Discovery Green
Discovery Green is a 12-acre park at 1500 McKinney Street in downtown Houston, with Jones Lawn holding up to 6,000 people and the Anheuser-Busch Stage up to 2,000. The METRORail Green and Purple Lines stop at Convention District right beside the park, which matters because busy event nights fill the surrounding garages early. Outside alcohol is not allowed in the park, and Southern Smoke checks ID at the gate.
Before you go
- Capacity
- Jones Lawn up to 6,000; Anheuser-Busch Stage up to 2,000; Grace Event Lawn up to 800; Lindsey Waterside Landing up to 750
- Indoor or outdoor
- Outdoor: event lawns and an amphitheater stage; Southern Smoke 2026 holds the George R. Brown Convention Center as its rain backup
- Official site
- discoverygreen.com
- Next festival here
- Southern Smoke Festival, Oct 3, 2026
Worth knowing before you go
- The Avenida Central Garage is closed for construction; use the Avenida North Garage or the 1515 Rusk Street lot, and expect both to fill early on event nights.
- Outside alcoholic drinks are prohibited by park rules, and Southern Smoke checks ID.
- The restrooms open at 9am and close at 11pm, even on summer nights when the park stays open to midnight.
- A valid disability placard or veteran plate lets you use regular metered parking without paying where no other restriction is posted.
- Southern Smoke 2026 moves inside to the George R. Brown Convention Center if it rains.
Festivals here
Venue basics: Garages fill early on event nights · METRORail stop beside the park · Wheelchair accessible: ramps and wide sidewalks.
Is it for you
Choose it if
- You want a downtown festival you can reach by light rail with the train stop beside the gate.
- You want a park-sized crowd: the biggest lawn holds 6,000, not tens of thousands.
- You need ramps, wide sidewalks and accessible event seating.
Think twice if
- You are hoping to bring your own drinks: outside alcohol is not allowed.
- You are planning to camp: we don't yet have confirmed information about camping here.
- You are bringing young children to Southern Smoke: it is a ticketed, ID-checked food and alcohol event.
Getting there and parking
The park is at 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010. There is metered street parking, surface lots and garages around the perimeter, and while the Avenida Central Garage is closed for construction the park recommends the Avenida North Garage at 701 Avenida de las Americas and the surface parking at 1515 Rusk Street. Rates vary and busy event nights fill early.
The METRORail Green and Purple Lines serve the Convention District stop beside the park. BCycle stations are at Lamar and Crawford and at McKinney and Crawford, and bike routes connect to the downtown trails.
The park is generally open daily from 6am to 11pm, with summer hours sometimes running to midnight, and the restrooms are open 9am to 11pm. Access to the park is free; events, amplified sound and food and drink sales run under park permits, so event closures and access vary.
Accessibility
The park is wheelchair accessible, with ramps, wide sidewalks and an elevator in the parking lot, and the operator provides event seating for visitors with disabilities and subtitles at its movie screenings. If you have a valid disability placard or veteran plate you can use regular metered parking without paying where no other posted restriction applies.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (discoverygreen.com).
Camping
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at Discovery Green. The venue's own pages are the place to check: discoverygreen.com.
Food, water and what you can bring
The park has two restaurants or food outlets of its own. Outside alcoholic drinks are prohibited by park rules, and any beer, wine or spirits served in the park runs under a temporary Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission permit.
Festival-specific · Southern SmokeSouthern Smoke 2026 lists its own vodka, beer and non-alcoholic beer partners and checks ID.
Recently at Discovery Green
Fantastic Animals: Alebrijes and Nahuales
From the venue · Sep 20, 2026
México en el Corazón 2026
From the venue · Sep 16, 2026
Wildlife in Kinder Lake at Discovery Green
From the venue · Aug 31, 2026
Southern Smoke Festival
Quick answers
Where do you park at Discovery Green?
In the Avenida North Garage at 701 Avenida de las Americas or the 1515 Rusk Street surface lot while the Avenida Central Garage is closed for construction, or at metered street parking around the perimeter. Rates vary and event nights fill early.
Can I get to Discovery Green by train?
Yes. The METRORail Green and Purple Lines stop at Convention District, right beside the park.
Is Discovery Green wheelchair accessible?
Yes. There are ramps, wide sidewalks and a parking-lot elevator, and the operator provides event seating for visitors with disabilities.
Can I bring my own alcohol to Discovery Green?
No. Outside alcoholic drinks are prohibited by park rules. Southern Smoke serves drinks through its own bars and checks ID.
What time does Discovery Green open?
Generally 6am to 11pm daily, with summer hours sometimes running to midnight. Restrooms are open 9am to 11pm.
Can I camp at Discovery Green?
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at Discovery Green. The venue's own pages at discoverygreen.com are the place to check.
When is Southern Smoke 2026 at Discovery Green?
October 3, 2026, from 4pm to 8pm for general admission and from 3pm for VIP. If the weather turns, the George R. Brown Convention Center is the rain contingency.
A little history
Discovery Green opened to the public in April 2008 on what had been parking lots. Southern Smoke's Houston editions run from October 11, 2015, and later years have been at Discovery Green.
Southern Smoke 2026 is set for October 3, 2026, 4pm to 8pm for general admission and from 3pm for VIP, with the George R. Brown Convention Center held as the rain contingency rather than a change of venue.