Waterfalls Park in Houston (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
One of the most unusual and spectacular attractions in Houston, Falls Park is located directly opposite the Williams Tower skyscraper in the Uptown business district. The main attraction of the well-groomed park is a large-scale horseshoe-shaped fountain, located on several levels, it is a whole “city of water” with its canal streets, lanes and lake squares. Houstonians and visitors come here to admire the majesty of falling water and meditate under its incessant noise, have a picnic on the lawns of the park or hide from the Texas summer heat under the shade of one of the 118 oaks surrounding the fountain. It is also a popular venue for concerts and festivals. See topschoolsoflaw for brief history of Nebraska.
The most famous instance of Falls Park being mentioned in pop culture is “participation” in the filming of “Double Impact”, a dashing action movie starring Chuck Norris.
A bit of history
The park and fountain belong to the Williams Tower building complex. The office center and the skyscraper were built in 1983 by order of the energy company Transco. The area surrounding the complex of 1.2 hectares was turned into a picturesque park planted with Texas oak, a true giant of the flora of North America. Opened in 1985, the fountain has become one of the largest in the United States.
The concave side of the “horseshoe” of the fountain is constantly covered with 4300 m² of water.
What to watch
Waterfalls Park and Williams Tower are an architectural solution in which urbanism is organically combined with nature. Upon entering the park, you will follow the green carpet of a perfectly trimmed lawn to the fountain complex, surrounded by slender rows of spreading Texas oaks.
Houstonians call the waterfall waterwall – ‘water wall’, and indeed, this is a whole large-scale building, the walls of which seem to be built from a continuous array of falling water. In plan, the fountain is a horseshoe, whose height – 64 feet (or 20 m) – corresponds to the number of floors of the Williams Tower. A stone facade was built on the side of the horseshoe-shaped waterfall facing the viewer. It is stylized as an ancient Roman theater and has a sloping pediment and three arches supported by Doric columns. The staircase invites you to climb the “ancient” proscenium, from where the power and majesty of falling water are revealed in truly theatrical beauty.
Every minute, 41,000 liters of water falls from a height of 20 meters and breaks into sparkling splashes. The effect is enhanced by the reflexes of black granite, from which the foot of the waterfall is made.
The concave side of the “horseshoe” is constantly covered with 4300 m² of water, and the convex side (it is also involved in the game of water jets) – 3300 m². The circulation cycle of water in the fountain is 3 hours.
Practical information
Address: Houston, Post Oak Boulevard, 2800, intersection with Hidalgo Street.
Opening hours: fountains – from 10:00 to 21:00, the park is open around the clock.
The entrance is free.
theater district houston
Houston Theater District (Houston, USA) – repertoire, ticket prices, address, phone numbers, official website.
The heart of the cultural life of the “space city”, the theater district of Houston is located in the heart of downtown and has 17 theaters and stage venues for all ages and tastes. The history of this place began with a music hall and a private concert hall, and today the Houston theater district is the second largest in the States after New York. People come here to listen to the masters of vocals at the Houston Opera, appreciate classical and modern choreography at the Ballet Theatre, dissolve in the harmony of the sounds of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, empathize with the heroes of the plays at the Drama Alley Theater and even try their hand at performing arts on the stage of the Hobby Center.
Houston is one of 5 US cities that have their own professional performing groups: opera, ballet and drama troupes and a symphony orchestra.
Where to go
The big four theaters in the city, where you should definitely visit at least one performance, are the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Ballet, the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Alley Theatre.
The Houston Grand Opera House occupies the building of the Worthum Theater Center. The theater traces its history back to 1955, opening the first season with the operas Salome and Madama Butterfly. In 1987 the troupe moved into a modern building and celebrated this important event with a production of Aida with Domingo and Freni. Since then, the Grand Opera has pleased fans of coloratura and vibrato with 6-8 premieres annually.
The history of the Houston Ballet also began in 1955 – the dancer of Diaghilev’s “Russian Seasons” Tatyana Semenova stood at the origins of the troupe. In 1970-2000 Houston Ballet gained international fame, in particular, became the first American ballet organization to be invited to tour China. The troupe also shows its performances at the Wortham Center.
At Worthum Center, be sure to check out the 27-metre-high glass entrance archway, a lavish 1911 chandelier brought here from New York’s Fulton Theatre, and the grand staircase with its artfully illuminated art installation by famed American sculptor Albert Paley.
The Houston Symphony Orchestra’s home base is Jesse Jones Hall of the Performing Arts. The team was formed in 1913, and acquired a permanent status in 1971. Its leaders at different times were Leopold Stokowski and André Previn. The “signature dish” of the orchestra is Shostakovich’s 11th symphony, the repertoire includes more than 200 works.
The Alley Theater pleases fans of dramaturgy with classical and modern productions of dramas and comedies, giving preference to the works of American authors, in particular Tennessee Williams and Ken Ludwig. The theater building is a cross between a Stalinist bunker and a medieval castle and still causes conflicting responses from Houstonians.
The Bayou Place entertainment complex includes the Revension music center, a multiplex, a restaurant and a Hard Rock Cafe. And in the modern center for the performing arts “Hobby”, which opened in 2002, you can see productions of Broadway musicals, listen to blues and reggae and join one of the theater clubs.
Practical information
Address: Houston, Theater District. The nearest MetroRail station is Theater District.
