Melissa and I decided recently to take a day trip to explore the Underground Tunnels of Houston, and see a couple of things above ground as well. We took two of my granddaughters as well, as they’re headed back to their full time (albeit temporary) gypsy life here shortly.
We began our trip like many of ours… with me driving and her navigating. Once we got downtown, we had some unexpected issues crop up. We wanted to take the light rail to downtown, but it was raining and we weren’t sure where the station was – only that it wasn’t far. We couldn’t figure out where to park, so we ultimately decided to park at McKinney Plaza, where access to the tunnels are a short elevator ride away. Parking is expensive, but it usually is these days, isn’t it? So off into the tunnels we went. Neither of us have been since the early to mid 90s, so it was a new experience for all of us.
We traversed a few branches of the tunnel, then came above ground again in Houston Center to lunch at Otto’s.
Much has changed. I remember in the 90s, there were shoe shine stations, dry cleaners, a bar or two, more restaurants. I remember having training downtown after I graduated high school, and my dad took me to lunch one day. There were two guys sitting at the bar, having some drinks, when I asked my Dad, “They’re allowed to drink at lunch?” Like I thought drinking was just a dinner or late night endeavor. He chuckled, and said, “yes, Kim, they’re adults.” 🙂
And back in 2024, after we had our fill of being 20 feet below the roads and buildings, we headed back topside, and made the quick drive to Hermann Park, where we caught a ride on the train just before the rain hit. The train ride was really pretty neat, and showed me a side of Houston I haven’t seen, despite being born and raised near here. The coolest part was Destination Mound Town, which is an art exhibit within the tunnel. I could try to describe it to you, but everything I said would be lacking, so I’ll post a link to my video of it below, and then post a couple of links explaining it.
My video on Instagram
This is the best website I’ve seen with photos of the tunnel and the brief description of the installation: https://www.piperfaustpublicart.com/destination-mound-town
This one is my favorite narrative: https://secrethouston.com/destination-mound-town/
Have you been? What do you think of the underground tunnels? What about the train and the train tunnel? Let me know below! And stay tuned for more Part Time Gypsy Souls adventures!! <3
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