I feel in love with the Cistern. It’s history and importance to the City Of Houston and it’s development as one of the nations largest city, is due to the development of what used to be the water reserve. Today it stands as a beautiful structure that captures the imagination. We were grateful to have received a tour from one of the biggest advocates of the Cistern. Make sure to schedule your appointment as they only let a handful of people in at a time. I’m looking forward to the video we’re creating about our tour on Houston City Beat - online.

I have lived in Houston my entire life and had never been to the Buffalo Bayou Cistern. We purchased $10 tickets for the guided tour (unguided tour $8). The tour is about 30 minutes and very informative. The guide was very knowledgeable and told us about the history of the Cistern. She even provided us with a small musically performance to enhance the sound and echo experience down in the Cistern. I will definitely go back, especially when a special event "art exhibit" is scheduled.

Great park for cycling 🚴‍♂️ early in the morning and walking 🚶 Did first bike ride here and I enjoyed feeling nature in Houston 😌 Come and enjoy your oasis here in Houston! 😇

This place was so cool! It feels like something you would see in medieval Europe. The history of the Buffalo Bayou cistern was very interesting. The visual illusions from the light play off of the shallow water was really neat. The acoustics and echos were amazing. I loved the guided tour and highly recommend this to anyone visiting Houston.

Great piece of local history that has been preserved now with a proper plan and access for visitors. From 1920s and original the water supply for parts of Houston you can now visit and view the cistern which offers some great views in the sympathetically lit chamber along with amazing sound qualities. There is not much walking needed to enter the cistern and you can finally walk around the edge of the cistern as part of the tour. Your hide may also sing for you to again show-off the azing echo and sound qualities. Parking can be a bit tricky I'm guessing, there is a fairly small carpark near the cistern with 3 hour stay limit but it does advise there is parking around the corner.

This is an awesome walk through Houston’s history, and a nice break from the heat. Our guide, Dwindle, was very knowledgeable and fun. He had a wonderful singing voice and was able to show off the amazing acoustics of the cistern. We went to the art show after which was fair, but honestly, I liked Dwindles performance better. Next show isn’t until 2023 so I’ll be sure to check it out. Parking wasn’t too hard and it’s well located in the Buffalo bayou park, which is beautiful. Centrally located to midtown.

Fantastic park with clean bathrooms! The arch is the perfect spot for couples' pictures. It’s pretty entertaining to watch the skaters if you have nothing better to do. They are pretty good, and watching a few 45+-year-old men skate is undoubtedly worth watching.

Amazing hidden gem in downtown Houston! We took the 30 min tour and it was a great time! I want to go back to see the art exhibit (in place until 12/21)

Dear readers…this has been on my Houston bucket list for a long time…I remember reading about it years ago, when the city decided to turn it into a historical landmark….I’m so glad they did…the @thecistern became a piece of art, far from it’s initial intention…this water reservoir was the cities first, but as the city grew so did the demand for water….it’s now used for art shows, holiday events, and a tourist attraction…it’s a 30 min tour…and you get to scream at the end

Great spot to learn a little bit about Houston water distribution history. We arrived without reservations and got our tickets in there. Price was $10 usd. The toured guide took around 30 minutes and the guide shared with us a lot of interesting information. The place is well maintained and being in there is a good experience because there are many light and sound effects that can be perceived inside, could be called something surrealist.

What an amazing gem. We took the tour and our guide Austin was amazing. His knowledge of the history was mind blowing.

Found this place accidentally. Thank goodness we did. We had a great tour guide, Rosemarie. Oh by the way she can also sing.😊 We’ll be back to check out the current exhibit running til December.

It is basically a big square water tank with impressive columns and a large lit up walk way encircling the entire thing. The tour guide led us around the walk way and talked to us about the history of the cistern. We will definitely be going back to try out the sound bath tour, where they play crystal bowls and gongs for a refreshing calibration of your chakras! Enjoy our photo gallery and feel free to reach out if you or anyone you know needs help buying or selling real estate!

All the exhibitions here have their own charm, but coming to the Cistern it’s one of a kind experience by itself. Highly recommended if you would like to enjoy a totally different experience aside the Houston busy life. The staff is very kind and patient. I recommend to be there on time, since the exhibitions are very punctual.

Super cool experience. It is worth the $ and very educational. The architecture is amazing.

Do you want to know one of the deep dark secrets of Houston history? Marvel at a feat of engineering? This is the place. Okay, it’s not that dark of a secret. A lot of people know the story of the cistern, but maybe you don’t. Maybe you are simply interested in some history and cool engineering. Either way, come check this place out! The tour guides are great, it’s easy to find, the tickets are easy to purchase and it’s simply interesting in general.

This park is a beautiful place for engagment sessions and family portraits! As a photographer, this is one of my go-to spots for both! Especially in the fall, the trees change colors and the lighting is wonderful. I highly recommend it!

Interesting place to visit. It is nice to see the architecture and how the system was supporting Houston decades ago. When we play "echo" inside the cistern is nice and the reflection of the pillars on the water is pretty interisting.

Excellent tour. Enjoyed hearing the history and details about this . Acoustics were cool and Rosemarie is an excellent knowledgeable guide.

Really cool gem hidden in Houston. An underground water reservoir that was essentially shut down by a leak, Buffalo Bayou Partnership has converted it into a historical gem. We visited while there was an art exhibit and it was a great afternoon date.

Had a amazing tour. This place was awesome!

This location was awesome! It has the appearance of something from medieval Europe. The Buffalo Bayou cistern's history was really fascinating. The optical effects created by the light reflecting off the shallow water were incredibly cool. The echos and acoustics were superb. I would strongly recommend the guided tour to anyone visiting Houston.

Extraordinary experience. Went to a music performance in the cistern. The composer created the music to build within the body of the cistern. The reverberation last up to 17 seconds. The music builds and layers on top of the reverberation. All while the sound of water trickles continuously in the background. Incredible experience like nothing I’ve had before.

I never knew this place existed. The illuminated tour was interesting to go for the holidays. I assume it was put out of commission in 2017 due to Hurricane Harvey. Fun neat tour with an extremely charismatic guide named Rosemarie. Also a fun date idea. Great optical illusion.

We visited during a special holiday lights experience, which was very well done. I enjoyed the tour and history, and the interactive element of the light show.

First time visiting the cistern was during the art installation called Haha Real by Rachel Rossin. Booked online thru maps and check in was a breeze. The cistern itself was great and awe inspiring given the light and audio experience.

Mesmerizing Experience Beneath the City: Buffalo Bayou Cistern Singing Bowl Performance Having finally experienced the singing bowl performance at the Buffalo Bayou Cistern, I can confidently say it was well worth the wait and comes highly recommended. The Cistern, formerly the city's water supply until 2007, now stands as a captivating landmark open to the public since 2016. The echoes and sounds within its 212 columns create an unforgettable experience. The water levels, ranging from ankle to knee deep, add to the unique atmosphere. With various shows, including light displays, sound performances, and standard tours, the Buffalo Bayou Cistern promises an immersive journey beneath the city that shouldn't be missed.

Our tour guide Adriana was amazing. Such a cool tour. We have lived in Houston for over 10 years and had never been. We even got a lovely musical performance by our guide to showcase the amazing acoustics of the cistern.

Impressive repurposing of an old underground water storage cistern. Now artists are invited to bring it to life with their visionary light shows. The one on display now is a light/sound immersive experience about 15-20 min long. This is one of those off the beaten path things a lot of people would enjoy.

Wonderful hidden gem. Highly recommend going when it is raining to get the full affect

It's a nice place to go and enjoy either a walk or a bike ride. I usually go on the weekends with my daughter.

Upstairs is a nice pavilion with breeze to eat from one of their food trucks. The tour guide didn’t check tickets and I think there may have been some freeloaders on our tour. 3 food trucks today. Plenty of parking in their free adjacent lot at noon on a Saturday and still has spaces at 2 pm when we left.

I found this on TripAdvisor! I'm so glad that I did. The booking was easy and it made it easy to add it in my calendar. This place is gorgeous and the engineering and the tour guide, they were all great. It was a thirty minute tour. It was very informative and nothing like I've done before. I enjoyed it so much! If you get a chance go and book a tour.

Wow! I had no idea this existed. A huge underground water reservoir built so skillfully ages ago and still in tact. It’s amazing and our tour guides were excellent as they shared some cool Houston history about struggles with water sources and even treated us to an amazing underground serenade. You should come visit !

We visited this beautiful space for the first time yesterday. The illuminated experience is something to see. You are given twenty-five minutes to walk around and take in the wonder of it all. The only thing that put a damper on things is the end. A tour guide sidled up and said it was time to leave. We wanted to ask a question and she said we could, but as we walked out. She firmly asked us to walk out. And then proceeded to slowly escort someone else out as they discussed the cistern.

You have to go. Only 1/6 in the WORLD. Wonderful tour that was 30 minutes. $10/person. Park on a nearby side street & walk to it. Leave ample time to find parking because this is a busy place. Nice outdoor venue up top. Enjoy :)

Very cool day date experience! My bf and I took the guided tour for $10, and it was definitely worth the history and background info on the cistern.