The Union Station lobby at the Astros' ballpark in downtown Houston

The Astros’ ballpark grew out of Houston’s old Union Station

ByRenée Castellano

Photo: Brian Reading, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Houston’s Union Station opened in 1911, designed by Warren and Wetmore, the New York firm that later designed Grand Central Terminal. It was the main rail station for the city for decades, handling passenger trains of several railroads. Passenger service declined after World War II, and the station closed in the 1970s.

The ballpark

In the late 1990s, Harris County and the Astros built a new ballpark on the site, using Union Station as its main entrance and lobby. The ballpark opened in 2000 as Enron Field, with a retractable roof and a full-size replica locomotive running on a track above left field after home runs.

After Enron collapsed in 2001, the team bought back the naming rights. The park was renamed Minute Maid Park in 2002, and in 2025 it became Daikin Park under a new naming deal.

Effects on downtown

The ballpark brought crowds to the east side of downtown, an area of warehouses and parking lots. Restaurants and bars opened nearby, and the area east of the ballpark, now called EaDo, has filled with apartments and businesses. The George R. Brown Convention Center, Discovery Green and the Toyota Center, home of the Rockets, are nearby.

Winning seasons

The Astros won the World Series in 2017 and 2022, bringing huge crowds to the area. The team’s success has made the ballpark a key part of downtown life.

Union Station’s restored lobby remains the main entrance, with shops, a restaurant and offices for the team.

More in Business