Bus to Huntsville

Huntsville sits in the Piney Woods region of east Texas, the seat of Walker County and home to Sam Houston State University and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice headquarters. It's a working east-Texas city of about 45,000 with a deep history that runs through Sam Houston (the first president of the Republic of Texas, who lived in Huntsville and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery), the long Texas prison system that has its administrative centre in the city, and a downtown rebuilt around the central historic Houston Square. The bus to Huntsville drops you in central downtown at the Surplus Store stop on 12th Street, with the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, the central Sam Houston statue (the 67-foot statue of Sam Houston visible from Interstate 45) and Sam Houston State University reachable by short rideshare. People come for the Sam Houston Memorial Museum (containing the actual cabin where Houston wrote his memoirs and lived in his last years), for the 67-foot Sam Houston statue, for Huntsville State Park and the surrounding Piney Woods, for the Texas Prison Museum, and for an unhurried east-Texas weekend. A Huntsville bus ticket lands you a short rideshare from the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.

Greyhound stops in Huntsville

Huntsville has one Greyhound stop: the Surplus Store at 1000 12th Street, in the central downtown. As a working terminal location the building has the basic amenities you'd expect for a smaller-city stop; plan to arrive in good time so you can find your platform and get checked in.

The 12th Street location sits in the central downtown grid, putting you within a short walk or rideshare of the Sam Houston State University campus, the central historic Houston Square and the surrounding restaurant scene. The Sam Houston Memorial Museum is a short rideshare west.

If you're being met, the parking lot is straightforward and rideshare drivers know the location. The most useful first move after arrival is a walk into the central historic Houston Square or a rideshare to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. Have your ticket ready on your phone or printed for boarding.

Getting around Huntsville after your bus to Huntsville arrives

Huntsville's central historic downtown is exceptionally compact. From the Surplus Store stop, the central Houston Square, the historic Walker County Courthouse and the central restaurants are within a comfortable walk. Sam Houston State University is a short walk or rideshare south.

The city does not run a comprehensive public-transport network, so most travellers find rideshare and short walks the practical option for moving around. Rideshare runs across the central area.

For Sam Houston Memorial Museum (about a mile west of central downtown), the Sam Houston statue (visible from I-45 just south of the city), the Texas Prison Museum (on I-45 south of the city), Huntsville State Park (about 6 miles southwest) and the surrounding Sam Houston National Forest — a rental car or rideshare is the practical option. Cycling is also viable on the central downtown grid and the surrounding Sam Houston State University campus.

Top things to do in Huntsville

• The Sam Houston Memorial Museum, on the Sam Houston State University campus, containing the actual Steamboat House (the working cabin where Sam Houston spent his final years and died in July 1863), Houston's law office, the Wigwam (the original Houston home), original family possessions, the original Houston rifle and a deep collection of personal effects. The museum traces Houston's life from his Tennessee youth through the Texas Revolution, his presidency of the Republic of Texas and his final years opposing secession.
• The 67-foot Sam Houston Statue ("A Tribute to Courage"), on Interstate 45 just south of central Huntsville — David Adickes's 1994 sculpture is visible from miles away on the interstate and has a small visitor centre at the base.
• The Texas Prison Museum, on I-45 south of central downtown, with strong galleries on the long history of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (which has its central administrative headquarters in Huntsville), the working Texas execution chamber's Old Sparky electric chair (decommissioned in 1964) and the surrounding prison-system history.
• The Sam Houston State University campus, on the south side of central historic downtown, with the central walking grounds, the Belk Library and the Bearkat athletics programme.
• The historic Walker County Courthouse, the central historic courthouse anchoring the downtown Houston Square, restored and worth a walk around.
• Houston Square, the central downtown plaza in central historic Huntsville, with restored late-19th and early-20th-century brick commercial buildings, restaurants, antique shops and the steady year-round commercial life.
• Huntsville State Park, about 6 miles southwest of central Huntsville, with the lake recreation, hiking trails through restored Piney Woods forest and the historic CCC-built lodge.
• Oakwood Cemetery, on the east side of the city, where Sam Houston is buried — the Houston gravesite is on the central cemetery grounds and is open to visitors.
• The Sam Houston State University Bearkats football and basketball, with home games at Bowers Stadium and the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on campus.
• The Sam Houston National Forest, surrounding the city with hiking trails, the Lone Star Hiking Trail (the long trail running through the forest) and the east-Texas Piney Woods landscape.
• The historic Adickes Sculpturworx Studio in nearby Houston, where the working sculptor David Adickes (creator of the 67-foot Sam Houston statue) maintains his studio with a sculpture collection.
• The Walker County Historical Commission's surrounding historic homes, with seasonal heritage tours of the restored homes of Huntsville's historic district.
• Lake Conroe, southwest of Huntsville, with the lake recreation and the surrounding water-sports calendar.

Best time to visit Huntsville

Spring and autumn are the windows. From late March through May the dogwoods, redbuds and Texas wildflowers come in across the Piney Woods, Huntsville State Park opens to a full season and the temperature sits in a pleasant range for walking. The annual General Sam Houston Folk Festival in May pulls a regional crowd to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.

October and November bring the east Texas fall — colour through the surrounding pine and hardwood forest (Piney Woods has a longer fall colour window than the Hill Country, with hardwoods turning while the pines stay green), comfortable walking weather and the Sam Houston State University football season at Bowers Stadium.

Summer is hot and humid, with afternoons regularly above 90°F and high humidity through the day. The shaded Sam Houston State campus and the surrounding pine-covered country provide some relief; Huntsville State Park's lake is the summer escape. Plan walking and outdoor sightseeing for early morning, lean into the air-conditioned Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Texas Prison Museum in the afternoon, and respect the late-day thunderstorms when they roll in.

Winter is mild by Northern standards but real. Daytime temperatures sit in the 50s and 60s through January and February, with occasional cold snaps and the rare ice event. The Sam Houston Memorial Museum, the Texas Prison Museum and the long-running Houston Square restaurants all stay full pace, and a quiet weekday afternoon at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum is genuinely worth having.

Huntsville's identity runs through Sam Houston more than any other thread — the first president of the Republic of Texas lived here, wrote his memoirs in the Steamboat House on the Sam Houston Memorial Museum grounds, opposed Texan secession from the Union despite enormous political pressure (and was removed from the governorship for it in March 1861) and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery. Walk the Sam Houston Memorial Museum grounds on a quiet weekday morning, with the preserved cabins and the surrounding Piney Woods the same kind of country Houston knew, and the layers of Texas Revolution, Texas presidency, Civil War-era political resistance and personal complexity all come through more directly than the indoor exhibits suggest. Use the search bar on this page to check schedules and book bus tickets to Huntsville when your dates are firm.

Planning Your Greyhound Bus Trip to Huntsville?

You're in the right place! Get all the details you need to arrange your bus journey to Huntsville! You can board the Greyhound at Huntsville (Surplus Store). You can easily find the location of the stop(s) on the map available on this page. Traveling to or departing from Huntsville can cost you as little as $17.98. If you're on the hunt for a cheap ticket to Huntsville, remember to book early. Traveling on weekdays or during non-peak hours can also lead you to some of the most budget-friendly fares available! With 6 destinations linked to Huntsville, Greyhound provides you with multiple options for planning your bus trip.

Why travel to Huntsville with Greyhound

When you choose Greyhound, you're promised a comfy seat and free Wi-Fi throughout your journey. Stay connected and entertained while we safely drive you to your destination! Enjoy a comfy bus trip to Huntsville with our onboard facilities like free Wi-Fi and power outlets. Choose your favorite seat while booking and travel with peace of mind rest easy knowing your ticket covers one carry-on and one checked bag.

How to book your bus ticket to Huntsville

Booking a ticket with Greyhound is a breeze: on this website or on the free Greyhound App, you can complete your booking in a few clicks. When purchasing your ticket to Huntsville online, you can choose between different secured online payment methods, such as credit and debit cards. Alternatively, you can pay in cash at a sales point.