Unless you work in downtown Houston, you might not know about the intricate system of air-conditioned skywalks and underground walkways connecting the downtown area and filled with restaurants, businesses, and shopping—you can grab lunch and get your hair cut without ever seeing sunlight (or breaking a sweat in the Texas summer heat). The system, known simply as the Tunnel to Houstonians, spans seven miles and links 80 buildings. It’s open regular business hours Monday through Friday; closed on weekends. Phil Stewart with Discover Houston Tours leads regular excursions through the Tunnel.
Downtown Tunnel System - Houston, TX. Restaurant and shops beneath the streets of downtown Houston.
Eric Pohl/agefotostock
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Beneath the City Streets
Although most of Texas’s underground attractions were formed by Mother Nature over millions of years, there is one in Houston that stretches for some 95 city blocks, or roughly six miles, 20 feet below the downtown city streets. Residents of Houston refer to this unusual network of climate-controlled pedestrian walkways as simply “the Tunnel” and while some “underground cities” like Montreal’s provide an escape from biting winter temperatures, Houston’s is a sanctuary when temperatures soar in the summer. Linking the Theater District with hotels, office buildings, and retail stores, these tunnels provide an unusual way to explore the sites of Houston.
