Historic Houston Images

[musicman]

I don't remember the Carrousel, but I do have an old postcard of it.  Great mid-century period architecture.  The office/restaurant pavillion had one of those googie-type zig-zag roofs.  The Carrousel was known for being the defendent in an important civil rights lawsuit in the 1960s.  All that's left are the foundations.

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see if you can scan it in, i'd like to see it.

A lady in Pecan Park used to be a nasa photographer. she has some great pictures including JFK and Jackie riding up 45s from Clear Lake on Nov 21, 1963 with the Carrousel in the background. Since nasa originated in the Gulfgate/Office City area, she said that astronauts used to eat lunch at Gulfgate and walk around the Mall. Many of these Nasa buildings are still in existence along Office City

[Subdude]

see if you can scan it in, i'd like to see it. 

A lady in Pecan Park used to be a nasa photographer.  she has some great pictures including JFK and Jackie riding up 45s from Clear Lake on Nov 21, 1963 with the Carrousel in the background.  Since nasa originated in the Gulfgate/Office City area, she said that astronauts used to eat lunch at Gulfgate and walk around the Mall.  Many of these Nasa buildings are still in existence along Office City

Sorry I don't have a scanner. One day..

What is "Office City"? Is that those low-rise offices along I-45 a little north of Gulfgate?

Didn't that railcar restaurant at Main and OST have effects where they kind of shook like a real train, or was that just me shaking?

[musicman]

Sorry I don't have a scanner.  One day..

What is "Office City"?  Is that those low-rise offices along I-45 a little north of Gulfgate? 

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yes it is the street behind them, parallel to 45.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Didn't that railcar restaurant at Main and OST have effects where they kind of shook like a real train, or was that just me shaking?

Sounds like a case of the DTs to me.

[Montrose1100]

Anybody remember Bush Gardens? By the Budwieser plant...?

[musicman]

Anyone have photos of the monorail they had at Hobby Airport? i've seen some before but can't find any on the net.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I don

[tomv]

There have been three monorails in Houston. South Main and OST, South Main and Fondren, and Hobby Airport. There's a picture of one of them at Monorails.org

[tomv]

Hey while we're doing transportation nostalgia does anyone remember our moving sidewalk?

It was downtown next to the old Sam Houston Coliseum which was where Hobby Center is now. There was a parking lot on the other side of Buffalo Bayou from the Coliseum. If you parked there you walked through an enclosed walkway over the bayou to get to the Coliseum.

At one point, I think the early 60's, they built a "moving sidewalk" inside the walkway to get people across the bayou faster (Moving sidewalks are sometimes called people movers - you see them now most often in airports). I used to go to events down there as a kid and remember seeing the conveyor belt but I don't ever remember it actually working. They must have had technical problems, I'm not sure.

Anyway the bridge stayed there for years after they took out the conveyor belt. I guess the moving sidewalk was ahead of it's time, kinda like the monorails.

Trivia note: Before starting ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons had a local band called the Moving Sidewalks. They had a popular song called "Need Me". He named the band after the moving sidewalk in Downtown Houston. Apparently he and many others back in the 60's were enthralled by this futuristic transportation device.

[Montrose1100]

Theres a monorail in IAH

[Guest danax]

Trivia note:  Before starting ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons had a local band called the Moving Sidewalks.  They had a popular song called "Need Me".  He named the band after the moving sidewalk in  Downtown Houston.  Apparently he and many others back in the 60's were enthralled by this futuristic transportation device.

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Additional trivia: Moving Sidewalks toured with Jimi Hendrix in '68 I believe. When Hendrix was on The Dick Cavett Show that year, Cavett asked him who his favorite guitar player was and he told him Billy Gibbons.

[Cocaworm]

I am only 22 so I don't remember some of the things you all are talking about. But the monorail looks really cool.

I found this site by looking for pictures of Peppermint Park. Something my family thinks I made up. Now I know I didn't

I went there sometime in the late 80's (had to of, to remember it so well.) The way you all discribed it, is worse then I remembered it. But given it's time, and things they have now, I suppose it was like in indoor county fair that went on non stop. I wanted to find photos of it, so if any of you find them please let me know right away. Thanks.

[luvarch]

Sea-Arama was the aquarium in Galveston right?

My figment of my imagination memory was a theme park I thought in sugarland.

Hana-Barbera Land.  I dont know if it actually exsisted or not, but oh well.

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I remember Hanna Barbara Land it is currently Splashtown. They still have some of the stuff that used to be there like the fake trees. I know because I grew up over there off 45 North. I hope this helps you. If there are pictures, please post them.

[luvarch]

I also went there as a kid. My husband thinks it's just a figmant of my imagination. I am so glad that others remember it. I would love to see photos of it.

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If it is the correct place, I used to have dreams about going there and thought it was a figment of my imagination. I went in the early eighties... Please help clarify, if this true. I would be really interested in seeing pictures of this place because I thought it was just a dream.

[torvald]

Wow,  I totally remember Hanna Barbara Land.  I have no clue where it was since I was just a kid, but I remember all the commercials.   

Does anyone remember the old restaruant at 6400 Richmond that used to be train cars.

Anyone else remember those restuarants.

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for the longest time i would remember this really cool ice cream place where the servers would have white hats with a stripe around it, sing happy birthday and bring a banana split with sparklers stuck in the ends. i remembered it seeming overwhelming & fancy. it may have been the galleria? i was super, super young and when i mentioned it my grandmother she was pretty surprised that i remembered. ferrels, i think.

i did a google search and after a while found this site, lots of different sorts of ferrell's out there:

http://www.farrellsusa.com/pics/Farcandyarea8.02.jpg.jpg

anyone have a houston link or info on how long it was there, when it closed, etc?

[debmartin]

i had my 12th birthday party at farrells in northwest mall. i remember it was a really cool place and they would bring out a trough of a banana split, enough for 10 people to eat! if anyone could eat one alone they would get some kind of prize and all the employees would run out and yell and scream and make noise, but i never saw it happen.

i seem to recall a scene in bill & ted's excellent adventure where they took napoleon to a place like that and he won a prize for being a "piggy" while he hogged up the whole dish. i don't know when farrells went out or how many locations they had, but i do have fond memories of the place as my friends and i went there often. the employees wore some kind of uniforms that were white with red stripes, with soda fountain hats and they played some kind of nickelodeon music with a player piano i think. my parents were not really into the whole photo thing so i do not have any pics, but if anyone else does i'd love to see them.

deb martin

[EastEnd Susan]

If you have photos of these places and/or memorabilia from them, please post.

Shamrock Hotel

Kiddie Wonderland

Peppermint Park

Sea Arama

The Pig

The old baseball stadium where fingers is now (forgot the name)

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I had all my birthday parties at Peppermint Park until I was 11. I have some 8 mm film of the place which I had put on VCR format about 20 years ago. It shows the little roller coaster, The helicopter ride, the boats, the carrousel and the ticket booth. And yes, it was located at 610 and 45 before 610 was there. I guess that car dealership sits where it used to be. Right by the Carrousel Hotel.

[tick]

I'm looking for interior pictures of the Majestic Theater in Houston. I interested in pictures showing the Grand drape.

[zaphod]

im pretty sure that thing at the aiport is a rubber tired automated guideway system and not a monorail or light rail.

and farrells is restarting and there is a new one one in santa clara,california

[belmontdrew]

EMAIL ME AT BELMONTDREW@HOTMAIL.COM

I HAVE TONS OF OLD HOUSTON PICS I CAN EMAIL YOU!!! HUNDREDS OF OLD ASTROWORLD, ONE KIDDIELAND, SOME FROM HANNA BARBERALAND, MORE FROM SEA ARAMA, EVERY OLD MOVIE THEATRE, 60'S/70'S ASTRODOMAIN, ETC.

If you have photos of these places and/or memorabilia from them, please post.

Shamrock Hotel

Kiddie Wonderland

Peppermint Park

Sea Arama

The Pig

The old baseball stadium where fingers is now (forgot the name)

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[Subdude]

EMAIL ME AT BELMONTDREW@HOTMAIL.COM

I HAVE TONS OF OLD HOUSTON PICS I CAN EMAIL YOU!!! HUNDREDS OF OLD ASTROWORLD, ONE KIDDIELAND, SOME FROM HANNA BARBERALAND, MORE FROM SEA ARAMA, EVERY OLD MOVIE THEATRE, 60'S/70'S ASTRODOMAIN, ETC.

Post them here!

[Heights2Bastrop]

Yes, post them here!

Actually, I wish we had a category just for historic Houston - stories and photos.

[57Tbird]

I'm looking for interior pictures of the Majestic Theater in Houston. I interested in pictures showing the Grand drape.

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I have an interior shot of the Majestic, but it doesn't show much of the stage area. It shows the left side of the auditorium and adjoining wall.

[Subdude]

Is that in the original Majestic or the one on Rusk?

[djrage]

I believe that was Victoria Station. Their specialty was prime rib.

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Wow. I always wondered what that building used to be. The first time I went there when it was Club 6400. The exterior reminded me of a Red Lobster. Well I was right in thinking of it as a restaurant. Thanks for that info.

About when was it Victoria Station and when after was that building used as a nightclub? I know it was Fizz then Hippos and soon after it became 6400. Anyone know where I can get pictures of this place as a restaurant and a nightclub? I've been searching for pictures of this place as Club 6400 online and cannot find anything. Why is that? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[57Tbird]

Is that in the original Majestic or the one on Rusk?

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I guess the one on Rusk...between Main and Travis. That's the only one I'm familiar with...the one I went to in the 40's-50's. Where was the original?

[tomv]

Wow. I always wondered what that building used to be. The first time I went there when it was Club 6400 the exterior reminded me of a Red Lobster. Well I was right in thinking of it as a restaurant. Thanks for that info.

About when was it Victoria Station and when after was that building used as a nightclub? I know it was Fizz then Hippos and soon after it became 6400. Anyone know where I can get pictures of this place as a restaurant and a nightclub? I've been searching for pictures of this place as Club 6400 online and cannot find anything. Why is that? Any help is greatly appreciated.

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I'm not positive, but I think that the restaurant that was there was called Railhead, not Victoria Station. It was a copy of Victoria Station. I remember they had live entertainment there along with the food.

[Subdude]

I guess the one on Rusk...between Main and Travis.  That's the only one I'm familiar with...the one I went to in the 40's-50's.  Where was the original?

On Texas. It ended up being incorporated into the Chronicle building.

[Subdude]

First Majestic Theater exterior:

Lobby:

[Heights2Bastrop]

I'm not positive, but I think that the restaurant that was there was called Railhead, not Victoria Station. It was a copy of Victoria Station. I remember they had live entertainment there along with the food.

How right you are. When I read about "railcars", I immediately thought Victoria Station. The place on Richmond was indeed The Railhead. I went there a couple of times in the early 70's, but I don't remember it having rail cars.

Victoria Station was on Post Oak north of Richmond. There may have been another one around Kirby and South Main, but I'm not sure about that.