Huntsville (Texas)

Huntsville is a small city of about 45,000 residents, located in Walker County, part of the Piney Woods region of Texas. Huntsville is famous as the home of Texas hero, General Sam Houston with an enormous statue of Sam Houston next to Interstate 45, it's famous as a prison town, and is also home to Sam Houston State University. == Understand == Huntsville is most famous for its prison facilitiesː the most hard-core criminals in Texas get sent to Huntsville. Huntsville is very much a "company town", with several prison facilities within the city limits (including the Huntsville Unit, home of Texas's "Death Row"), as well as headquarters for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (the only state agency not headquartered in Austin). More than 12% of Huntsville's population is directly employed in the field of criminal corrections. Sam Houston State University is the town's second biggest employer. The university is home to about 20,000 students. According to US News, the most popular fields of study are Homeland Security and Law Enforcement. == Get in == Huntsville is about 60-90 minutes north of Houston or about 2-1/2 hours south of Dallas on Interstate 45. === By bus === Greyhound buses leave Houston's main bus station for Huntsville about every 2 hours. A ticket to Huntsville will cost $30-35. Buses head south from Dallas about every 2 hours and a ticket to Huntsville will cost $25-35. In Huntsville, the Greyhound station is at 1000 12th St., just 3 blocks from the prison system's Huntsville Unit. === By plane === Private planes can use Bruce Bros Huntsville Regional Airport (HTV IATA, LIDː UST). Located 2 miles northwest of town. == Get around == Many travelers to Huntsville get around in the back seat of a police car or in a prison transit bus. If you're coming to Huntsville voluntarily, you'll probably be more comfortable driving your own car. Uber is available, but there is no public transit bus service. == See == The historic downtown area is a lively area with quaint shops, some good places to eat, and a small town square near the city hall where evening concerts are frequently held during summer months. Sam Houston's grave, corner of 9th St and I Ave, at front of Oakwood Cemetery. 1 Sam Houston Memorial Museum, 1836 Sam Houston Ave, ☏ +1 936-294-1832. Museum and historical grounds for the Texan patriarch, including the Woodland Home and Steamboat House where he spent his final years, and a blacksmith shop and other buildings. $5 museum admission, grounds free. (updated Mar 2021) 2 Sam Houston Woodland Home. Dog-run log cabin Sam Houston built and lived in while first senator of the State of Texas, circa 1846. 3 Texas Prison Museum, 491 Hwy 75 N, ☏ +1 936 295-2155. An interesting, if whitewashed, view of life and death behind bars in Texas. History of criminal correction in Texas with artifacts and documents describing life in "the big house". (updated Sep 2018) HEARTS Veterans Museum of Texas, 463 TX-75 (next to Texas DPS at juncture of I-45 and TX-75 so maybe find a different place to speed), ☏ +1 936-295-5959. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Memorial to armed forces servicemenbers with lots of military vehicles/aircraft. $8 museum admission for adults, $3 students. == Do == 1 Huntsville State Park, 565 Park Rd 40 W, ☏ +1 936-295-5644. 6AM-10PM, daily. Densely wooded park with shady campsites, picnic areas, a lake with fishing and canoe rentals, and a horse riding stable with horses for hire for guided trail rides. RV sites available. (updated Feb 2023) Sam Houston Bearkats. NCAA Division I teams of Sam Houston State University, competing in 7 men's and 10 women's sports. In 2023, the Bearkats left the Western Athletic Conference for Conference USA, in the process upgrading the football team from the second tier of D-I football, FCS, to the top-level FBS. As with most large colleges, football and basketball are the hot-button sports on campus. (updated Jul 2023) 2 Lone Star Hiking Trail. This 96-mile hiking trail connects various tracts of the Sam Houston National Forest. A part of the trail connects to Huntsville State Park. Access in Huntsville is via Trailhead #7, on the I-45 feeder lanes, south of town. This is an excellent place for backpacking and for nature watching. Bring food and water, there are usually no facilities other than parking lots at the trailheads. (updated Feb 2023) == Buy == There are some antique shops and cute boutiques in the historic downtown area, near the city hall at 11th Street and University Drive. == Eat == 1 Farmhouse Cafe & Bakery, 1004 14th St, ☏ +1 936-435-1450, farmhousecafe@me.com. Daily 10:30AM - 8:00PM. Texas-style comfort food. $15. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Humphrey's, 1930 Sam Houston Ave, ☏ +1 936 439-0664. 11AM - Midnight. Casual hangout place with tacos, burgers, pizza. Located near SHSU campus. (updated Feb 2023) 3 Potato Shack, 1229 Josey St, ☏ +1 936 291-7783. 11AM-8PM (til 10PM on Friday, Saturday). Hip casual eatery featuring loaded baked potatoes including some unusual toppings and combinations. (updated Feb 2023) 4 1836 Steakhouse, 2641 11th St, ☏ +1 936 755 8150. Tu-Sa 4:30PM - 10:00PM, closed Su-M. Upscale restaurant in an historic home. Steaks and other grilled meats are the main attraction. Large cocktails and a tempting assortment of desserts. $75. (updated Jul 2025) 5 Sam's Table and Gray Horse Tavern, 1115 University Ave, ☏ +1 936 439 6376. M-Sa 11:00AM - 9:00PM, Su 11:00AM - 4:30PM. Cozy dining room with a lively bar in the next room. Food is typical American cuisine with several sandwiches, chicken, salad, and oddly enough, a smattering of Costa Rican dishes, so you can get your chicken fried steak with a side of fried plaintains or gallo pinto. M$30. (updated Jul 2025) == Drink == 12th St Bar, 1024 12th St, ☏ +1 936-755-8089. (updated Mar 2021) == Sleep == 1 Sam Houston University Hotel, 1610 Bobby K Marks, ☏ +1 936-291-2151, SHSUhotel@shsu.edu. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Moderate hotel operated by the university and staffed by students. Convenient to campus but better quality amenities can be found at commercial hotels near the interstate. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Best Western Huntsville Inn & Suites, 201 W Hill Park Circle, ☏ +1 936-295-9000. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Moderate hotel. Outdoor pool, breakfast and WiFi included. Pets allowed (extra fee). $75. (updated Jul 2025) 3 Sam Houston Inn, 112 I-45 (northbound feeder lanes), ☏ +1 936 295 6401. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Well-maintained moderate motel-style inn with basic but clean rooms. Outdoor swimming pool available. $60. (updated Jul 2025) == Go next == Houston Dallas Beaumont