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Topic: Harris County Precinct One neighborhoods and landmarksKey Places: Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Montrose, major airports, sports stadiums, universitiesFree Things to Do: Visit the Menil Collection museum and public art for freeLocal Heroes: Parks are named after Barbara Jordan and Mickey LelandSource: Harris County Precinct One civic guide
Request for approval of a change in contract with Millis Development and Construction LLC, in connection with Burnett Bayland Park - Phase 1A.1 Landscape - 2024, adding 94 calendar days, with a deduction in the amount of $0.02, Job No. 25/0083-4, UPIN 25104MF3UE01, Precinct 4, MWBE Contracted Goal: 19.53%, MWBE Current Participation: 18.48%.
Harris County Precinct One covers a huge slice of Houston — and chances are you already know it better than you think. From major airports and sports venues to historic neighborhoods, free museums, and stunning public art, Precinct One has something for every Houstonian to explore.
Precinct One includes both Houston airports — William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) — along with Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park, NRG Stadium, and Shell Energy Stadium. Universities like Rice, Texas Southern University (TSU), the University of Houston, and St. Thomas University are all here. The Menil Collection, a free museum with more than 17,000 works of art, sits in Montrose. Public art is everywhere: Hermann Park's 'Art in the Park' installations, the 'Salt Marsh' mural by John Biggers at the University of Houston Downtown, the 'Houston is Inspired' mural by artist Gonzo, and the Juneteenth Street Mural in Independence Heights and the Black Lives Matter Street Mural in Acres Homes — both created in summer 2020.
Use this guide as a starting point for exploring Precinct One neighborhood by neighborhood. Pick one landmark, park, or mural and build a half-day outing around it. The Menil Collection is free, so it is a great first stop. Hermann Park is easy to combine with a visit to the Mickey Leland Memorial Park and statue. Once you feel comfortable with one area, branch out to another neighborhood and see how different — and connected — each community feels.
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Precinct One connects to Houston's broader story of civil rights, arts, and community resilience. Project Row Houses in Third Ward blends local art, historic preservation, and neighborhood development — a model that has inspired similar projects nationwide. The public murals created in 2020 reflect Harris County's ongoing conversation about racial justice and civic identity. Sports fans, students, travelers, and art lovers all pass through Precinct One regularly, often without realizing how much history surrounds them.
Precinct One is home to some of Houston's most storied communities. Fifth Ward, Third Ward, and Montrose each carry deep cultural roots — from century-old churches and Black-owned business traditions to LGBTQ history and the counterculture movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Trailblazers like Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to the Texas state senate and the first Black Texan in Congress, and Congressman Mickey Leland called this precinct home. So did singer Beyoncé and journalist Dan Rather. Understanding Precinct One means understanding a big part of what makes Houston, Houston.
