HOUSTON — Cities like New York and Chicago get a lot of attention for their architecture, but Houston’s skyline is dotted with the work of famed architects too.
"You should come on a tour," encouraged 5-year-old Zuzu Hopson, the youngest member of the group of 20 or so strangers of all ages and interests that met up on a sunny Saturday to do some sight-seeing in Houston.
Zuzu’s already a pro, since her mom Jennifer Ward helps coordinate all the tours offered by Architecture Center Houston (ArCH).
"We do them every Saturday, October through May," Ward said. "We wait until it cools off a bit."
The first tour happened in 2011. Now ArCH offers 11 different tours, nine you take on foot, two you travel by bike.
"We saw what other cities, like Chicago and New York City, were doing to promote architecture within their city, so we wanted to create something similar," added Megan Kohler, also with ArCH. "Houston has a lot of great architecture."
The Nov. 4 tour of the Houston Museum District was led by volunteer docents Aminata and Dick, who expressed a particular affinity for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston buildings, specifically the Mies van der Rohe additions.
"(The tour is) a nice blend of architecture and history, so if you’re more of a history buff, you can learn a lot about the city too," Kohler said.
Examples of those history nuggets include where to find the original front of MFAH and why the lawn in front of it is, to quote Dick, "a very funny lot."
The tour’s 3-mile loop wound past the Mecum Fountain and what was the Warwick Hotel ("Now Hotel Zaza," Aminata pointed out), beyond the Houston Museum of Natural Science into Hermann Park and up the hill created by the dirt under Fannin Street to Miller Outdoor Theatre.
"This amphitheater is designed out of Corten steel," Aminata shared with the tour.
On trails of dirt and pavement, through crosswalks and over tree roots, the exploration continued. Instead of rushing to see everything inside these museums, churches and more, this group of Houstonians – old and new – got an opportunity to learn about the buildings themselves.
"We’ll tell you things about your city you never knew," said Ward.
Even Zuzu mostly agrees, it's worth a few hours on a Saturday morning.
Learn more about the ArCH tours by clicking here.