The Yard at Barge 295: Houston’s Only Floating-Bar Concert Venue on Clear Lake (Seabrook Guide)

Down on Clear Lake in Seabrook — about 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston, near the Johnson Space Center — sits Barge 295, Texas’ only two-story floating bar and grill. Adjacent to the floating restaurant on the same property is The Yard, a roughly 1,000-capacity outdoor concert venue. It’s not a national-tour stop the way 713 Music Hall or Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion are. What it is, though, is one of the most distinctive concert experiences in the Houston metro: an open-air stage with the lake at your back, breezes off the water during evening shows, sunset over the marina, and a venue you can legitimately arrive at by boat. This guide covers the full picture — the venue’s history (including the 2024 hurricane sinking and 2025 rebuild), what plays here, getting there (including by boat), and the resale dynamics for a venue that’s smaller and more local than the rest of the Houston concert landscape.

Cross-references to the broader Houston Sports Venues Guide and the other major Houston-area concert venue deep-dives — Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 713 Music Hall, and Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land — sit alongside this one in the HTB venue series.

The basics in one minute

Item Detail
Property name Barge 295 (the floating bar/restaurant)
Concert venue name The Yard at Barge 295
Address 2613 ½ East NASA Parkway, Seabrook, TX 77586
Setting Outdoor, waterfront, on Clear Lake
Capacity (concerts) ~1,000
Distance from downtown Houston ~30 miles southeast (40–50 minutes off-peak)
Phone (venue) 281-549-7603
Phone (ticketing) (866) 848-8499
Pet friendly Yes
Boat-accessible Yes — guest boat parking at the dock

The unusual history

The “Barge 295” name is literal. The floating bar/restaurant is built on top of Brown & Root Barge #295 — an actual industrial work barge from Brown & Root (the engineering and construction giant) before owners Mike Robinson II, Brad Emel, and investor Michael Hessemer acquired the former Turtle Club property in February 2017 and converted the barge into Texas’ only two-story floating bar and grill.

The opening was rough timing: Barge 295 opened on October 1, 2017 — just days before Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. The restaurant survived the storm and built a steady following over the following years. The Yard, the adjacent ~1,000-capacity outdoor concert space on the same property, became a regular fixture for Texas country, singer-songwriter, and local acts.

Then in July 2024, Hurricane Beryl tore through the Houston area and caused the floating restaurant to sink into Clear Lake. What followed was a year-long rebuild. When Barge 295 reopened in mid-2025, the upgrades were substantial: a larger kitchen, an enhanced layout, climate-controlled flooring (the original wasn’t), and a brand-new dock with significantly expanded boat parking. The Yard concert programming resumed alongside the restaurant relaunch.

That sink-and-rebuild story is part of the venue’s identity now — it’s the local-business comeback narrative for a property that survived two major hurricanes inside seven years.

What plays here

The Yard’s booking slate is regional rather than national — this is not a stop for arena-tier tours. Most shows fall into one of these buckets:

  • Texas country and Americana — the primary booking category. Robert Earl Keen has played here, alongside other Texas singer-songwriter and country touring acts. The waterfront setting and casual atmosphere fit the genre’s vibe particularly well.
  • Local and regional touring artists — blues, folk, rock acts on regional tours that route through the Bay Area / Galveston region.
  • Special events — weddings, fundraisers, private corporate gatherings. The combination of restaurant, bar, dock, and outdoor concert space makes the property a popular event-rental venue.
  • Saltwater Revival Church — a non-traditional church that holds services on the property.
  • Community events — family programming, fundraisers for local causes, festivals.

The booking volume is naturally lower than the major touring venues, but for the right kind of show — Texas country, singer-songwriter, anything that benefits from an outdoor waterfront setting — The Yard offers an experience the bigger venues can’t match.

The venue experience

Layout

The Yard is a flat, outdoor concert area on the same property as the floating bar/restaurant. Capacity caps around 1,000. There’s a stage at one end, open standing area in front, and some reserved seating closer to the stage when the event uses VIP / reserved tiers. For most shows the experience is general-admission standing or casual seating, with the floating bar visible (and accessible) at the back of the property.

VIP / reserved seating

VIP seating is offered for select events — typically the bigger touring-artist nights. When VIP is sold:

  • Reserved spots closer to the stage
  • VIP holders must arrive at least 30 minutes before showtime to guarantee their seat (the venue won’t hold an unclaimed VIP seat after that window)

For most shows, though, the venue runs general admission — first-come arrangement of where you stand or sit.

The floating bar

The two-story Barge 295 itself is part of the experience. Pre-show or between sets, you can walk to the floating bar for full-service drinks, fresh Gulf seafood, and American food. The post-rebuild kitchen is larger than the original. The dock outside has expanded boat parking — guests legitimately arrive by boat. This is the only Houston-area concert venue where that’s a normal way to show up.

Outdoor weather considerations

The Yard is fully outdoor. Houston-area weather impacts every show:

  • Summer evenings: hot and humid, but the lake breeze helps significantly compared to inland venues. Sunset over the water is a feature, not a bug.
  • Spring and fall: the venue’s best seasons. Mild temperatures + lake atmosphere = great show experience.
  • Rain: can reschedule shows or push them to the covered floating-bar area depending on severity. Check the venue’s social media / direct phone line if weather looks questionable.
  • Winter: Limited programming — most concerts run March through October.

Getting there

Driving from Houston

Take I-45 South out of Houston, then exit toward NASA Bypass / NASA Parkway (Texas Spur 1). Follow NASA Parkway east — the venue is at 2613 ½ East NASA Parkway, on Clear Lake. The drive is roughly 30 miles from downtown, taking 40–50 minutes off-peak. Show-night traffic out of Houston can add 15–20 minutes; allow buffer for weekend evenings.

Parking

Onsite parking is available at the venue. For specific shows, reserved parking passes are sometimes sold through the venue’s ticketing channels (and occasionally listed on Vivid Seats). For parking pass info specific to your show, the ticketing line is (866) 848-8499.

By boat (the unique option)

Clear Lake is one of America’s largest recreational boating communities. The new dock added during the 2024-2025 rebuild gives Barge 295 expanded boat slips for guests. If you have a boat — or you’re staying at one of the nearby Clear Lake-area marinas with rental boats — you can legitimately tie up at the dock and walk into the venue. This is one of the few concert venues in the entire US where arriving by boat is a normal way to attend.

Rideshare

Uber and Lyft serve Seabrook. Pickup zones at the venue work normally for arrival and departure. Demand is much lower than at major Houston venues, so post-show pickup is faster than the typical 20-40 minute waits you’d get at NRG or Cynthia Woods Mitchell.

What to know before you go

Pet friendly

Bring your dog. Barge 295 is one of the rare concert venues that allows pets on the property. The casual outdoor setup makes this work in a way it doesn’t at indoor or stadium-tier venues.

Food and drinks

Full kitchen and bar service through Barge 295 itself — fresh Gulf seafood, American food, full bar. The post-rebuild kitchen is larger and operates throughout shows. No need to leave for food.

Age policy

Some shows are 21+ (especially for late-evening events). Check the specific event listing for age restrictions before buying.

Where to find the schedule

The Yard at Barge 295 doesn’t fully populate the major ticket marketplaces (Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster, StubHub) the way a major Live Nation venue does. Most events are booked and sold through the venue’s own channels:

For shows that DO appear on secondary marketplaces, listings tend to be sparse — this is a smaller-supply secondary market than the major Houston venues.

2026 schedule highlights

Recent and confirmed:

  • May 9, 2026 — Scotty Alexander (6:00 PM)

The venue’s full schedule rotates more dynamically than the larger Houston venues — most bookings are 1-night events for Texas-based or regional touring acts. For the current lineup, check thebarge295.com directly. Local events, fundraisers, and the Saltwater Revival Church Sunday services run alongside the ticketed concert programming.

Resale dynamics (broker view)

The Yard at Barge 295 is fundamentally a different resale market than the major Houston touring venues. A few things to know if you’re holding tickets you can’t use:

Most shows have minimal secondary-market activity. Local acts and regional touring shows mostly sell directly through the venue without enough demand spillover to fuel a robust secondary market. If your show isn’t a name-brand touring artist (Robert Earl Keen-tier or above), expect listings to sit longer and clear at face or below.

Big nights with national-tier acts move quickly. When a recognizable touring artist books The Yard, tickets typically sell out fast through the venue’s direct channels. Secondary-market supply stays low because retail demand absorbs most inventory before resale activity kicks in. If you’re holding seats for one of these shows, list close to event date when buyers who missed the initial sale are searching the secondary market.

VIP seats are limited and valuable. When VIP is offered, supply is small (a handful of reserved spots near the stage). On the secondary market these can carry meaningful premiums for the right show, but slow turnover means you should list early and patiently rather than expecting last-minute sales.

Weather risk is a factor. Outdoor venue + Houston-area weather = forecast rain on event day suppresses resale prices. Day-before and day-of weather check should inform your asking price.

Geographic buyer cluster: Resale buyers concentrate in the Bay Area / Clear Lake / Galveston / League City region rather than Houston-proper. The audience is local; reaching it through standard StubHub / SeatGeek geo-targeting works fine.

General admission shows have minimal resale. When the venue runs full GA standing rather than reserved seating, there’s less to differentiate on the secondary market. Most resale activity is for shows with reserved or VIP seating tiers.

How HTB helps Barge 295 sellers

If you have The Yard at Barge 295 inventory you can’t use — VIP seats, reserved seating for a sold-out show — Houston Ticket Brokers can multi-list across StubHub, SeatGeek, TickPick, AXS, Vivid Seats, and Ticketmaster simultaneously. There’s no upfront fee — 20% commission only when tickets actually sell. The Seller Confidence Guarantee covers the rare delivery-failure case.

Full details on the program: Houston Season Ticket Consignment. For broader Houston-area venue context, see the Houston Sports Venues Guide. For the larger touring concert venues in the metro, see the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion guide, the 713 Music Hall guide, and the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land guide.

Frequently asked questions

What’s The Yard at Barge 295?

The Yard is a roughly 1,000-capacity outdoor concert venue on the property of Barge 295, a two-story floating bar and grill on Clear Lake in Seabrook, Texas. The Yard is at 2613 ½ East NASA Parkway, Seabrook TX 77586, about 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston.

What’s the capacity of The Yard?

About 1,000 people in the outdoor concert configuration.

Is Barge 295 really on a barge?

Yes — it’s built on top of Brown & Root Barge #295, an industrial construction barge that was converted into a floating bar and grill in 2017. It’s billed as Texas’ only two-story floating bar.

Did Barge 295 sink in Hurricane Beryl?

Yes. In July 2024, Hurricane Beryl caused the floating restaurant to sink into Clear Lake. A year-long rebuild followed. The reopened venue (mid-2025) features a larger kitchen, enhanced layout, climate-controlled floors, and a new dock with expanded boat parking.

Can I really arrive by boat?

Yes. The new dock added during the 2024-2025 rebuild has expanded boat slips for guests. Clear Lake is one of America’s largest recreational boating communities, so this is a normal way for locals to attend shows. You can tie up at the dock and walk into the venue.

Where is The Yard at Barge 295?

2613 ½ East NASA Parkway, Seabrook, Texas 77586 — about 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston, near the Johnson Space Center.

Is The Yard at Barge 295 pet-friendly?

Yes. Barge 295 allows pets on the property — one of the few Houston-area concert venues that does. The casual outdoor setup makes it work.

What kind of music plays at The Yard?

Primarily Texas country, Americana, blues, singer-songwriter, and regional touring acts. Robert Earl Keen has played here. The booking slate is regional rather than national-tier — most shows are 1-night events for Texas-based or touring artists routing through the Bay Area / Galveston region.

Are there VIP seats at The Yard?

For select events, yes. When VIP is sold, holders get reserved spots closer to the stage. VIP holders must arrive at least 30 minutes before showtime to guarantee their seat — the venue won’t hold an unclaimed VIP spot after that window. Most shows run general admission rather than VIP.

Where do I find the current schedule?

The venue’s official site (thebarge295.com) and direct phone (281-549-7603) are the most reliable sources. The Yard doesn’t fully populate the major ticket marketplaces (Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster, StubHub) the way major Live Nation venues do — most bookings are sold directly through venue channels.

Is The Yard a 21+ venue?

Some shows are 21+; some allow all ages. Check the specific event listing for age restrictions before buying. The bar inside Barge 295 itself is 21+ for alcohol service per Texas law.

Can I sell my Yard at Barge 295 tickets through Houston Ticket Brokers?

Yes. HTB multi-lists across StubHub, SeatGeek, TickPick, AXS, Vivid Seats, and Ticketmaster, with no upfront fee — 20% commission only when tickets actually sell. The Seller Confidence Guarantee covers the rare delivery-failure case.