Get Your Camera Ready to Go Mural Hopping

Cities big and small have had murals on the side of buildings for years and years. Local artists paint advertisements, personal masterpieces and encouraging words for all to see. But Instagram and other social media outlets have made vibrant street art all the rage, with folks hunting them down to take cooler, more colorful photos.

In 2015, Houston hosted its first mural festival: a Houston Urban Experience of murals, lights and celebrations. Over the course of one week, 25 walls in that first year were painted by 90 artists from around the world. It’s now become an annual tradition, so each year, more and more walls are painted.

So dress to impress (or heck, take a few outfit changes) and take a day to drive around the city finding the best photo ops! Here are some of the must-see murals in our city.

Hummingbird Mural

5102 Navigation Boulevard
Brazilian artist FPLO created this hummingbird piece in East Downtown during the first year of the HUE Mural Festival. And there are additional murals close by at 300 N. York Street, 2011 Leeland Street and 2201 Preston Street of Frida Kahlo as Wonder Woman, space monkey and butterflies.

Zippers Wall

1513 St. Emanuel
Why it’s cool: I love the vastness and the openness of the Zippers Wall. You can capture a lot of different angles of this vast, open, full-color background. It was created by Kelly Gravel and is close to many other great murals in East Downtown, including the Hearts Mural/Love Wall located at 1503 Chartres Street

Greetings from Houston

3601 White Oak Drive
Houston muralist Daniel Anguliu painted this mural in the style of a retro, 1970s style postcard on the side of Gelazzi, a delicious gelato emporium in The Heights. It depicts iconic Houston images from space and the oil industry. Check it out in the morning for the best light and a car-free photo.

You Are My Sunshine

249 W 19th St. C
This chorus of this song has enjoyed renewed popularity with children, and it makes this mural a family favorite! It’s painted on the back of Thread, a fashionable resale shop for kids in The Heights.

Oneness

508 Pecore Street
This mural in The Heights is a great for siblings, best friends and couples! It’s also great for animal lovers and pink enthusiasts! Painted by Emily Ding, it’s located on the side of NiaMoves fitness studio.

Preservons La Creation

2800 San Jacinto
Inspired by the theme of “Let’s Preserve the Creation,” French artist Sebastien “Mr. D” Boileau used 150 gallons of wall paint and more than 500 cans of spray paint in 2014. Located in Midtown, it’s the biggest mural in Houston.

Biscuit Paint Wall

1435 Westheimer Road
This is one of the most photographed walls in Houston. Located on the side of a Montrose home design store Biscuit Home, “Mr. D” Boileau also painted this creation in 2014. Because it’s so colorful and textured, your photos might look best in solid-colored clothes, rather than patterns.

Houston is Inspired

315 Travis Street
This original was painted by GONZO247 on the side of Treebeards restaurant in 2013. It was part of a “Houston is Inspired” campaign to promote culinary and art in downtown Houston.

New Sugar & Cloth Wall and Stairs

1201 Main Street
These color-blocked stairs, in addition to the gorgeous wall, allow for some of the most creative photo opportunities in downtown Houston. The original location was demolished, but the new version has the old elements with new perks.