Abandoned Places in Houston, TX

Abandoned places are spots that have been left behind and aren’t used anymore. You might come across old buildings, factories, or even houses that have been empty for a while. They can sometimes have an eerie vibe, with broken windows, overgrown plants, and a feeling of being forgotten.

People often find them intriguing to explore, but it’s important to be cautious as they can be unsafe. However, passing by one can give you the feeling of the set of some horror Hollywood movie or a haunted place.

In downtown Houston, there are plenty of empty buildings that people have left behind. Some of these buildings have interesting histories and can make for thrilling photos if you’re into exploring and photography. But it’s risky to go inside because they can be unsafe, and it’s against the law to trespass in Texas.

So, if you’re thinking about checking those abandoned places in Houston, TX, it’s best to be careful and stay out of trouble by respecting private property. Let’s give you a short glimpse into some of these thrilling places.

The Beeler Cemetery

A long time ago, Amanda and James Beeler and their sons Milam and William were some of the first people to live in the west part of Houston, Texas. They were farmers and had a big piece of land where they grew crops like corn and cotton and raised cattle. When they passed away, they were buried on their land along with some other families.

For a while, nobody took care of the cemetery, but in 2003, a guy named Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack started looking after it. He did this because a law in Texas says the county can take care of old cemeteries that are important for history. Now, the cemetery is looked after by Harris County Precinct.

The Beeler Memorial Park and the parking garage nearby are famous for ghost hunting. Some people who claim to communicate with spirits say there are many ghosts there, even though the cemetery is tiny—you could walk around it in just a minute.

Some individuals believe that there are even more graves outside the main cemetery area. In the olden days, people thought that those buried outside the main part of a cemetery, especially in a family cemetery, did bad things like practicing witchcraft or ending their own life. So, if this thrills you, it is one of the most abandoned spots in Houston, TX, for you to explore.

Address: 1232-, 1262 Enclave Pkwy, Houston, TX 77077, United States

Beltway METRO Hub

The name of this spot makes many wonder how it could have been abandoned and what happened there. Let’s walk you through some of the place’s history. Back in 1973, the Texas State Legislature said cities could create their own transit authorities.

Then, in 1978, people in Houston voted to make METRO and gave it permission to use money from a one-cent sales tax to run. METRO started working in January 1979. Over 25 years, it turned a not-so-great bus system into a big transportation system for the whole area.

When it started, METRO took over the bus service that the City of Houston used to run, called HouTran. Now, METRO covers a big area of 1,285 square miles and helps people travel around eight different counties with its vanpool service. It has around 3,800 employees.

In the past, METRO buses used to stop at the Hub, which was located at the corner of Clarborough Place and Clarborough Drive in west Houston. This spot was near Interstate 10 highway and the Beltway 8 Hardy Toll Road. However, on October 30, 2004, they stopped running services there and closed down the parking lot. It is huge but one of the most strangely abandoned places to explore in Houston, TX.

Pearland’s Abandoned Mansion

If you are a real estate agent or broker or horror movie fanatic, this is a fascinating spot for you to visit. In a growing neighborhood in Pearland near Highway 288 and Southfork, there are two big mansions sitting on 15-acre lots.

They look almost the same but are left empty. Weeds have grown up around the entrance of one, while the other doesn’t even have a gate and is locked behind a fence. Neither of them has any nice landscaping, and they seem out of place in the middle of open fields. (Feel that Nancy Drew Vibes coming in?)

What’s strange is how huge they are: one is about 32,000 square feet, and the other is a massive 64,000 square feet, almost as long as a football field. Public records show that both houses used to belong to a doctor named Dr. Ulysses W. Watkins. He started building the bigger one first, but it was never finished.

There’s a big unfinished part on one side, and some garage doors are just made of wood. The front door doesn’t fit right and doesn’t even have a handle. There’s no driveway in front, just a side one. The smaller house was up for sale last year but isn’t listed anymore. People have seen pictures of it online, but no one has ever seen it inside the big unfinished house until now. You might be the first one. Who knows?

The mansion is in Manvel, not directly in Houston, but still part of the bigger Houston area. So, even though it’s not officially in Houston, it’s close enough to be thought of as being part of the Houston area. To me, it is one of the most interesting abandoned places to explore in Texas.

Address: 11800 Magnolia Pkwy, Manvel, TX 77578, USA

Nationwide Steel

Nationwide Steel used to be a big steel company located near downtown Houston on Kansas Street. They did a lot of steelwork, like cutting, welding, and storing. But in the 1980s, they closed down, probably because of problems in the steel industry and economic issues in Houston.

After they closed, the place sat empty for about 20 years. Even though there were signs saying not to go in and a fence around it, people could still get in pretty easily because it was so big and had lots of buildings. Plus, there wasn’t much security watching the place.

It was easy to get into because it was in a part of town where there weren’t strict rules about what kind of businesses could be there. Instead of being in a business area with lots of security, it was in a neighborhood where there wasn’t much security around.

Cushman and Wakefield, a real estate company, bought the land where Nationwide Steel used to be and started knocking down the buildings in 2000. We don’t know what happened there between 2000 and 2010. Although its current condition is unknown, it is one of the huge abandoned buildings in Houston, TX. If it piqued your interest, you can explore further and find out.

Reliant Astrodome

The NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or just the Astrodome, is a famous sports stadium in Houston, Texas. It opened in 1965 and was called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

The idea for the Astrodome came from a man named Hofheinz, who was tired of getting rained out at baseball games. Instead of building a big shopping mall like he originally planned, he decided to make a stadium for baseball.

The Astrodome was designed by architects Hermon Lloyd and W.B. Morgan and built by H.A. Lott, Inc. It’s really big, covering about 9½ acres and standing 18 stories tall. The roof is 710 feet wide and 208 feet above the ground.

It was finished in November 1964, six months earlier than expected. They had to make some changes while building it, like flattening the roof a bit and using a special process for the ground. I’m done boring you with the history; now, let’s jump to the main reason why it is known as one of the abandoned buildings in Houston, TX.

In 1989, they added ramps outside the Astrodome so people with disabilities could get in, following a law called the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In 1992, they held a big meeting for the Republican Party at the Astrodome. The Astros baseball team had to go on a long trip so the meeting could happen.

In 1995, they had to cancel a football game because the field was in bad shape. The owner of the football team wanted a new stadium, but the city said no. So, he moved the team to Tennessee. The baseball team also wanted a new stadium and threatened to leave, too. Eventually, they got a new stadium downtown.

In 2002, they built a new stadium next to the Astrodome for a new football team. The rodeo moved to the new stadium in 2003, leaving the Astrodome empty. The last concert there was by George Strait.

Now, the Astrodome is mostly empty. Since 2008, only workers and security guards are allowed inside because it’s not up to code. They have talked about turning it into a hotel or a movie studio, but nothing’s been decided yet.

Bottom Line

For all Adventure enthusiasts who are always curious for knowledge or excitement, this list of abandoned places in Houston, TX, can help. So, get geared up to unmask some hidden mysteries (if any) in these deserted spots, but with caution.