Rice Village began operating in 1938 as a hodgepodge of shops near Rice University, and it has grown into about 300 stores, restaurants and pubs across a 16-block grid just west of campus. It is one of the few places in Houston where an afternoon of browsing actually works on foot, with boutiques, bookish cafes and patios filling the blocks between Kirby Drive and Morningside. Then walk east into the 300-acre Rice campus, where oak allees shade the quads. The real treat waits at dusk. James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany Skyspace frames the sky through a square opening while a light sequence shifts the color of the ceiling, and at sunrise and sunset the show runs about 40 minutes. It is free, open every day and needs no reservation. The Moody Center for the Arts, also free, is a short walk away.
What to expect
- The first two hours are free in the Main Garage or rooftop lot; enter on Kelvin Drive.
- Other spots are paid through the ParkMobile app, with an $8 rate after 8 pm.
- No rail in the Village; the Red Line's Hermann Park/Rice stop is across campus.
What to do
- Catch a sunset light sequence at the Twilight Epiphany Skyspace
- Browse the Village's boutiques and grab a patio table
- See the current show at the free Moody Center for the Arts
Where to eat nearby
- Navy Blue
- D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe
- Badolina Bakery & Cafe
What to see
- James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany Skyspace
- Moody Center for the Arts
- Rice University campus
- Rice Village began operating in 1938Opened
- Over 300 shops in a 16-block areaSize
- Free daily; sunrise and sunset sequences last about 40 minutesSkyspace
- About 300 acresRice campus