Things To Do

Things to Do in the East End, Houston: Second Ward to Magnolia Park

Date Published

Illustration of things to do in the East End Houston: quiosco, papel picado and ship at night

At a glance

  • Where: East of downtown and EaDo: Second Ward, the Harrisburg corridor and Magnolia Park
  • Hours: Parks typically open daily; restaurant and gallery hours vary, so check each official site
  • Cost: Most picks are free, including the Port Houston boat tour (reservation required)
  • Parking: Mostly street parking; free lot at the Port Houston tour landing
  • Getting there: METRORail Green Line along Harrisburg to Magnolia Park Transit Center
  • Time needed: Half a day for the highlights; a full day with the boat tour

Fajitas, a free cruise down the Ship Channel and a concrete gazebo pretending to be a grove of trees: the East End doesn't do ordinary.

This is the part of Houston that starts where downtown's towers stop. Second Ward is one of the city's four original wards, laid out around 1839 and 1840. In the early 1900s, families arriving from Mexico, many of them fleeing the Revolution, settled in Second Ward and Magnolia Park, and by 1929 Magnolia Park was the largest Mexican settlement in Houston. Their churches, parks and restaurants are still here, and they're the reason to come.

You won't find a ticket booth on most of this list. You'll find a church that held Houston's first Spanish-language services, the restaurant credited with turning tacos al carbon into fajitas, a mosaic park built by hundreds of artists, and bayou parks where you can watch ships turn around. Hours below come from each official site and change, so check before you go.

Where the East End is

Ask five Houstonians where the East End starts and you'll get five answers. The East End District, the area's management district, covers about 16 square miles. For this guide we mean the historic neighborhoods east of downtown and EaDo, roughly:

  • Second Ward, bounded by Buffalo Bayou on the north and running east to about Lockwood Drive, with Navigation Boulevard as its main street.
  • Eastwood and the Harrisburg corridor, south and east along Harrisburg Boulevard, including the Orange Show and Gus Wortham Golf Course.
  • Magnolia Park, further east near the Houston Ship Channel Turning Basin and Brays Bayou.

EaDo, the warehouse district between downtown and the rail lines, has its own guide: things to do in EaDo.

Five things even locals don't know

  • Magnolia Park used to be its own city. It was laid out in 1890, named for the magnolias its developers planted, incorporated in 1913 with its own police force, and annexed by Houston in 1926.
  • Fajitas started in a tortilla factory on Navigation. Ninfa's says Mama Ninfa Laurenzo began cooking at her family's tortilla factory in 1973 and created the tacos al carbon that the world came to know as fajitas.
  • The Hidalgo Park gazebo isn't made of wood. Its tree-trunk columns and branch railings are hand-molded concrete over an iron frame, a style called faux bois.
  • Port Houston has run a free public boat tour since 1958. The M/V Sam Houston takes you down the Ship Channel and back in about 90 minutes.
  • One East End mural has 22,000 tiles. Regalo de la Madre Tierra, at 6635 Harrisburg Blvd., was made by artist Jesse Sifuentes with Eastwood Academy students.

The best things to do in the East End

1. Eat where fajitas began: The Original Ninfa's on Navigation

Start with the restaurant that put the East End on Houston's map. The Original Ninfa's on Navigation, at 2704 Navigation Blvd., opened in 1973 and still runs from the same address. Order the tacos al carbon, the dish Ninfa's credits as the origin of the fajita. It's typically open for lunch and dinner every day, with brunch on weekends. For more Tex-Mex history, see our best Tex-Mex in Houston guide.

2. Walk the Navigation Esplanade and its Sunday market

The esplanade in front of Ninfa's on Navigation Boulevard was rebuilt by the East End District with benches, shade, lighting and bike racks. It hosts a community market on Sundays, with local makers, crafts and specialty food. Vendors and hours change, so check the East End District before you go. Our Houston farmers markets guide covers the rest of the city's weekend markets.

3. Step inside Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

A block away at 2405 Navigation Blvd., Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1911 as a mission to serve the city's Spanish-speaking population, many of them refugees of the 1910 Mexican Revolution. Its Harris County historical marker calls it the first church of its kind in Houston, and its wooden first building doubled as a school. The current church was dedicated in 1923. It's a working parish, so visit quietly and outside Mass times.

4. Sit in the shade at Guadalupe Plaza Park

Next to the church, at 2311 Runnels St., Guadalupe Plaza Park sits on Buffalo Bayou about a mile east of downtown. Its renovation added shade, a splash pad, columns that nod to Mexico City's colonial Zócalo, and a restored family fountain. Buffalo Bayou Partnership lists trails, a boat dock and historical signs here. It's a good spot for tacos to go and a sit by the water.

5. Hunt for murals along Harrisburg and Navigation

The East End District counts dozens of murals by local artists and students, on bus shelters, shops, schools and homes. The standout is Regalo de la Madre Tierra, the 22,000-piece tile mural at 6635 Harrisburg Blvd. The district publishes a mural map on its public art page, which is the easiest way to plan a loop by bike or car.

6. See a show at Box 13 ArtSpace

Box 13 ArtSpace, at 6700 Harrisburg Blvd., is an artist-run gallery and studio building. The gallery is typically open Saturday afternoons during exhibitions, or by appointment. It also runs workshops on select Saturdays. Want more? Our Houston art galleries guide maps the rest of the scene.

7. Get lost in Smither Park (and check on the Orange Show)

Smither Park, at 2441 Munger St., is a free, dawn-to-dusk park covered in hand-laid mosaics by more than 300 artists. Next door at 2401 Munger St. is the Orange Show Monument, the folk-art environment a Houston postman named Jeff McKissack built as a tribute to his favorite fruit. The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has listed the monument as closed for restoration, so check orangeshow.org before you plan around it. Smither Park alone is worth the stop.

8. Find the quiosco at Hidalgo Park

Hidalgo Park, at 7000 Avenue Q in Magnolia Park, is an 11.6-acre park overlooking Buffalo Bayou and the Ship Channel Turning Basin. Its centerpiece is the quiosco, a 25-by-25-foot bandstand dedicated on Sept. 16, 1934, Mexican Independence Day. It was designed and built by Vidal Lozano, an iron molder and pipe fitter, and it's the only known public example of his work. Look closely: every column has a different bark texture. The quiosco is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and still hosts community celebrations. A bronze statue of Miguel Hidalgo stands nearby.

9. Take the free boat tour of the Houston Ship Channel

The insider move for visitors. Port Houston's M/V Sam Houston has carried the public since 1958 on a free, 90-minute round trip down the Ship Channel, past the docks and cargo ships that most Houstonians only see from a bridge. It leaves from 7300 Clinton Drive, near the Turning Basin, and parking is free. You must reserve at least 24 hours ahead through Port Houston's booking page, adults need a government photo ID, and children under 12 need an adult with them (one adult for every four children).

10. Cross the Mason Park Bridge

Mason Park, at 541 S. 75th St., straddles Brays Bayou. Its 485-foot pedestrian and bike suspension bridge, hung from 70-foot towers, links the Magnolia Park side to neighborhoods to the south and to the Brays Bayou Greenway trail. Walk it at golden hour, when the light runs down the bayou.

11. Look for birds at Buffalo Bend Nature Park

Yolanda Black Navarro Buffalo Bend Nature Park, at 2300 Sgt. Macario Garcia Drive, is a restored bayou wetland and woodland, named for an East End civic leader. Buffalo Bayou Partnership lists it as open dawn to dusk. It's small and quiet, which is the point. Across the bayou at 4600 Clinton Drive, Japhet Creek Park adds wildflower meadows and shaded walking paths.

12. Play a round at Gus Wortham Golf Course

Gus Wortham Golf Course, at 7000 Capitol St., is an 18-hole public course on Brays Bayou, run by the Houston Golf Association with the City of Houston. Expect elevated tees and uphill carries, a practice range and a grill overlooking the first tee. Book tee times on the Houston Golf Association site.

13. Ride the Green Line end to end

METRORail's Green Line runs along Harrisburg Boulevard, with stops at Coffee Plant/Second Ward, Lockwood/Eastwood, Altic/Howard Hughes and the Magnolia Park Transit Center. Riding it from downtown is a cheap, air-conditioned way to see the corridor's shopfronts and murals before choosing where to hop off. Check routes and fares at ridemetro.org.

Save this: the East End half-day route

Screenshot it. About four hours, best on a Sunday morning.

  1. Sunday market on the Navigation Esplanade, around opening time.
  2. Peek inside Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, outside Mass times.
  3. Walk to the bayou at Guadalupe Plaza Park.
  4. Lunch at The Original Ninfa's on Navigation. Order the tacos al carbon.
  5. Drive or ride east along Harrisburg to the Regalo de la Madre Tierra tile mural.
  6. Mosaics at Smither Park on Munger Street.
  7. Finish at Hidalgo Park and find the bark on every quiosco column, with the Turning Basin behind you.

Got a weekday? Swap the market for the free Port Houston boat tour, booked a day ahead.

Tips for visiting

  1. Come on a Sunday for the market, or a weekday if you want the boat tour.
  2. Plan around Mass. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a working parish; dress modestly and keep quiet inside.
  3. Bring water and bug spray for the bayou parks, especially in summer and at dusk.
  4. Check before you go. Box 13 opens on exhibition Saturdays, the Orange Show has been under restoration, and the boat tour needs a reservation.
  5. Combine it with a game. Shell Energy Stadium and Daikin Park are just west in EaDo and downtown, so an East End lunch makes an easy pregame. See our Daikin Park guide.

Getting there and parking

The East End starts just east of downtown, across US-59/I-69. Navigation Boulevard and Harrisburg Boulevard are the two main streets running east, and the METRORail Green Line follows Harrisburg out to the Magnolia Park Transit Center.

Parking is mostly street parking in Second Ward, with lots at some restaurants. The parks have their own small lots or street parking. Port Houston's tour landing on Clinton Drive has free parking. If you're coming from downtown, our downtown Houston guide covers where to start.

Food nearby

Ninfa's is the anchor, and Navigation and Harrisburg are lined with taquerias, panaderías and family Mexican restaurants worth exploring on foot. For our sit-down picks, see the best Mexican restaurants in Houston, and for the next neighborhood west, the best restaurants in EaDo.

Nearby

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the East End in Houston?

It's the area just east of downtown and EaDo, along Navigation and Harrisburg Boulevards out to the Ship Channel. It includes Second Ward, Eastwood and Magnolia Park.

Is the Port Houston boat tour really free?

Yes. The M/V Sam Houston tour is free, lasts about 90 minutes, and requires a reservation at least 24 hours ahead. Adults need a government-issued photo ID.

Where did fajitas come from in Houston?

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation, which opened in 1973, credits Mama Ninfa Laurenzo with creating the tacos al carbon that became known as fajitas.

Is the Orange Show open?

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has listed the Orange Show Monument as closed for restoration. Smither Park next door is typically open dawn to dusk and free. Check orangeshow.org before you go.

How do I get to the East End on METRORail?

Take the Green Line from downtown. It runs along Harrisburg Boulevard with stops including Coffee Plant/Second Ward, Lockwood/Eastwood and the Magnolia Park Transit Center.