Where and When Do We Begin
Unless stated otherwise, the tours begin at the Houston Visitors Center in downtown. Please click here to be connected to the address and parking information.
The Visitors Center is normally open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM eveyday. This can vary with special events and hotel occupancy.
- It has bathrooms.
- You can purchase refreshments there.
- It is arguably the best place to buy souvenirs and gifts that are branded Houston and or Texas in the Houston area. A large selection with excellent prices make this a tourist attraction.
- You can find lots of brochures and discount coupons to go to other sites.
If a festival, parade, or some other special event is occurring in the area by the Visitors Center resulting in the VC's closure or inaccessibility, we typically meet at the Starbucks at 217 Heights Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77007. It actually faces Yale Street, even though it has a Heights Boulevard address. The exit is #766 off of I-610/Katy Freeway. It also has bathrooms and refreshments. Parking is free. This is approximately 3 miles west from downtown. It opens at 5:30 AM on Sundays and Saturdays and at 5:00 AM on Monday through Friday. It closes at 10:00 PM each night.
On Monday through Friday, we start most tours at either 9:00, 9:30, or 10:00 AM. We try to end most tours by 3:00, 3:30, or 4:00 PM so that we can avoid the rush hours. Rush hour is neither a rush or an hour. Rush hour in the morning is from about 6:00 to 9:00 AM depending on what highway you are driving and where you are located on the highway. The evening rush hour is from 3:30 to 7:00 PM on Monday through Thursday and from 2:30 to 7:00 PM on Friday. As many Houstonians work half-days on Friday, the rush hour is even longer than the other work days. Sitting in a big parking lot known as an interstate highway will not enable one to see much. We can be flexible on the start times, but consider the consequences.