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

The Old Sixth Ward, one of Houston’s most beloved historic neighborhoods, was settled in the mid-19th century on what was then the edge of the city. The principal developer was W.R. Baker, Houston mayor and president of the Houston & Texas Central Railway, and many of the neighborhood’s early residents were railroad workers who decorated their cottages with hand-cut gingerbread ornamentation.

Our 90-minute, docent-guided tour traces the neighborhood’s development and changes, from its roots as a working-class area to the city’s first protected historic district. As we walk, we’ll explore the architecture that makes the Sixth Ward so special. Stops will include the former homes of cosmetics queen Mary Kay Ash and Peck Kelley, a boogie-woogie pianist legendary nationwide in his time — even though he never left Houston.

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: Gottlieb Eisele House (c. 1872), Old Sixth Ward / courtesy of Kyle Humphries/Murphy Mears Architects

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.