20 Houston Museums & Galleries, part I
- Barry Pickard
- Oct 29
- 9 min read
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Regardless of this, please be advised that all opinions expressed in this blog post are genuine and authentically my own.
Author: Barry Pickard
Hi, I'm Barry, the owner of Tailor-Made Itineraries and I have been designing bespoke self-guided tours for adventurous and curious travellers since 2015. I am a history graduate with a passion for travel.
I created this blog to show, through my own adventures, how you can have an incredible travel experience as an independent traveller, giving you the information to navigate the world with confidence.
Contents
Which American city surprises visitors most with its world-class museums and cultural attractions? After years of exploring Houston's incredible cultural landscape, I can tell you it's definitely H-Town – and I'm about to prove why this underrated destination deserves a spot on every culture lover's travel list.
The humid warmth hits you as tropical butterflies flutter past your shoulder in a three-story glass conservatory, while the metallic clink of 50,000 beer cans chimes like wind chimes from a suburban house that's become Houston's quirkiest folk-art masterpiece. Meanwhile, the reverent silence of viewing 750 crystallized gems gives way to the surprising discovery of a 1631 Bible that accidentally commands "Thou shalt commit adultery." These aren't your typical museum experiences – they're the wonderfully eclectic cultural adventures that define Houston's surprising artistic soul.
You've found the insider's guide you've been searching for. I'm Barry Pickard, and I've been designing bespoke self-guided tours since 2015, backed by a history degree and countless hours exploring Houston's cultural gems with my family. This isn't some generic museum roundup cobbled together from press releases – every single recommendation comes from my personal experiences navigating Houston's diverse cultural landscape, from figuring out the best parking spots to discovering which exhibits captivate both adults and kids.
Houston might be America's fourth-largest city, but it doesn't get the cultural recognition it deserves. With over 150 museums and galleries in the greater metropolitan area, the challenge isn't finding something to see – it's choosing from the incredible variety. As someone who understands the independent traveller's desire for authentic experiences over tourist traps, I know you want the real story behind Houston's cultural scene. What you're about to read represents years of discovery, from world-renowned art collections housed in stunning architecture to quirky neighbourhood gems that showcase Houston's creative spirit. I'll share the practical tips that only come from actually visiting these places repeatedly, the hidden details that transform a simple museum visit into an unforgettable experience, and the insider knowledge that'll help you navigate Houston's cultural treasures like a local rather than a tourist.
Don’t forget that Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if visiting any of these museums appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating the museums of Houston, or indeed, a general tour of H-Town.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
Located in Houston’s Museum District, The Houston Museum of Natural Science (abbreviated as HMNS) is a huge, captivating, science museum. The museum was established in 1909 and it can boast over two million visitors each year. The permanent exhibits at the museum includes the following: the Focualt Pendulum, demonstrating the Earth's rotation; the Cullen Hall of Gems & Minerals, featuring over 750 crystallized minerals and gemstones; the Lester and Sue Smith Gem Vault, showcasing finely cut gems in jewelry; the Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife which exhibits animals and wildlife native to Texas; the Evelyn and Herbert Frensley Hall of African Wildlife; the Strake Hall of Malacology, with many specimens of mollusks; as well as our favourite, the Morian Hall of Paleontology, containing over 60 major skeleton mounts.
Cockrell Butterfly Center
When visiting the Museum of Natural Science, we always make sure to also visit The Cockrell Butterfly Center, which is a butterfly zoo located within the same complex. The center is a huge three-story glass building, which is filled with tropical plants and butterflies. Also, part of the center is devoted to the Brown Hall of Entomology, which is filled with live creepy crawlies.
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The Menil Collection
The Menil Collection was the private art collection of John and Dominique de Menil, which they gathered from the 1940s to the late 1990’s. The original collection of 10,000 art works has almost doubled in the last twenty years since the de Menil’s passed away, creating a varied and eclectic gallery. The Collection includes the Arts of Africa, Arts of the Americas and Pacific Northwest, Arts of the Ancient World, Arts of the Pacific Islands, Medieval and Byzantine Art, the Menil Drawing Institute, Modern and Contemporary Art, Surrealism, and Witnesses.
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Bayou Bend is a house museum for American decorative arts and paintings. Displayed in the former home of Houston civic leader and philanthropist Ima Hogg (1882–1975), the collection is one of the finest showcases of American furnishings, silver, ceramics, and paintings in the world. Guided tours are available, which gives access to both floors of the house. If you miss one of the time slots, you can also conduct your own self-guided tour, but you will only be able to visit the rooms on the ground floor. The house is situated on 14 acres of well-maintained gardens and you can while away an enjoyable hour or so wandering around the greenery.
Beer Can House
Houston can boast of several quirky, one of a kind attractions, such as the Art Car Museum and the Orange Show, but the one weird museum that gets on our list is The Beer Can House. As the name suggests, this is a private house which was decorated in beer cans and has become a well-loved favourite in Houston. The house is in the middle of the normal and unremarkable residential neighborhood of Rice Military and was owned by John and Mary Milkovisch. Over 18 years, starting in 1968, John covered the outside of the house with flattened beer cans, adding touches such as the garlands of cut beer cans hanging from the roof edges. It is estimated that there may be over 50,000 cans adorning this house! John considered his work an enjoyable pastime rather than a work of art, but he did enjoy people's reaction to his creations. Self-guided tours of the inside of the house are available only on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon (and Wednesday to Friday during the summer months), but the outside of the house can be seen from the sidewalk at any time.
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
Most people have probably heard the term ‘Buffalo Soldier’, as sung by Bob Marley, but do you know to what it referred? Well, the 10th cavalry, an all African-American Army unit, was nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers by Cheyenne warriors in 1867 out of respect for their fierce fighting ability. Then, over time, the term Buffalo Soldier was applied to all African-American soldiers. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to these service men and women and tells the interesting and, at times, shocking story of the African-Americans who proudly served their country.
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Rienzi, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Rienzi, the MFAH house museum for European decorative arts, is situated on four acres of wooded gardens in the historic River Oaks neighborhood. Formerly the home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III, Rienzi was designed by prominent Houston architect John Staub in 1952. Opened to the public in 1999, Rienzi houses a substantial collection of European decorative arts, paintings, furnishings, porcelain, and miniatures.
Houston Police Museum
In the heart of Downtown, the Houston Police Museum is located in the lobby of HPD headquarters. This small, but interesting museum features unique displays and a memorial wall honoring the ultimate sacrifice made by those officers that gave their lives in the line of duty. Included among the displays are artifacts from the Honor Guard, SWAT, Mounted Patrol, badges, uniforms and other equipment utilized over the years. Because of its location, you will need to go through security to access the museum, so make sure that you have official identification such as your US Drivers Licence or your passport if you are a non-US visitor.
Cy Twombly Gallery
When visiting the Menil Collection, you should also visit the eponymous Cy Twombly Gallery, which was opened in 1995 across the road from its sister gallery. The works on view created by the highly influential artist Cy Twombly date from 1953 to 2004 and comprises many of his large-scale, freely-scribbled, calligraphic and graffiti-like works.
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The museums at the Houston Baptist University
The Houston Baptist University can boast of not one, but three great museums! The Dunham Bible Museum, the Museum of Southern History and the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts can all be found in the Morris Cultural Arts Center building.
The Dunham Bible Museum has an extensive collection of rare Bibles. On public display are ancient manuscripts; decoratively illuminated medieval Scriptures; examples of the earliest printed Bibles; the earliest Bibles in English; the earliest Bibles printed in America; Bible translations from across the centuries and around the world. For us, however, the most interesting Bible on display was the ‘Wicked Bible’ which was printed in 1631 and mistakenly omitted the word ‘not’ from one of the Commandments, so that it read “Thou shalt commit adultery”!
The Museum of Southern History chronicles the history of the South during the mid-1800's. The many cases and dioramas display the clothing, fine furnishings, uniforms, tools, and weapons of the people who settled in the region and how they rebuilt their lives after the Civil War.
The Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts display the social history and material culture of people settling in Texas between 1830 and 1930. The Museum provides a warm, intimate and friendly setting for the household furnishings and decorative arts which help the visitor appreciate the changes that occurred as Houston grew from a frontier settlement to a town.
Conclusion
Houston's museum scene reveals a city far more culturally rich and diverse than most people realize, with collections and experiences that rival any major American cultural destination. During our family's ongoing exploration of H-Town's cultural landscape, we've consistently been amazed by the range and quality of these institutions – from the world-class palaeontology exhibits at the Houston Museum of Natural Science to the intimate European decorative arts at Rienzi, and from the moving stories of Buffalo Soldiers to the whimsical folk art of the Beer Can House. What impressed me most was how Houston's museums reflect the city's character: innovative, diverse, and welcoming to all backgrounds. These aren't just places to escape Houston's heat on a summer afternoon; they're windows into the city's soul, showcasing everything from ancient artifacts to contemporary art, military history to natural wonders. For independent travellers seeking authentic cultural experiences, Houston proves that America's cultural treasures extend far beyond the usual suspects of New York, Washington, and Los Angeles.
Houston Hotels
If you are looking at downtown Houston hotels, you will find a wide selection to choose from, but they will tend to be on the expensive side. Two hotels that I have visited and can thoroughly recommend at the Hilton Americas-Houston and the Marriott Marquis Houston. They actually face each other across Discovery Green and are perfectly placed for the George R. Brown Convention Centre and all the highlights of downtown. However, if you are looking for a less expensive stay, you could look at the Cambria Hotel Houston Downtown Convention Center or the Holiday Inn Houston Downtown.
Perhaps you would rather stay nearer The Galleria, Houston's sprawling shopping centre. I stayed in the nearby Omni Houston Hotel and I would go back in a heartbeat. There are closer hotels, where you could easily walk the mall, and you could consider The Westin Oaks Houston at the Galleria and the Hyatt Regency Houston/Galleria.
Related Blog Posts
If you are interested in finding out what there is to see in and around Houston, Texas, please view the Tailor-Made Itineraries posts below:
Which Houston museum from this list has piqued your interest most – tell me in the comments which cultural gem you're planning to explore first!
Don’t forget that Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if visiting any of these museums appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating the museums of Houston, or indeed, a general tour of the city itself.
Tailor-Made Itineraries posts every two weeks, and you can subscribe to the latest blog and newsletter here. Until then, happy reading and safe travels.
Barry
Contact Me: tailoritineraries@gmail.com
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