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Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
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Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
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All the United States Texas Houston

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Houston

38 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Houston, Texas

Updated June 10, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Houston

Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern

Houston, Texas

Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern

A 90-year-old underground water reservoir offers a more industrial kind of tranquility.
It’s a hidden gem of one of the busiest streets in Houston.

Houston, Texas

The Hobbit Café

A taste of Middle Earth, in the middle of the Bayou City.

Houston, Texas

National Museum of Funeral History

Fantastic collection celebrating the final send-off.

Houston, Texas

Museum of Health and Medical Science

A health museum containing a 27’’½-foot intestine.

Houston, Texas

Eclectic Menagerie Park

A private collection of massive steel monsters guarding a Texas pipe works.

Houston, Texas

The Orange Show

One man's homage to the orange as realized through a long-term folk art labor of love.
Guitar in sidewalk in progress.

Houston, Texas

Smither Park

A park filled with vibrant mosaics created by more than 300 folk artists.

Houston, Texas

Beer Can House

Beer lover's can-covered house.
See All 38 Things To Do in Houston

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Houston

It’s a hidden gem of one of the busiest streets in Houston.

Houston, Texas

The Hobbit Café

A taste of Middle Earth, in the middle of the Bayou City.
This barbecue legend got its start as a roadside stand in 1973.

Houston, Texas

Burns Original BBQ

Look no further than this local institution for the best East Texas–style barbecue.
Texas brisket is one of the many local fillings that have infiltrated kolaches.

Houston, Texas

Kolache Shoppe

Originally brought to Texas by Czech settlers, these sweet and savory pastries are an essential local breakfast staple.
Filipino pancit, or stir-fried noodles, are a favorite.

Houston, Texas

Soy Pinoy

Two James Beard Award-winning chefs are putting their own spin on Filipino favorites in a food market stall.
See all 11 Places to Eat in Houston
In partnership with KAYAK

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

8 Out-There Art Destinations in Texas

Sponsored by Travel Texas

A surplus of space always means a surplus of creative possibility. Texas, with its never-ending skies, wide deserts, and even bigger imaginations, takes this idea to thrilling conclusions. If you’re interested in planning an art-focused road trip, you won’t find a better destination than Texas, where one day you’ll be browsing an obsessive collection of outsider art, and the next day you’ll be walking through a hidden alley covered in umbrellas or beneath a neon skyscape. Here are eight of the most exciting art destinations in the state to inspire your mind and thrill your eyes.

View Itinerary

Explore Houston, Texas

A
38
Restaurants 10
Art 8
Architecture 6
Diaspora 5
Architectural Oddities 4

Houston Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Dan Q Dao
    9
  2. Fred Cherrygarden
    3
  3. Alicekh
    2
  4. hymnherself
    1
  5. meghannconley
    1

Places Edited

  1. SemiruralYeti
    7
  2. Fred Cherrygarden
    5
  3. notoriousFIG
    4
  4. keljvon
    4
  5. Tom Green
    4
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. andresbernal1982
    31
  2. nolamike
    29
  3. FinnsFinds
    26
  4. gaijintx73
    25
  5. LoneStarATC
    22

Recent Houston Activity

  • msbbb

    has been to Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern

    1 day ago
  • msbbb

    wants to go to Downtown Houston Tunnel System

    1 day ago
  • msbbb

    has been to Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park

    1 day ago
  • msbbb

    has been to Houston Airport Subway

    1 day ago
  • Ckorear512

    wants to go to Arthur B. Cohn House

    1 day ago

Stories About Houston

Burns Original BBQ excels at East Texas–style barbecue.

A Gastro Obscura Guide to Houston

Superb kolaches, Tex-Mex, Viet-Cajun crawfish, and more in Space City.
by Dan Q. Dao
July 1, 2024

Podcast: Buffalo Soldiers National Museum

An institution dedicated to honoring Black American military history got its start in one man's garage.
by The Podcast Team
February 22, 2024

Podcast: Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern

This 90-year-old underground reservoir once held 15 million gallons of drinking water for the people of Houston.
by The Podcast Team
January 24, 2024
After hosting months of events at Rice University, the Houston mudhif will be relocated to a permanent home at the end of the year.

Ordering Off a 5,000-Year-Old Mesopotamian Menu

A community effort brings ancient flavors to modern Texas.
by Andrew Coletti
November 3, 2023
A brisket bento box at Kemuri Tatsu-Ya reconsiders barbecue’s most iconic cut of meat.

In Texas, Barbecue Has Gone Global

Across Texas, chefs and BBQ obsessives are stretching the limits of brisket, smoke, and sauce.
Sponsored by Travel Texas

Podcast: Beer Can House

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
January 5, 2022
Lucille Bishop Smith, shown here in her kitchen, was especially renowned for her hot rolls.

Sold: A Black Texan Trailblazer's 'Treasure Chest' of Recipes

Lucille Bishop Smith's famous recipe boxes are still sought after.
by Rebecca Rego Barry
June 19, 2020
Someday, succulents might keep spacefarers company.

When We All Move to Space, We'll Have to Be Picky About Houseplants

Which are best suited for a life among the stars?
by Jessica Leigh Hester
April 11, 2019

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