I love learning about the history of the places I visit! Even though Houston has the reputation for knocking down historic buildings to put up new ones, some parts of downtown Houston are surprisingly similar to how they appeared 100 years ago! The University of Houston has an amazing digital library of historic Houston images, and I’ve put ten of my favorite pictures side-by-side with their contemporary counterparts so to explore Houston then and now!

Use the sliders on each picture to switch between Houston then and now. 

If you want to see these locations in person, start at 900 Main Street. 🙂

Walker Street and Main Street Looking North – 900 Main Street

Rice Hotel – Texas Avenue and Milam Street

The Rice lofts (formerly the Rice Hotel) were built in 1913. The building was expanded and then restored in 1995.

To get to the Rice lofts, from 900 Main Street, walk north along Main street three blocks to Texas Avenue and turn left. Walk three blocks until you come to Milam Street.

Central Fire Station – Texas Avenue and San Jacinto Street

The Houston Central Fire Station was moved to Texas Avenue and San Jacinto Street in 1904. This image from 1921 shows the mix of motorized vehicles and horsedrawn carriages typical of the 1920s. This location is now an outreach center for the homeless.

To see the former location of the Central Fire Station, from the Rice Hotel, walk east on Texas for 4 blocks until you come to San Jacinto Street.

Main Street and Prairie Street Looking South – 500 Main Street

To see this elevated view of Main Street and Prairie Street looking south, from the former location of the Central Fire Station, turn around and walk west along Texas for two blocks until you get to Main Street. Turn right and walk one block north on Main until you get to Live Sports Bar and Grill, where you can go upstairs to look out from their rooftop patio over downtown Houston.

Notice that much of the architecture on the west side of Main Street (right-hand side of the photo) really hasn’t changed that much in the last 90 years, from Commerce Towers in the back, to Rice Hotel in the middle, and even the little pointed roof of what is now Boots n Shoots in the bottom right.

Main Street and Preston Street Looking North – 300 Main Street

To see what served as the original heart of Houston in the 1860s, walk north from Live Sports Bar and Grill for one block until you get to Main and Preston Street.

Market Square Park – Congress Street and Travis Street Facing South

To get to what is now Market Square Park, from Main and Preston, walk north along Main Street for two blocks until you get to Congress Street. Turn left and walk for one block to Travis Street.

Kennedy Trading Post / La Carafe – 813 Congress Avenue

La Carafe is known as the oldest building in Houston, originally built as the Kennedy Trading Post in 1848. Now a bar, the building is supposed to be one of the most haunted places in Houston.

To get there, from Market Square Park, walk half a block west to 813 Congress Avenue.

The Houston Cotton Exchange Building – 202 Travis Street

The Houston Cotton Exchange Building was built in 1884 and is located at Travis Street and Franklin Street. Cotton was a major export for Houston and Galveston throughout the 19th Century.

To get to the Houston Cotton Exchange, from La Carafe, turn north on Travis and walk one block north to Franklin Street.

Main Street and Franklin Street looking South

To get to this view of Main Street and Franklin Street, from the Houston Cotton Exchange, walk one block west on Franklin to get to Main Street.

 Main Street and Franklin Street looking North

Same as above, just look north instead of south!

And there you go! I seriously loved putting this post together! Do you have any other side-by-side images of old school Houston? 🙂 – Lindsay