Toast all of Houston from Z on 23 Rooftop Bar. (Rebecca Deurlein)
If you’re looking for an eye-catching shot to up your social media game, we’ve got you covered with this list of picture-perfect spots around Houston.
In a city known for its sprawling highways and high rises, there is still beauty to be found in Houston. It’s in the art, architecture, gardens, and the bayou that runs through the city, all of which make for great photos.
Houston’s size and eclectic mix of styles mean that, no matter your interest, you’ll find enough great photo ops to fill your Instagram feed. From temples to trails and gardens to murals, here’s your list of the most Instagrammable spots in Houston.
1. Kinder Land Bridge in Memorial Park
The recently completed Kinder Land Bridge at Memorial Park carpets the tunnels underneath with a swath of green, and the contrast between concrete and nature is its own kind of beauty. Take a pic from below to capture the full effect.
2. Meow Wolf Houston
When 100 artists come together to create an otherworldly immersive experience, you’re bound to get some great shots. Meow Wolf Houston has more photo opportunities than you can capture in a single visit, all of them out of this world.
3. Color Factory
In addition to its nods to Houston, the Color Factory’s main focus is celebration, and who doesn’t love a happy photo? Don’t miss the confetti room—lie on your back and shoot upwards as confetti rains down on you.
4. Artechouse
You’ll shoot the most clickable reels at Artechouse, a themed venue that combines art and technology and is filled with color and movement. Each room is a new canvas, and with an ever-evolving theme, you’ll never run out of shots.
5. POST Houston
The food and people here are worth the visit alone, but POST also offers a variety of great photo backdrops, from the grand staircase (best shot from below) to Art Club (a colorful interactive art adventure) to the rooftop (where you’ll find walkways through Astroturf, gardens, and benches, all with great views of the city).
6. Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
In Uptown Park, you’ll find the Waterwall, a giant arc of a wall where water cascades to the ground and makes for great photos and videos. In fact, this is the most photographed spot in Houston! While you’re there, take a stroll through the valley of oak trees for another great shot.
7. Z on 23 Rooftop Bar
Ride the elevator to the 23rd floor of the Melrose Building and step out into Z on 23 Rooftop Bar. It is Houston’s highest open-to-the-public bar and frequently appears on Top Rooftop Bars lists. Sure, the cocktails are great, but you better believe it’s the views that keep patrons coming back. Snap the sunset behind the skyline for an epic pic.
8. Rothko Chapel
Clean lines and the heavily photographed sculpture of a broken obelisk emerging from the reflecting pool make Rothko Chapel a favorite place for peaceful imagery. Use your inside voices and enjoy the quiet and calm.
9. Altitude Rooftop and Pool
Buy a day pass for the Altitude Rooftop and Pool or treat yourself to a stay at the Marriott Marquis Houston, one of the city’s luxurious staycation spots. Get as high as you can in the building and look down at Altitude. There’s the shot. Nothing says Texas quite like a pool in the shape of the state. Or splash around and take photos at the infinity end to create the illusion of swimming on top of the city.
10. The Beatles statue at 8th Wonder Brewery
If you’ve been dying to get a photo of yourself with massive celebrities, this is your chance—kind of. Stand with all five of the Beatles at 8th Wonder Brewery, where in the backyard, you’ll find a statue of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, weighing in at four tons per Beatle.
11. Gus S. Wortham Memorial Fountain at Buffalo Bayou
On Allen Parkway, you’ll be drawn to the Gus S. Wortham Memorial Fountain, known to the locals as the Dandelion Fountain. Constructed of pipes positioned in a brass starburst, the fountain will cool you off, and, if the sun shines just right through the droplets, you may even get some bonus rainbow shots.
12. Japanese Garden in Hermann Park
Honestly, all of Hermann Park is beautiful, and you’ll have your choice of impressive photos. But for perfectly manicured landscapes complemented by bursts of color and tranquil water reflections, you can’t go wrong with the Japanese Garden.
13. a’Bouzy
If you love to fill your feed with the same food that fills your stomach, the plates at a’Bouzy will thrill you. Want to get in the picture? Aim your selfie up high so your followers can see the champagne bubbles floating above your gorgeous head.
14. Brazos Bend State Park
Head a smidge outside of the city to Brazos Bend State Park, where alligators sun themselves on the very paths where you’re walking. Shoot some video of their snoozing snouts or their tail swishes as they descend into the water.
15. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
A Hindu temple in Stafford, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is absolutely mesmerizing. It towers overhead like the most impressive sandcastle you’ve ever seen and is the perfect backdrop for colorful clothing and epic snaps. Note: Proper attire is expected, and photos can only be taken on phones, not professional cameras.
16. The selfie statue in Sugar Land
There were mixed reactions when this statue debuted in the newly revamped Sugar Land Town Square. But you can’t walk past this statue of two girls taking a selfie without taking your own selfie with the statue. It’s a selfie on steroids, and it’s loads of fun.
17. Tolerance sculptures on Allen Pkwy
For one of the best nighttime shots in Houston, visit the seven Tolerance sculptures by Jaume Plensa along Buffalo Bayou Park. When the sun sets, these identical sculptures of seven kneeling humans from seven continents light up from within. Take an up-close photo to capture the alphabets that compose each sculpture.
18. Asiatown
This bustling area of Houston was renamed Asiatown to encompass the diverse nationalities that represent this mecca of food, shopping, and photo opportunities. Color abounds, whether you’re photographing noodles, fabrics, or architecture.
19. Lovett Hall at Rice University
With its ornate brick and plaster arches, Lovett Hall is a commanding presence on the campus of Rice University. It’s exactly what you picture when you think of Ivy League, making it the ideal place to take a photo that screams academia.
20. Buffalo Bayou
Water makes for great photos, and water juxtaposed with skyscrapers is even more dramatic. Stand on the Rosemont Pedestrian Bridge or the Sabine Street Bridge over Buffalo Bayou and capture a photo of the city skyline blending beautifully with nature.
21. Mecom Fountain in Hermann Park
In the center of the traffic circle, you’ll find the Mecom Fountain, which is really three fountains, one large one in the center and two on either side. What this means for your inner photographer is that you can take a panoramic shot that captures them all, or angle your camera down the road to the Sam Houston statue.
22. Annabelle Brasserie
This French restaurant was made for fantastic girls’ day out photos. Start at the whimsical pink truck at the entrance, take a quick snap at the floral-draped front door, and then proceed inside Annabell’s Brasserie to your own personal photography studio. Okay, it’s a great restaurant and it’s all about the food, but you really will take fantastically feminine pics with plenty of pastels.
23. Houston is Inspired mural
No Top Photo Spots in Houston list would be complete without the Houston is Inspired mural that has been THE place to mark your visit to Houston since it exploded on a city wall in 2013. Houston artist Mario Figueroa Jr.’s creation is the most posted spot in Houston—#HoustonisInspired.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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