Putting the Finishing Touches on Midtown Park

It’s been years in the making, but all of the hard work and forward thinking has paid off for Midtown Park, a scenic greenspace located between Main, McGowen, Travis and Anita Streets. Midtown Houston residents and visitors are a few months away from experiencing art and natural beauty packed into six acres in the center of the city. Midtown Park will open to the public late summer, and a 400-space parking garage has been built beneath the park. The garage is currently open for all.

Work is underway to complete the finishing touches on the landscape, art, and entertainment amenities, according to Steven Spears of Design Workshop, the team of master planners and landscape architects for the park. The park will be anchored by a large pavilion and will include three water features, a playground, public art, a series of gardens, and substantial improvements to Main St. as an arts promenade. Other plans for the park include an architectural gallery, a garden, berm, promenade, a reflecting pool, and art installation walkway. Inspiring art will run throughout the park, including a beautiful mural depicting Houston’s flora and fauna by noted mosaic artist Dixie Friend Gay. The mural will begin installation in October. Entry from the southeast side of the park will feature a 16-foot tall art wall displaying the mosaic. Organic-themed sculptures by Sharon Engelstein will welcome visitors to the play area and invite them to climb “Tall Ma” or take a seat on “Little Ricky.” They will be installed prior to the park opening.

Playground equipment will feature a climbing sphere, sound tubes, interactive pipe sections, swings, and misters. There’s more fun to be had on the games course where visitors can try their skills in bocce ball or washers. And your canine friends will also have blast in the Reliant, an NRG Company Dog Park. The Camden Pavilion and stage will be the ideal open-air venue for concerts, public events, and even exercise classes. And there’s more to come!

This fall, construction will begin on a world-class restaurant near the corner of Travis and McGowen Streets, expected to open in 2018.

Verdant green is the park’s signature color, with a beautiful Great Lawn for gathering with friends, playing games, or enjoying a performance in the amphitheater between the berms. A promenade of live oak trees along Main St. will provide shade for strolling or to shelter a farmer’s market. Visitors will encounter a lush garden of local plants connected to the playground, designed to attract birds and butterflies. Water features are predominant throughout the park, including reflecting pools at the Anita St. entrance plaza and at the corner of McGowen and Main Streets. A “bayou” landscape and waterway brings the sound of nature into the park, while an interactive “rain” feature echoes the water music with the simulation of all the sights, sounds, and sensations of a rain storm.

Several park features have been made possible by the Midtown Park Capital Campaign, chaired by Ric Campo. Watch for announcements of the grand opening festivities on our website calendar and on social media.