Things to do at Houston Memorial Park

This post is part one of a four part Series on the Mount Rushmore of Houston. If Houston had its own “Mount Rushmore”, what would it be? We start with Memorial Park and the many things to do at Houston Memorial Park.

Location

Memorial Park is located in central Houston west of downtown on Memorial Drive, just inside the 610 Loop West. There are many activities to enjoy. Some of those include its famous three mile running loop, walking trails, golf and tennis, and special events. It is considered one of the top places in Houston to jog and train for the annual Houston marathon. Also, I have included some history of Memorial Park from my personal perspective.

Major Expansion Project

As someone who jogged at Memorial Park for over 25 years, I thought I knew the park well. But after the major expansion projects completed in 2023, there is a lot more to Memorial Park than I remembered. The expansion project was funded privately by the many who love the park. Something we can be proud of as Houstonians. Memorial Park is clearly one of my favorite things about Houston.

The major components of the expansion project were the addition of the East Glades (a lake) and the land bridge across Memorial Drive. The land bridge connects the north and south areas of the park. Extensive green space was added to the south area. There was also the addition of the timing running track. The timing track is a quarter mile track with lanes outlined around it.

Jogging Loop

The jogging loop is the focal point of the park. As someone who trained there for 25 years starting in roughly the late 80’s, it has developed a culture of its own within the running community of Houston. There’s even a book titled “People of Memorial Park: Stories from Houston’s Favorite Trail”. Ask any long time runner of the park about this “culture” and they will understand. There is a strong community element to the running loop.

Having a soft track to train on makes it much easier on the knees than concrete. Hence the extension of my illustrious marathon career. I’ll take training there even if running four or five laps around the loop for a weekend training run can get tedious. The first year or so of the annual marathon dating back to 1972 was entirely at Memorial Park.

Some who train at the park for marathons combine the park loop with the trails along Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway. By running along those trails between Shepherd and the Sabine Bridge near downtown, there is an extended training run.

The three mile crushed granite track has been widened, refreshed and improved over the years. The exact length of the track has been debated over the years but let’s call it three miles if you start and finish at the same spot.

A lap around Memorial Park is truly a Houston experience to try at least once.

Golf Course

Sitting outside the Memorial Park golf course pro shop, I am seeing a temporary “city” being built in preparation for the golf tournament occurring near the end of March each year (2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open.) It is impressive to see the transformation that occurs at the golf course each year as the buildings are assembled for the tournament including the grandstands, hospitality and media spaces. This city will be disassembled and moved on for another golf tournament after the tournament.

Although my golf score does not show it, I have a lot of history with the golf course. My first round of golf there was in the early 80’s. My grandfather was a sign painter when signs were painted with a brush. He would paint the various signs along the course marking pathways, etc., bartered for rounds of golf or range balls.

My History with the Golf Course

The course has improved over time due to multiple upgrades. It is an exceptional public golf course in the middle of a large urban city. One of my fondest memories of the golf course was in the late 80’s. I tried to find the exact date but the interwebs were just finding its legs then so not easy to find.

I was playing the course in late summer of that year. A major course review was shutting down the course for over a year. As such, there was not a lot of maintenance going on for good reasons. So the fairways were similar to pavement in the parking lot so the ball got a good roll in the fairway. It will probably be the only time I land the green in two shots on the first hole (long par 5) of the course. I include this bit of history to illustrate that there have been many remakes of the golf course over the years to make it what it is today.

Beck’s Prime

A nice spot with great outdoor sitting and views of the course. If its on the cold side, there is a fire pit to make it comfortable. One piece of advice, don’t leave your food unattended outside. The birds really like the burgers and fries.

Beck’s Prime at Memorial Park golf course can be a destination to itself.

East Glades

The East Glades have become my favorite area of the park. It’s north of Memorial Drive with its own entrance and parking. The entrance is the most eastern entrance to the park at the traffic light. Lots of space for picnicking or for finding a quiet spot for a book read.

On the backside of the lake (west of lake) there are a series of boardwalk type trails winding behind the lake through the trees. Definitely take the time to meander around back there. There is a circular sitting area behind the lake with a pier to the right. Great spot for photos or just taking in the lake and surroundings.

The East Glades are a gem of Houston that more people are gradually becoming more familiar with. Check it out. Up there with Hermann Park for one of the best urban Houston picnic spots.

Mount Rushmore of Houston Part One – Memorial Park