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All the United States Texas Houston The Big Bubble
The Big Bubble is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

AO Edited

The Big Bubble

There is an unmarked red button hidden over Houston's Buffalo Bayou that is just begging to pushed...

Houston, Texas

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Emily
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The Big Bubble   houstontx.gov
Big Red Button  
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Big Red   ZackBG3 / Atlas Obscura User
The button.   keljvon / Atlas Obscura User
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About

You rarely find an inviting BRB (Big Red Button) just sitting out in the world, with no warning signs, and no indication as to its purpose. Yet hidden in a shallow niche on Houston's Preston Street Bridge is just such an enigma. Go ahead and press it. 

The button is part of an ecological art installation that helps keep the bayou below the bridge from becoming a bog of eternal stench by, well... making it look like the Bog of Eternal Stench. Any passerby on the bridge is free to press the button and when they do so, the waters below will begin to bubble and churn as though they have accidentally raised some unholy bog creature. They have just made the bayou a bit less evil.

To keep the waters of the bayou from becoming vile and stagnant, they need to be stirred up and oxygenated. To this end, the Big Bubble was created in 1998 by artist Dean Ruck as both an intentionally mysterious bit of public art, and as an environmentally helpful bit of infrastructure. When the button is pushed, a blast of oxygen is released underwater, creating a roiling bubble just off the side of the bridge. It keeps the water from becoming still and flat, as well as being pretty entertaining.

Of course, not everyone is bold enough to go around pushing mystery buttons, so the Big Bubble is triggered automatically throughout the day. Passersby who wantonly press the button are simply keeping the bayou even more healthy.    

Update April 2019: It is currently not accessible. 

Update August 2021: The button is currently accessible, but it doesn't seem to be working. 

Update June 2024: The underwater infrastructure was destroyed by the floods from Hurricane Harvey. There seems to be no interest in rebuilding it.

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Hidden Art Water

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All that remains is a curious red button on the Preston Street Bridge. The infrastructure was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.

Community Contributors

Added By

threlkelded

Edited By

keljvon, michaelcwhitt, PopRainbowOrc, tom c9fe5e42...

  • keljvon
  • michaelcwhitt
  • PopRainbowOrc
  • tom c9fe5e42
  • EricGrundhauser
  • ZackBG3
  • Fred Cherrygarden
  • Tom Green

Published

April 9, 2015

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Sources
  • https://www.houstoniamag.com/news-and-city-life/2024/02/the-big-bubble-broken
  • http://www.houstontx.gov/civicart/Big-Bubble
  • http://www.bigkidsmallcity.com/2013/01/burping-the-buffalo-bayou-the-big-bubble-in-the-bayou-the-mysterious-red-button-on-the-preston-street-bridge/
  • http://cultivatehouston.com/2013/06/17/the-big-bubble-burping-in-the-bayou/
The Big Bubble
515 Preston Street
Houston, Texas
United States
29.764202, -95.365793
Get Directions

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