Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed this as a "horseshoe of rushing water" to answer their Transco Tower, now Williams Tower, completed in 1983. The wall is 64 feet high to echo the tower's 64 floors, and about 11,000 gallons sheet down its inner face. Walk through the stone arch into the half-circle and the city disappears into mist and white noise. A 360-foot lawn lined with 186 live oaks leads you there from the tower, and the park was renamed in 2009 for Gerald D. Hines, the developer behind much of Uptown's skyline. It is a classic Houston photo stop, and it is free. Pair it with the Galleria, the huge shopping center a short walk away, for a full Uptown afternoon.
What to expect
- Step inside the curve and the spray will dampen your hair and clothes.
- The wall is lit after dark, so an evening stop looks quite different.
- Benches around the lawn make it easy to sit a while and watch the water.
What to do
- Step inside the curve of the Waterwall and feel the mist
- Walk the live oak allée from Williams Tower to the fountain
- Pair the visit with shopping or dinner at the nearby Galleria
- 64 ft, one foot per tower floorWall height
- 2.77 acresPark size
- 186Live oaks
- December 2009Named for Hines