Things to Do in Fourth Ward Houston: A Freedmen's Town Guide

At a glance

• Where: Just west of downtown: roughly Buffalo Bayou to West Gray, I-45 to Taft St.
• Start here: Freedmen's Town Visitor Center, 1204 Victor St.
• Hours: Visitor center typically Tue–Sat (closed Sun–Mon); check the official site
• Cost: Neighborhood free to walk; visitor center tour free; guided walking and bike tours paid
• Parking: Gregory School lot (HFTC lists 1300 Cleveland St.); limited street parking
• Time needed: 2–3 hours; half a day with Antioch and Sam Houston Park

The Fourth Ward sits so close to downtown that the skyscrapers throw shade on it, yet it's one of the most rewarding places in Houston to walk slowly. At its heart is Freedmen's Town, a community built by formerly enslaved people after emancipation reached Texas on June 19, 1865. They organized churches, opened schools and, a generation later, paved their own streets by hand. Some of those bricks are still underfoot.

In Freedmen's Town, the streets are the monument.

This guide covers what to see and do, which tours are worth booking, and how to make a half day of it. It's a residential neighborhood first, so walk it as a guest.

Where is the Fourth Ward?

Boundaries have shifted over 150 years, so here's how we define it. The Fourth Ward sits directly west of downtown. For this guide that means roughly Buffalo Bayou and Allen Parkway to the north, Interstate 45 to the east, West Gray Street to the south and Taft Street to the west. The Freedmen's Town Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, is the core: about 40 blocks between West Dallas and West Gray, according to The Cultural Landscape Foundation.

The original settlement was bigger. The Texas Historical Commission marker on West Dallas says it stretched from Buffalo Bayou south to Sutton Street, and from Milam and Travis streets west to Taft. That's why two of the stops below, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and the Yates House, now sit east of I-45 in downtown.

Four things even many Houstonians don't know

• Residents laid the brick streets themselves. Between 1917 and 1922, Freedmen's Town residents bought and installed the bricks on Andrews and Wilson streets, in patterns the conservancy's leaders tie to West African traditions, because white contractors wouldn't work in Black neighborhoods.
• Houston's first public school for Black children is now a history center. The Gregory Institute joined the city's school system by 1876. Its 1926 building is now the African American History Research Center.
• Jack Yates's 1870 house still stands, just not here. It was moved from Andrews Street to Sam Houston Park in 1994, and you can tour it.
• A founder of Houston is buried in the Fourth Ward. John Kirby Allen, who co-founded the city, lies in Founders Memorial Cemetery, which opened in 1836 as the city cemetery.

Things to do in the Fourth Ward

1. Start at the Freedmen's Town Visitor Center

The Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy runs a visitor center at 1204 Victor Street. Its free one-hour visitor center tour covers the center, its row house galleries and the research center at the Gregory School. Walk-ins are welcome Tuesday through Saturday, or call ahead. The conservancy rotates exhibitions, so there's often something new on the walls. Hours are typically Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Thursday until 6 p.m.) and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; check the conservancy's site before you go.

2. Sit in a 1926 classroom at the Gregory School

The African American History Research Center at the Gregory School, 1300 Victor Street, is a Houston Public Library location in the old school building. Look for the restored 1926 classroom, the Freedmen's Town Gallery and two galleries on African Americans in Houston. Researchers come for the archives. Everyone else should come for the classroom. The library also books group tours for 10 to 50 people.

3. Walk the brick streets of Andrews and Wilson

Andrews and Wilson streets carry the historic bricks. Walk them slowly and look down: these were laid more than a century ago by people who paid for them themselves. The city and the conservancy have been working on how to rebuild aging pipes and roadway underneath while protecting the bricks, so expect stretches under repair.

4. Book the Brick Street Tour

If you only take one guided tour, make it this one. The conservancy's 45-minute Brick Street Tour runs on Saturdays and takes in historic homes and churches along the brick streets. It's a paid tour, with discounts for seniors and children under 12.

5. Go deeper on the Founders Tour

The 90-minute Founders Tour visits 20 historic sites tied to the founding of Freedmen's Town. It's the one for history buffs and anyone who wants the names, dates and stories behind the houses. Also Saturdays, also paid.

6. Ride it on a guided bike tour

The conservancy runs Saturday bike tours at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, from about 90 minutes to more than two hours. Bring your own bike, and check the minimum group size when you book.

7. Step into Bethel Church Park

At 801 Andrews Street, the remnants of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, the congregation Rev. Jack Yates led, have been fashioned into a small city park. The old church walls frame an open-air space that still feels like a sanctuary, and it's our favorite corner of the neighborhood. Treat it with the quiet you'd give a church.

8. Visit Wiley Park

Wiley Park is the neighborhood's gathering space for community and family celebrations. The conservancy offers a 90-minute Wiley Park Tour on Saturdays if you want the backstory.

9. Read the Freedman's Town marker on West Dallas

The Texas Historical Commission's "Origins of Freedman's Town" marker stands at West Dallas and Heiner Street. It names the churches that anchored the community, including Antioch, Good Hope, Shiloh, St. James and Bethel, and the clergy who led it, among them Revs. Jack Yates, Ned P. Pullum and Jeremiah Smith. It also notes that a streetcar once ran west along what is now West Dallas. Two minutes here makes every later stop make more sense.

10. Pay respects at Founders Memorial Cemetery

Houston's first city cemetery opened in 1836, the same year as the city. John Kirby Allen, who founded Houston with his brother, was buried here in 1838, alongside veterans of the Texas Revolution. It was restored and renamed Founders Memorial Park in 1936 and is maintained by Houston Parks and Recreation. It's a small, quiet, shaded stop near the neighborhood's eastern edge.

11. See the "Jesus Saves" sign at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

Antioch, at 500 Clay Street, was founded in 1866 by nine formerly enslaved men and women, and Visit Houston calls it the first African American Baptist church in Houston. Its current Gothic Revival sanctuary was begun in 1875 and first used in 1879, and Downtown Houston+ calls it the first brick structure in Houston's African American community. Today it sits among glass towers, its blue-and-white neon "Jesus Saves" sign glowing over the door. It's an active church, so visit respectfully outside service times or join a Sunday service.

12. Tour the Yates House and the Fourth Ward Cottage at Sam Houston Park

Two Fourth Ward homes now stand in Sam Houston Park, 1100 Bagby Street, a short walk east. The Heritage Society's Black History Tour visits the 1847 Kellum-Noble House, the 1866 Fourth Ward Cottage and the 1870 Yates House, all part of UNESCO's Sites of Memory program. Jack Yates built his Greek Revival house on Andrews Street, and it's furnished to show his family's life in the late 19th century, with some of their own furniture. Tours run Tuesday to Saturday at set times and are paid; the park grounds are typically open dawn to dusk.

13. Picnic at Eleanor Tinsley Park

The Fourth Ward's northern edge is Buffalo Bayou. Eleanor Tinsley Park, 500 Allen Parkway, is the big lawn on the bayou's south bank, and it connects to the trails of Buffalo Bayou Park. It's a good place to finish a walk with downtown in view. Our Buffalo Bayou Park guide covers the trails, the Cistern and the bats.

14. Come back for Juneteenth

Juneteenth means something special here, because this is where many of the freed people who arrived in Houston made their homes. The conservancy hosts a Juneteenth Fest around June 19 on the Gregory School grounds, with programs on an outdoor stage, at the visitor center and in the library. Check the conservancy's events page each spring for the date and schedule.

Save this: a Fourth Ward history walk

Give it a Saturday morning, when the visitor center and the guided tours are running.

1. Read the Freedman's Town marker at West Dallas and Heiner.
2. Check in at the visitor center, 1204 Victor Street, and join a Brick Street Tour.
3. Step into the 1926 classroom at the Gregory School next door.
4. Walk Andrews Street to Bethel Church Park and pause inside the old church walls.
5. Head northeast to Founders Memorial Cemetery.
6. Cross I-45 to Antioch's "Jesus Saves" sign on Clay Street.
7. Finish at Sam Houston Park and the Yates House, the home that left Andrews Street.

Tips for visiting

1. Go on a Saturday if you want guided tours. The visitor center opens Tuesday to Saturday, and it's closed Sunday and Monday.
2. Walk it as a guest. Many of the historic houses are private homes. Stay on the sidewalk and don't photograph residents without asking.
3. Wear real shoes. Brick streets are uneven, and some stretches may be under repair.
4. Beat the heat. From late spring to early fall, go in the morning and carry water. There's little shade on some blocks.
5. Church visits need timing. Antioch and the area's other historic churches are active congregations. Visit outside services or come to worship.

Getting there and parking

The Fourth Ward is a few minutes' drive west of downtown. The conservancy points tour visitors to the parking lot at the African American History Research Center at the Gregory School (it lists the entrance as 1300 Cleveland Street). Street parking is limited and residential, so read the signs.

From downtown, you can walk: Sam Houston Park and Antioch sit on the downtown side of I-45, and Freedmen's Town is a short walk west. METRO buses also serve the area; see our METRO guide for fares and trip planning, and our downtown parking guide if you start on the downtown end.

Food nearby

The Fourth Ward is mostly residential, so plan to eat on either side of your walk. Downtown and Midtown are both minutes away: see our guides to the best restaurants in downtown Houston and the best restaurants in Midtown. For a Midtown breakfast before or after the walk, see our guide to The Breakfast Klub.

Nearby attractions

• Downtown. Sam Houston Park is your bridge into the city center. See our guide to things to do in downtown Houston.
• Third Ward. Continue the story at Emancipation Park and the neighborhoods around Texas Southern University and the University of Houston. See things to do in the Third Ward.
• Museums. For more history and art, our Houston museums guide has the rest.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Freedmen's Town in Houston?

Freedmen's Town is in the Fourth Ward, just west of downtown. Its historic district covers about 40 blocks between West Dallas and West Gray streets.

Who built the brick streets in Freedmen's Town?

Residents did. Between 1917 and 1922 they bought and laid the bricks on Andrews and Wilson streets themselves, because white contractors wouldn't work in Black neighborhoods.

Are there tours of Freedmen's Town?

Yes. The Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy offers a free one-hour visitor center tour Tuesday to Saturday, plus paid Saturday walking tours (Brick Street, Founders, Wiley Park) and bike tours.

Where can I park to visit Freedmen's Town?

The conservancy points visitors to the parking lot at the African American History Research Center at the Gregory School. Street parking is limited and residential.

Can you visit Jack Yates's house?

Yes. His 1870 house was moved from Andrews Street to Sam Houston Park downtown in 1994. The Heritage Society tours it Tuesday to Saturday.

Is the Fourth Ward the same as Freedmen's Town?

Not quite. The Fourth Ward is the larger area west of downtown; Freedmen's Town is its historic heart, settled by formerly enslaved people after 1865.