Celebrating 100 Years of Yates

 

Join the Jack Yates High School Alumni Tour – Celebrate Legacy, Leadership, and Community!

Step into the rich history of one of Houston’s most iconic institutions with our Jack Yates High School Alumni Tour Special. Held on the first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, this guided Black Historical House Tour experience honors the legacy of Reverend John Henry “Jack” Yates and the generations of students who’ve walked the halls of this historic school.

🕰️ Tour Info Schedule & Pricing

  • First Saturdays of the Month: 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM

  • Special Admission: $12 per person (normally $17 per ticket)

  • Note: Tours are not available in June and will be closed on July 4th

  • Explore the following three houses that are designated by UNESCO as Sites of Memory for their “Routes of Enslaved Peoples’ Project” - 1847 Kellum-Noble House; 1866 Fourth Ward Cottage; and 1870 Yates House. “Sites of Memory,” or “Sites of Conscience” are historic places that activate the power of memory to engage the public in a deeper understanding of the past, inspiring action to shape a more just future. These sites break the silence surrounding slavery and place the tragedy into our universal memory. It is only through dialogue that we can have peace and reconciliation. We have a duty to remember the crimes committed against humanity by our ancestors, especially as we see the return of prejudice and discrimination today.

🎓 About Jack Yates High School Founded in 1926, Jack Yates High School was Houston’s second high school for Black students, created to relieve overcrowding at the original Colored High School. Named after Reverend Jack Yates, a prominent minister and civic leader in Houston’s Fourth Ward, the school has long been a beacon of education, empowerment, and pride in the Third Ward community.

Originally located at 2610 Elgin Street, the school moved to its current location at 3650 Alabama Street in 1958. Over the decades, Yates has produced generations of leaders, artists, athletes, and scholars, all shaped by the school’s enduring motto: “Character and Achievement.”

🎁 Alumni Discount for Elevated Tour Are you a proud Yates alum? Use the code “Yates” to receive $5 off any Visit Houston Tour booking. “From Plantation to Emancipation – The Freedom Experience” is a Visit Houston Signature Experience for the Soul. These tours bring history to life with actress and singer Kijana Wiseman who portrays a grieving mother at a plantation to emancipation as Jack Yates’ wife. More information about the tour HERE. It’s our way of saying thank you for continuing the legacy.

📍 Location Tours begin at the Heritage Society, located in the heart of Houston at 1100 Bagby Street. Free parking is located at 212 Dallas Street.

Come reconnect with your roots, celebrate the achievements of fellow Lions, and explore the powerful story of Jack Yates High School.

🖤 Black History Tours for Groups For groups of 10 or more, we offer Black History Tours Tuesday through Friday at:

  • 10:00 AM

  • 11:30 AM

  • 1:00 PM

  • 2:30 PM

To schedule a group tour, please contact our Tours Manager at Tours@heritagesociety.org.Let’s honor the past and inspire the future—one tour at a time.