Cistern Illuminated Takes Visitors on Luminous Journey Through Light and Sound at Buffalo Bayou Cistern
On View Through January 18, 2026
Enjoy Multiple Events at Buffalo Bayou Cistern Throughout December and January
Take a luminous journey through light and sound this holiday season with Cistern Illuminated. This multi-sensory art experience transforms the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern into a transcendent spectacle of color, echo, and optical illusion.
Designed by artist/engineer Kelly O’Brien, Cistern Illuminated complements and enhances the unique acoustic and reflective qualities of this infrastructural relic with vivid, shifting hues of light and an ethereal soundscape.
Enjoy the festive “Smoke on the Water” beverage provided by Volando Coffee while there. This special drink will be available for the duration of Cistern Illuminated.
Get Tickets here.
Experience live performances in the cavernous Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
Ars Lyrica presents Ring in the Peace, a 20-minute multi-cultural musical journey from the ninth century onward curated by Mexican-born mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte and Spanish-born percussionist Jesús Pacheco. Ring in the Peace offers listeners a new, memorable musical experience that fosters reflection and a sense of unity with one’s communities, both locally and across the world.
Performance times: 7pm, 7:45pm, and 8:30pm; Tickets: $25/person (ages 9 and up).
2025/26 Dates:
- Monday, December 8
- Monday, December 15
- Tuesday, December 16
- Thursday, December 18
- Friday, December 19
- Monday, December 22
- Monday, December 29
- Tuesday, January 6
- Thursday, January 8
- Friday, January 9
Cistern Programming
Sound Healing Meditation: Practice meditation in the Cistern, led by Union is Creation. Singing bowls and wind chimes encourage mindfulness and connectivity in this unique acoustic space. Guests may bring their own cushions or mats.
Light and Sound Immersion Meditation in the Cistern: A restorative evening sound healing meditation set, led by Union is Creation while shifting light patterns by Kelly O’Brien of Fenris create a serene, dreamlike atmosphere. This unique experience invites deep relaxation, inner stillness, and a heightened connection to the senses. Guests may bring their own cushions or mats. Learn more.
Cistern history tours: Learn about the history and architecture of this unique underground space on this fully guided tour.
Private History/Experiential Cistern tours: Opportunity for a unique group outing! Book a private Cistern tour for up to 30 people. Schedule based on availability. Private tours are not available on the first Thursday of each month.
About the Cistern
The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern is a former drinking water reservoir built in 1926 for the City of Houston. BBP restored and repurposed the 87,500-square-foot Cistern into a magnificent public space for tours, performances, and art installations.
In 2010, Buffalo Bayou Partnership rediscovered the largely forgotten site while developing Buffalo Bayou Park. Recognizing its historical and architectural significance, BBP retained the Houston-based architecture and engineering firm Page to restore and repurpose the Cistern into the magnificent public space it is today. Additions include a ground-level passageway to allow for easy entrance into the Cistern and updated the shelf on the perimeter of the space to create a six-foot-wide, ADA-compliant walkway with guardrails.
Photos: V. Sweeten