, 2020)

dogbert617 said:


> At least I'd take heart that there still are a good bit of locations remaining, per this page(though the southeast Houston part of the metro now seems to have few left, unfortunately): http://www.jamesconeyisland.com/locs
> 
> I'll consider doing a visit to James Coney Island, if I visit Houston someday.
> 
> ...



[pedant]

We're talking two separate locations. The building with the SP logo used to be the headquarters of (IIRC) T&NO, Southern Pacific's Texas operating company. (Up through the mid-1960s, Texas law required railroads which operated in Texas to have their headquarters in Texas; the Class Ones "complied" with this by having a having a headquarters in-state...but, for some reason, the President and other key officers and directors were all stationed out of Chicago, New York, or San Francisco.... In addition to SP's office in Houston, Santa Fe's G. C. & S. F. had its headquarters in Galveston and their Panhandle & Santa Fe subsidiary was headquartered out of Amarillo.) It was still a working railroad office when I was in my teenage "exploring" (aka 'trespassing') years. Southern Pacific's Grand Central Station was a couple of blocks away, on land which was sold to build the Main Post Office which served Houston until just a few years ago and on the tracks which the present-day Houston Amtrak station still uses.

The other (big) station in town was Union Station, home to Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific, and the Joint Texas Division railroads (Rock Island & Burlington). (The Missouri-Kansas-Texas had its own small station on land which now belongs to U of H Downtown at the foot of Main Street; nothing is left of it except perhaps part of the platform.) Union Station's head house survived and was incorporated into the design of Minute Maid Park (formerly Ten-Run, er, Enron Field, but no one likes to talk about those days), but the former concourse and tracks have been completely replaced by the baseball stadium. There was still a live track into the station when I was in my high school trespassing years; it housed the MoPac division superintendent's business car...one day the porter saw me poking around and invited me inside for a tour. Very nice. I also went all through the station back before anyone ever got serious about "access control"; MoPac had their offices on most of the fourth floor and I became friendly with their janitor who told me a lot of stories about the old days. There was also a model railroad club on the south half of the second floor which was still opened to the public regularly. After the paranoiacs and lawyers (but I repeat myself...) took over, though, that ended and you couldn't get into the building without a badge.

So, two separate buildings; separate railroad systems. [/pedant]

Edit To Add: The Southern Pacific offices used to have a large neon sign on the roof reading, naturally, "Southern Pacific". It has been replaced by another neon sign in a similar style which reads "Bayou Lofts" (which is what the building was re-purposed to). The original sign was donated to the Houston NRHS chapter, which has plans to display it at their museum (not sure if it's up now or not; I don't get over to that side of town much).


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## dogbert617 (Mar 7, 2020)

ehbowen said:


> [pedant]
> 
> We're talking two separate locations. The building with the SP logo used to be the headquarters of (IIRC) T&NO, Southern Pacific's Texas operating company. (Up through the mid-1960s, Texas law required railroads which operated in Texas to have their headquarters in Texas; the Class Ones "complied" with this by having a having a headquarters in-state...but, for some reason, the President and other key officers and directors were all stationed out of Chicago, New York, or San Francisco.... In addition to SP's office in Houston, Santa Fe's G. C. & S. F. had its headquarters in Galveston and their Panhandle & Santa Fe subsidiary was headquartered out of Amarillo.) It was still a working railroad office when I was in my teenage "exploring" (aka 'trespassing') years. Southern Pacific's Grand Central Station was a couple of blocks away, on land which was sold to build the Main Post Office which served Houston until just a few years ago and on the tracks which the present-day Houston Amtrak station still uses.
> 
> ...



Thanks for mentioning all this info, about both stations! Do you remember the various cities and towns(or at least more major ones) you could take a train from Houston Union Station(now home to the Astros) to, back in the day?

Also, I do wonder if the old Southern Pacific station(and demolished for a former main post office building that was used as that till 2015 per this article, http://houston.culturemap.com/news/...e-on-franklin-to-close-permanently-on-may-15/ ) at 401 Franklin Street ever served destinations, besides the regular ones on the current Amtrak Sunset Limited route? I do also wonder if the SP station(and nearby Amtrak station on this route) served trains going to/from Dallas and also Fort Worth, back in the day?


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## ehbowen (Mar 7, 2020)

dogbert617 said:


> Thanks for mentioning all this info, about both stations! Do you remember the various cities and towns(or at least more major ones) you could take a train from Houston Union Station(now home to the Astros) to, back in the day?
> 
> Also, I do wonder if the old Southern Pacific station(and demolished for a former main post office building that was used as that till 2015 per this article, http://houston.culturemap.com/news/...e-on-franklin-to-close-permanently-on-may-15/ ) at 401 Franklin Street ever served destinations, besides the regular ones on the current Amtrak Sunset Limited route? I do also wonder if the SP station(and nearby Amtrak station on this route) served trains going to/from Dallas and also Fort Worth, back in the day?



Oh, yes. Oh, yes! Go here for a comprehensive listing, circa 1952. But for the Reader's Digest condensed version, aside from twice-daily service over the Sunset Route (_Sunset Limited _and the _Argonaut_), there were daily (often twice daily) trains to Dallas, Corpus Christi, McAllen, and Shreveport. At that, it was a cutback from previous service; earlier issues of the _Guide_ show service to Brownsville, Austin, and others.

As far as where you could go from Houston's Union Station, the Santa Fe would take you north to Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City and Chicago (_Texas Chief_ route, also used by the _Ranger_) or west to Sweetwater, Lubbock, Clovis and (via through cars) onward to California. The Missouri Pacific would take you to Texarkana, Little Rock and St. Louis...largely along the route of the present-day _Texas Eagle_, but in those days there was a direct rail connection from Houston to Longview via Palestine. (The rails are still there, but these days they're freight-only.) The Burlington would carry you to Dallas and Fort Worth on the _Sam Houston Zephyr_, from whence you could make direct connections to the _Texas Zephyr_ for Denver, while the Rock Island's _Twin Star Rocket_ followed the same route from Houston to Fort Worth (well, almost the same route; Burlington used the T&P station in Fort Worth while Rock Island used Santa Fe's station just south of the present Amtrak station), where it diverged and continued almost due north to Kansas City, Minneapolis and St. Paul.


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## dogbert617 (Jun 21, 2020)

ehbowen said:


> Oh, yes. Oh, yes! Go here for a comprehensive listing, circa 1952. But for the Reader's Digest condensed version, aside from twice-daily service over the Sunset Route (_Sunset Limited _and the _Argonaut_), there were daily (often twice daily) trains to Dallas, Corpus Christi, McAllen, and Shreveport. At that, it was a cutback from previous service; earlier issues of the _Guide_ show service to Brownsville, Austin, and others.
> 
> As far as where you could go from Houston's Union Station, the Santa Fe would take you north to Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City and Chicago (_Texas Chief_ route, also used by the _Ranger_) or west to Sweetwater, Lubbock, Clovis and (via through cars) onward to California. The Missouri Pacific would take you to Texarkana, Little Rock and St. Louis...largely along the route of the present-day _Texas Eagle_, but in those days there was a direct rail connection from Houston to Longview via Palestine. (The rails are still there, but these days they're freight-only.) The Burlington would carry you to Dallas and Fort Worth on the _Sam Houston Zephyr_, from whence you could make direct connections to the _Texas Zephyr_ for Denver, while the Rock Island's _Twin Star Rocket_ followed the same route from Houston to Fort Worth (well, almost the same route; Burlington used the T&P station in Fort Worth while Rock Island used Santa Fe's station just south of the present Amtrak station), where it diverged and continued almost due north to Kansas City, Minneapolis and St. Paul.



Thanks for posting that link, to the 1952 train timetables page! It's a goldmine, to look at all the various timetables of various passenger rail trains you can browse from that are saved there! The Katy Lines one was interesting, and showed a lot of the trains you could take from Houston, Dallas, Shreveport, Wichita Falls, and New Orleans among a lot of other cities and towns.

Lot more timetables I need to browse there, that I hadn't gotten to just yet lol.


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## rms492 (Dec 14, 2022)

henryj said:


> There are lots of things to do in Houston. Hanging around the train station isn't one of them. You can find it on Google earth. It's a little one room station building the SP built to serve their one remaining train a day, the Sunset Ltd. This after they sold the beautiful Grand Central Station to the post office and it was torn down to make way for the new central post office which is still there. The station is located under a freeway bridge on a dead end street. It's a crappy little station for a city the size of Houston. There is absolutely NOTHING to do there. Get a cab and go to your hotel and get away from the station.
> 
> After that, take a ride on the light rail out to the museum district. Rent a car and drive toward Galveston. Go to the NASA Space Center. If you like baseball, the stadium uses part of the old Union RR station as the entrance way and the SP 982 2-10-2 locomotive is located outside. The Metro headquarters is located on the light rail line. There you can get a transit map of Houston and a day pass or something like that. Downtown is probably going to be mostly closed up on a Sunday. It's hot here in the summer, but downtown Houston has tunnels leading everywhere and there is a map of the tunnel system. Everything is AC'd. Out from downtown there is the Galleria Shopping mall. You can drive there or take a bus. The Post Oak complex out there is huge. Houston has some of the best eating places in the country so you won't starve. Those are just some thoughts, I am sure there are many more suggestions coming. Here is a good web site.
> 
> Visit Houston: Restaurants, Hotels, Things To Do


I plan on visiting the Space Center. Can someone tell me the general area around there? Is it a safe area? I plan on staying at a hotel that is close to it, I think its the Marriott. Is it safe to walk from the local hotels to the Space Center?


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## b1xn00d (Dec 15, 2022)

rms492 said:


> I plan on visiting the Space Center. Can someone tell me the general area around there? Is it a safe area? I plan on staying at a hotel that is close to it, I think its the Marriott. Is it safe to walk from the local hotels to the Space Center?


NASA is way out on the southern edge of town. Too far out for there to be much crime or much activity in general (though the area by Hobby Airport, closer to the city center, can get rough). Your main worry walking around this area is getting hit by a car because it's an exurb of a city that was built for wheels, not legs. If your hotel is close enough you should be able to walk there just fine (I THINK there are sidewalks, but you should check with Google Earth / Street View) but don't assume your hotel is within walking distance without verifying that on Maps. Again, though, crime isn't the issue.

If you're a history buff the San Jacinto Battlefield and the murals of the battle a nearby refinery painted on their storage tanks are also on the southwest edge of Houston. Probably 25 minutes away by car.


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