Rothko Chapel
3900 Yupon St, Houston, TX 77006
An octagonal meditation space housing 14 of Mark Rothko's darkest paintings, lit only by a skylight. Silent, non-denominational, and strangely moving. Twenty minutes is enough; an hour is better.
Insider tip
Go early on a weekday for near-solitude. Free, timed reservations recommended.
Located in Montrose. Houston's bohemian heart.
Also in Montrose
The Menil Collection
FreeA Renzo Piano-designed museum on a 30-acre campus of bungalows and lawns, always free. Surrealists, antiquities, and the Cy Twombly Gallery. Houstonians' favorite quiet afternoon.
Montrose · Indoor
Guided Houston Food Tours
$$Walking and van tours through Montrose, the Heights, EaDo, and Asiatown, typically five or six tastings in three hours. The fastest way to understand why Houston is a food city.
Montrose
Anvil Bar & Refuge
$$The cocktail bar that started Houston's craft cocktail scene in 2009 and is still the best. A 100-drink list, a no-nonsense room, and bartenders who've trained half the city.
Montrose · Indoor