Please note that advance ticket purchase is required for this tour.

Market Square, one of the public squares laid out in the Allen brothers’ original plan of Houston, was home to the city market and City Hall from 1841 to 1939. During that time, the square became the center of Houston’s early commercial district. Although the area declined in the mid-20th century, preservation projects have brought new uses to its historic buildings and new life to Market Square itself.

Our 90-minute, docent-guided walking tour explores this fascinating neighborhood, highlighting buildings such as the 1861 Kennedy Bakery (now La Carafe), one of the city’s oldest surviving commercial buildings. The tour route also includes the 300 block of Main Street, a row of largely intact late 19th century commercial buildings, and the imposing façades of Houston’s early 20th century financial district. As we walk, we’ll discuss the methods and value of preservation versus demolition and the importance of projects like Market Square Park, which was reimagined in 2010 as an inviting urban green space with links to its storied past.

Please note this is an exterior architecture tour only. The tour will not go inside any buildings. There are no public restrooms along the tour route.

Photo: City Hall and Market House on Market Square (1904, George E. Dickey, demolished) / postcard from PH file

About the tour

Advance ticket purchase is required for the tour; tickets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We will not be able to accommodate walk-ups on the day of the tour. There are no refunds for tour tickets.

Registrants will receive parking and check-in information via e-mail.

Face masks are optional for all fully vaccinated individuals, including docents. We ask that tourgoers who are not fully vaccinated remain masked at all times during the tour, including at check in.

In the event of inclement weather that prevents the tour from being offered as planned, we will notify registrants as far in advance as possible about their options to attend a rescheduled tour or transfer their reservations to another Preservation Houston tour.

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 [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.

Passes are redeemable subject to ticket availability.