Unveiling the Houston Museum District: A guide to art and culture

Image by Todd Spoth/Texas Monthly

Houston boasts a special cultural destination that is perfect for hosting millions of visitors every year. With plenty to see and do, people can keep themselves busy for a full day. They might even need a little bit more time for visiting the Houston Museum District's many cultural exhibits and museums.

According to the Houston Museum District website, it is "one of the most highly concentrated cultural areas in the world."

The Houston Museum District is home to 19 world-class museums, a beautiful park, the second most-visited zoo in the country and an outdoor theater.

Asia Society Texas

The Asia Society Texas Center opened in 2012 and is the only U.S. branch of Asia Society other than the New York headquarters that has its own building. As an educational institution, it honors the diversity of Asia by encouraging empathy and fostering a clearer understanding of our interconnected world.

It consists of a flexible conference and classroom space, an art gallery and a theater seating 273 guests.

Check out their page by clicking here.

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum

This historic museum is the only institution in the U.S. primarily focused on preserving the legacy and honor of the African American soldier. It also seeks to interpret and preserve historical documents, artifacts, videos, prints and other memorabilia that chronicle the history of the brave African American men and women who overcame adversity while gallantly fighting the great American wars.

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Children's Museum Houston

The Children's Museum in Houston provides an innovated, child-centered experience. In other words, it is often referred to as a "playground for your mind" because the museum provides adults and children with interactive activities that spark curiosity and offer valuable learning opportunities.

Highlights of the Children's Museum of Houston include:

• Kidtropolis, U.S.A.: an interactive town teaching kids the fundamentals of economics, government and how city life is like. Activities include electing a mayor, applying for a job and using a paycheck for everyday expenses.

• FlowWorks: an outdoor exhibit teaching visitors about water with geysers, whirlpools, wave machines and turbines, to name a few.

• EcoStation: learn ecology through native plants, composting, worm digging and sustainable smarts.

• How Does it Work?: a hands-on exhibit teaching about the mechanics of everyday objects, such as flushing a toilet or turning on a light switch.

Check out their page by clicking here.

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Founded in 1948, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is internationally known for showcasing significant international, regional and national works by artists who are considered the most important of the 20th and 21st centuries. According to its website, the CAMH's mission is "to present extraordinary, thought-provoking arts programming and exhibitions to educate and inspire audiences nationally and internationally."

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Czech Center Museum Houston

The Czech Center Museum in Houston is dedicated to rich culture and abundance of the Slovak and Czech lands, including Bohemia, Slovakia, Moravia and Silesia. Exhibits consists of over 1,200 pieces of porcelain, glass, pottery, jewelry, antique furniture, fine art and folk costumes. The center also offers visitors language classes, concerts, lectures and even an ecumenical chapel.

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DiverseWorks

This non-profit organization presents new multidisciplinary arts through collaborations with communities and artists. In other words, it is dedicated to presenting bold and innovative art, especially in the visual, performing and literary fields. While DiverseWorks presents works and exhibitions at MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston), it also presents projects and performances in site-specific and unconventional locations in Greater Houston.

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The Health Museum

This museum provides visitors with a sense of wonder and curiosity about health, focusing on medical science and the human body. It also hosts interactive exhibits, such as the Amazing Body Gallery and MindWorks, that allows visitors to engage with science and health in a fun way. Unique and educational hands-on workshops and experiments are also offered at the Health Museum.

Check out their page by clicking here.

Holocaust Museum Houston

The Holocaust Museum in Houston is dedicated to remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims of the Holocaust. Furthermore, it pays tribute the survivors, as well as educate visitors about the risks and dangers of prejudice and hatred through lessons of other genocides besides the Holocaust.

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Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

The HCCC is among the rare venues in the country that is dedicated exclusively to craft at the highest level possible, allowing artists to push the boundaries of their creativity. All in all, the sky is the limit! Visitors have the opportunity to tour the studios of working artists and take a look at thought-provoking exhibitions that showcase art made from various forms of media, such as clay, metal, glass, wood and repurposed materials, among others.

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Houston Center for Photography

Always free and open to the public, this museum is among the few non-profit spaces in the country dedicated to exhibiting works by contemporary photographers. It is home to an on-site library containing over 2,500 books on photography and offering year-round exhibitions in its gallery space. In addition, classes and workshops are available in a variety of student skill levels and are taught by renowned photographers and lecturers.

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Houston Museum of African American Culture

The HMAAC is dedicated to preserving African American art, history and culture, as well as engage visitors of every race with pressing issues of our time. It also explores stories of empowerment, opportunity, cultural interrelationships and innovation.

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Houston Museum of Natural Science

The museum consists of five floors of permanent exhibitions covering astronomy, Native American culture, chemistry, energy, paleontology, geology, seashells and Texas wildlife. Special exhibitions come to the museum on a rotating basis, hence the name. HMNS also houses the Cockrell Butterfly Center, the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre (formerly Wortham IMAX Theatre) and the Burke Baker Planetarium.

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Houston Zoo

Expanding 55 acres at Hermann Park, this zoo is home to approximately 600 species and 6,000 animals from around the globe. Visitors are encouraged to explore the world, from the Galapagos Islands to South America's Pantanal and beyond. This experience also fosters connections between communities with animals, while supporting the Houston Zoo's mission to save animals in the wild.

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Inprint

According to its mission and vision, Inprint "envisions Houston, Texas as a city where the literary arts are a defining source." Inprint welcomes creative writers from all backgrounds to participate in their programs, including readings and workshops, in order to engage in writing, reading and supporting the literary arts.

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The Jung Center

The Jung Center offers interactive classes and conversations related to psychology, spirituality and art. Visitors are invited to explore The Jung Center's Bookstore and an art gallery that houses artwork by emerging and established artists.

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Lawndale Art and Performance Center

Lawndale is a multidisciplinary contemporary center that connects Houston communities with exhibitions and programs emphasizing on the social, aesthetic and critical issues within our time. With four galleries in its Art Deco building, it showcases over 500 Houston-based artists in alternating exhibits every year.

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The Menil Collection

The Menil Collection's main museum building opened to the public in 1987. Today, the it consists of a group of art buildings nestled in a residential neighborhood in central Houston. In addition, it has more than 25,000 works ranging from prehistoric era to the present day and has rotational galleries dedicated to the arts of Africa, Americas and Pacific Northwest, Ancient World, Pacific Islands, Medieval and Byzantine Art, and modern and contemporary art.

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Miller Outdoor Theater

Located right in the heart of Houston, the Miller Outdoor Theater is the largest performing arts theater in the nation. In addition, admission to performances is always free. Miller offers eight months of diverse lineups, which includes jazz, classical music, musical theater, ballet, classic movies and so much more.

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Moody Center for the Arts

The Moody Center for the Arts is a public-facing art institution located on the Rice University campus. In its galleries, the Moody presents three exhibitions a year and curates many temporary and permanent public art installations throughout Rice's campus. It also hosts hands-on workshops, classes and performances.

Check out their page by clicking here.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston is one of the largest art museums in the United States and its permanent collection consists of more than 80,000 works of art from six continents. In addition, the museum features the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, highlighting sculptures from the 20th and 21st centuries.

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Rothko Chapel

This is a place where art, religion and architecture intermingle. The Rothko Chapel is an art museum, a functional chapel and a forum. It consists of 14 murals painted by Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman's majestic sculpture, "Broken Obelisk." All in all, the Rothko Chapel is a sanctuary for all, honoring the integrity of each religion or denomination

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