Houston, TX

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
DESCRIPTION: this venue features art from Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas from antiquity to the present; includes an outdoor sculpture garden, the Glassell School of Art, many temporary exhibitions and public programs, and weekly showings of Hollywood classics and foreign films; MFAH is the nations sixth largest art museum; the Straus Collection of Renaissance and 18th-century art and the Beck Collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art are superb; works by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse and Paul Gaugin are equally inspiring

ADMISSION:$7 Adults, $3.50 Seniors, Students w/ID and Ages 6-18, Age 5 and under enter Free

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Wed 10a-5p, Thu 10a-9p, Fri-Sat 10a-7p, Sun Noon-7p

ADDRESS: 1001 Bissonnet Street  MAP

PARKING: $3 all day, located directly east of the Beck and Law buildings, the MFAH Visitors Center features a four-story covered parking garage

PHONE: 713-639-7300

WEBSITE: http://www.mfah.org

Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1948, the new venue housed in an award-winning metal-sheathed parallelogram opened in 1972; the museum exemplifies the dynamic relationship between contemporary art and contemporary society through its exhibitions, public and educational programs; alsthough it has hosted art by Vincent Van Gogh, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Max Ernst, and John Biggers, this non-collecting institution is dedicated to presenting the best and most exciting international, national and regional art; of course the Museum Shop has first rate gift items

ADMISSION: Free

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Wed 10a-5p, Thu 10a-9p, Fri-Sat 10a-5p, Sun Noon-5p

ADDRESS: 5216 Montrose Blvd  MAP

PARKING: on street

PHONE: 713-284-8250

WEBSITE: http://www.camh.org

The Menil Collection
DESCRIPTION: World-renowned art collectors John and Dominique de Menil, created this exceptional 15,000-piece museum of Byzantine art to the 20th-century schools of Cubism, Minimalism, and Surrealist works; the museum is noted for attracting leaders of the Contemporary artworld on touring exhibitions; a notable past exhibition was Face Off: A Selection of Old Masters and Others

ADMISSION: Free, donations accepted

DAYS & HOURS: Wed-Sun 11a-7p

ADDRESS: 1515 Sul Ross Street  MAP

PARKING: on West Alabama Street at Mulberry Street

PHONE: 713-525-9400

WEBSITE: http://www.menil.org

 

Cy Twombly Gallery
DESCRIPTION: A small, exquisite gallery designed by architect Renzo Piano to specifically contain works by American artist Cy Twombly; as such the museum conveys as much that is good with natural light, as it does art
ADMISSION: Free, donations accepted

DAYS & HOURS: Wed–Sun 11a–7p
ADDRESS: 1501 Branard Street  MAP

PARKING: on West Alabama Street at Mulberry Street
PHONE: 713-525-9400

WEBSITE: http://www.menil.org/visit/twombly.php

 

Rothko Chapel
DESCRIPTION: Founded by John and Dominique de Menil, was dedicated in 1971 as an intimate sanctuary to people of every belief it functions as chapel, a museum and a forum; this modern meditative environment inspired by the mural canvasses of American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, welcomes thousands of visitors each year from all parts of the world; the eight-sided structure adorned only by 14 paintings by modern artist Mark Rothko; reflecting pool in front contains Barnet Newman's memorial sculpture to the Martin Luther King, Jr. is called Broken Obelisk

ADMISSION: Free, donations welcome

DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a-6p

ADDRESS: 1409 Sul Ross Street  MAP

PARKING: on Yupon and Sul Ross Streets

PHONE: 713-524-9839

WEBSITE: http://www.rothkochapel.org

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 2001; places an emphasis on objects of art made primarily of fiber, metal, glass, clay and wood; the 3,000 square feet of the center exhibits the work of local and national artists and art educators; additional space is allocated for artist studios; Asher Gallery, within Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, serves as a retail showcase for the work of internationally acclaimed and emerging artists in all craft media

ADMISSION: Free, donations accepted and art may be purchased

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 10a-5p, Sun Noon-5p

ADDRESS: 4848 Main Street  MAP

PARKING: on premises and street

PHONE: 713-529-4848

WEBSITE: http://www.crafthouston.org

Lawndale Art & Performance Center
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1979; alternative space for the exhibition of contemporary works in all media focusing on Houston area artists; with four galleries in its architecturally significant Art Deco building, Lawndale includes close to 500 artists annually in changing exhibitions; over twenty exhibitions, informal talks and special events are offered yearly

ADMISSION: Free, donations accepted and art may be purchased

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 10a-5p, Sat Noon-5p

ADDRESS: 4912 Main Street  MAP

PARKING: on street

PHONE: 713-528-5858

WEBSITE: http://www.lawndaleartcenter.org

Holocaust Museum Houston
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1996; dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust in Europe, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors' legacy; the museum uses the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides, to teach the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy to a civil society; permanent exhibits include Bearing Witness: A Community Remembers and many touring exhibits stop here as well

ADMISSION: Free, donations welcome

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 9a-5p, Sat-Sun Noon-5p

ADDRESS: 5401 Caroline Street  MAP

PARKING: Free parking in front and on the sides of the museum

PHONE: 713-942-8000

WEBSITE: http://www.hmh.org

 

Health Museum Houston

DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1969; today it has evolved into an interactive science learning center and a member institution of Texas Medical Center, it encourages growing interest and regard for healthier lifestyles, fitness and good physical, mental and spiritual health; conventiently located across from the Children's Museum and near the Houston Museum of Natural Science

ADMISSION: Adults $8, Ages 3-12 and Ages 65+ $6

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 9a-5p, Sun Noon-5p

ADDRESS: 1515 Hermann Drive  MAP

PARKING: $3 on premises, paid when you enter the museum

PHONE: 713-521-1515

WEBSITE: http://www.thehealthmuseum.org

 

Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
DESCRIPTION: A non-profit organization founded to preserve, present, promote and popularize the artistic expressions of ordinary people; Jeff McKissack created The Orange Show in honor of his favorite fruit and his belief that longevity results from hard work and good nutrition; working in isolation from 1956 until his death in 1980, McKissack used common building materials and found objects to transform an East End lot into an architectural maze of walkways, balconies, arenas and exhibits decorated with mosaics and brightly painted iron figures

ADMISSION: $1

DAYS & HOURS: Sat-Sun Noon-5p; Summer hours include Wed-Fri 9a-1p

ADDRESS: 2402 Munger Street,  MAP

PARKING: on street

PHONE: 713-926-6368‎

WEBSITE: http://www.orangeshow.org

Art Car Museum
DESCRIPTION: A private institution that provides exhibition space and forums for artists to discuss the art of cars; see unique mind-blowing car art from many genres of cars; if you love art on cars, you must make a pilgramage here

ADMISSION: Free, donations welcome

DAYS & HOURS: Wed-Sun 11a-6p

ADDRESS: 140 Heights Blvd  MAP

PARKING: on street

PHONE: 713-861-5526

WEBSITE: http://www.artcarmuseum.com