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Sawyer Yards is a dynamic Arts and Entertainment destination offering continuous opportunities to appreciate the Arts, enjoy extraordinary experiences, and be inspired. This is where Houston's Creative Heart Beats.
Overview

Sawyer Yards is one of the few places in the country where a visitor can enjoy a performance with a local theater group, take a shot at an indoor climbing wall, grab a bite, or start an art collection—all in Arts District Houston.

Our campus extends over several city blocks and is home to more than 600 tenants including creative businesses, restaurants, fitness concepts, small business owners, and over 400 local artists, who are creating, exhibiting, and making their work accessible to the public every day.

For locals or tourists visiting our area, Sawyer Yards is a cultural destination offering a curated sampling of uniquely local experiences, all within minutes of downtown Houston.

Wander around, immerse yourself in the arts, and enjoy the local creative landscape. Whether you’re buying or simply appreciating, discover a full range of art forms inside each building. Sample local craft beer, attend community and cultural events, see a theater show or musical performance, or simply spend a fun day strolling through our rotating exhibitions.

If you want something different to see and do, look no further. We’ve brought together the best of Houston’s creative community and its lifestyle—in one exciting destination for you.

Sawyer Yards is the Largest Creative Campus in the Nation
About

Sawyer Yards was officially launched in 2005 by The Deal Company, with the conversion of a 75,000 SF warehouse surrounded by a still-thriving rail yard. The renovated building debuted as Winter Street Studios and received the first art studio ordinance granted in Houston.

At that point, the vision to move forward and construct a dedicated creative campus gained momentum. The immediate success of Winter Street Studios was quickly followed by the unique, architecturally sensitive conversions of five other studio complexes in the area, which to this day, remain 100% leased.

Spearheading the initiative, The Deal Company found fresh-thinking partners in Silver Street Capital and Lovett Commercial. Their collective efforts—and successes—have demonstrated that Houston was indeed ready for a local center of gravity representing the city’s unique art and lifestyle. And, Sawyer Yards has proved to be the solution.

From the start, the focus was on creativity.

The distinctive environment of Sawyer Yards plays up the neighborhood’s eclectic and industrial past and moves it forward with the energy of today’s artists, makers, and innovators.

Many of the structures have been reclaimed rather than rebuilt, respecting the buildings’ original character. Inside, the raw expanses of the buildings remain intact but improved by high-quality lighting, climate-controlled environment, secure spaces, and open areas designed specifically for artists, art services, and other creative entrepreneurs.

To enhance its position as a bustling campus that attracts people and encourages them to linger, Sawyer Yards continues to add artisanal eating, drinking, retail, and recreational opportunities for tenants and visitors.

Timeline of Sawyer Yards History
2024 By The Numbers

Houston's Creative Heart

55

ACRES JUST THREE MINUTES OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON

2 million+

SQUARE FEET OF INTERIOR SPACE FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES

27

BUILDINGS HOUSING ARTIST STUDIOS, CREATIVE BUSINESSES, CULINARY ESTABLISHMENTS, BREWERIES, ENTERTAINMENT VENUES, AND FITNESS CONCEPTS

18

RECLAIMED HISTORIC BUILDINGS

600+

CREATIVE TENANTS

400+

WORKING ARTISTS

8

ART STUDIO BUILDINGS

8

ENTERTAINMENT VENUES

5

CRAFT BREWERIES

22

BARS AND RESTAURANTS

3

RESIDENTIAL COMPLEXES

8

FITNESS CONCEPTS

13

ART MURALS

11

PUBLIC EXHIBITION SPACES

80+

ART EXHIBITIONS AND OPENING RECEPTIONS ANNUALLY

24

OPEN ART STUDIO EVENTS WHERE 100’S OF ARTISTS OPEN THEIR STUDIO DOORS TO THE PUBLIC

3

CAMPUS WIDE SIGNATURE COMMUNITY EVENTS A YEAR

The Campus
Campus Map

Sawyer Yards Partners

The Deal Company
Lovett Commercial
Western General

The Deal Company, Lovett Commercial, and Western General