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| Houston Highlights |
Forbidden Gardens, in Katy, Texas is a fascinating outdoor museum replicating some of China’s major historic scenes. Guided tours take you back to the third century B.C. to view the first Emperor’s amazing 6,000 piece terra-cotta army replicated in one-third scale. The tour continues to the intricately detailed miniatures of the famous Forbidden City in Beijing that served as palaces for nearly 500 years of imperial rule.
Fort Bend Museum provides a journey through time and allows visitors to experience life on the Brazos River and the Fort Bend story through exhibit galleries, historic homes, and walking tours of historic Richmond. The Texas Historical Commission has proclaimed the Fort Bend Museum ‘one of Texas’ best local history showcases.
Houston Fire Museum is listed on the National Register of History places. Exhibits include a 1937 Chevrolet pumper, an 1895 Ahrens Fox horse-drawn steamer, a 19th century hand powered pumper, as well as a 1938 REO fire truck. Upstairs, you’ll find a prized collection of 18th to 20th century fire service artifacts that are rotated every quarter. Houston Railroad Museum, Gulf Coast Chapter, features an interesting collection of railroad locomotives, cars and other artifacts as well as model railroad and research library.
Houston Police Museum consists of two floors exhibiting many early uniforms and gear, with some artifacts dating back to the late 1880s. Though the Houston Police Department was established in 1841, there are no known artifacts from its earliest period.
Katy Heritage Museum displays vintage farming equipment and artifacts from Katy’s agricultural and pioneering history, along with scores of old photographs and fascinating antiques.
Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston displays more than 40 historically significant aircrafts and many hundreds of artifacts related to the history of flight. The museum’s collection is rare because most of the aircrafts are flyable.
Museum of Printing History displays a collection of historical documents, fine art prints and antique printing equipment. In addition to exhibits, the Museum hosts exhibitions, lectures, workshops and demonstrations.
National Museum of Funeral History is dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of the funeral industry. With exhibition space of more than 35,500 square feet, it is the largest educational center in the U.S. with a focus on funeral heritage.
Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum is located in Galveston and illustrates for visitors the story of offshore oil and gas from seismic technology to exploration and production. Scale models of production platforms, actual drill bits and remotely-operated vehicles, as well as videos and exhibits explain drilling, geology, seismic, well servicing and production.
Rice University Art Gallery presents installation art fives times a year by inviting an artist to create a single work of art that transforms the space. When you walk into Rice Gallery, you enter the art and move through it.
— Folk Art/Eclectic
As you explore the Houston region, you might stumble upon a few unique and eclectic sights that may cause you to stop the car in admiration or awe. Whether you call it folk art or junk, they’re expressions of creativity from an urban population. Here are a few famous sites that may interest you.
Beer Can House is a folk gallery/workshop featuring more than 50,000 beer cans collected over more than 20 years. (222 Malone near Memorial Drive and Wescott)
Bradford House is home to artist mark “Scrap daddy” Bradford, renowned art car artist. If you stop by, you may find Bradford working in his studio or he’s out hunting and scavenging for scrap metal to make a new creation. (143 Heights Boulevard near Washington)
The Flower Man, aka Cleveland Turner, is a folk artist who has dedicated his life to creating a place for uncommon beauty. His home and yard in the Third Ward are full of flowers and scavenged junk and found objects. Some consider it wacky; others think it’s colorfully sublime. (317 Sampson, one block south of Elgin just southeast of downtown)
Tempietto Zeni in Houston’s West End (5420 Floyd at Detering) is the home and studio of artist and architect Frank Zeni. The temple-like residence uses metal pipes for columns and other scrounged materials. “I have reinvented the house,”Zeni once remarked.
Pigdom could be called a shrine to swine. The brightly colored home of Victoria Herberta and Judy Ganske is more than a monument to a pig – it’s a memorial to a swimming pig that saved a boy’s life and an art project in process. (4208 Crawford near Binz)
Culture-specific arts scene
Thanks to the many diverse populations in the region, Houston has an abundance of culture-specific art organizations. The list includes:
Asian Heritage Tours takes visitors through the heart of Houston Chinatown. Enjoy a dim-sum lunch or visit a Buddha Temple. It is a perfect opportunity to explore the Asian Culture without having to travel to Asia.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston is a Hindu temple in Stafford, Texas, and it was the first traditional temple of stone and marble to be constructed in the U.S. It was created entirely according to ancient Hindu architectural manuscripts and also meets all modern regulations of today.
Community Artist’s Collective leads change in service to the community through the arts. The collective creates and facilitates increasing opportunities and experiences that edify, educate, promote and preserve evidence of African cultural traditions, values and aspirations in the natural and built environment.
Fort Bend Museum provides a journey through time and allows visitors to experience life on the Brazos River and the Fort Bend story through exhibit galleries, historic homes, and walking tours of historic Richmond. The Texas Historical Commission has proclaimed the Fort Bend Museum ‘one of Texas’ best local history showcases.
Houston Fire Museum is listed on the National Register of History places. Exhibits include a 1937 Chevrolet pumper, an 1895 Ahrens Fox horse-drawn steamer, a 19th century hand powered pumper, as well as a 1938 REO fire truck. Upstairs, you’ll find a prized collection of 18th to 20th century fire service artifacts that are rotated every quarter. Houston Railroad Museum, Gulf Coast Chapter, features an interesting collection of railroad locomotives, cars and other artifacts as well as model railroad and research library.
Houston Police Museum consists of two floors exhibiting many early uniforms and gear, with some artifacts dating back to the late 1880s. Though the Houston Police Department was established in 1841, there are no known artifacts from its earliest period.
Katy Heritage Museum displays vintage farming equipment and artifacts from Katy’s agricultural and pioneering history, along with scores of old photographs and fascinating antiques.
Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston displays more than 40 historically significant aircrafts and many hundreds of artifacts related to the history of flight. The museum’s collection is rare because most of the aircrafts are flyable.
Museum of Printing History displays a collection of historical documents, fine art prints and antique printing equipment. In addition to exhibits, the Museum hosts exhibitions, lectures, workshops and demonstrations.
National Museum of Funeral History is dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of the funeral industry. With exhibition space of more than 35,500 square feet, it is the largest educational center in the U.S. with a focus on funeral heritage.
Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum is located in Galveston and illustrates for visitors the story of offshore oil and gas from seismic technology to exploration and production. Scale models of production platforms, actual drill bits and remotely-operated vehicles, as well as videos and exhibits explain drilling, geology, seismic, well servicing and production.
Rice University Art Gallery presents installation art fives times a year by inviting an artist to create a single work of art that transforms the space. When you walk into Rice Gallery, you enter the art and move through it.
— Folk Art/Eclectic
As you explore the Houston region, you might stumble upon a few unique and eclectic sights that may cause you to stop the car in admiration or awe. Whether you call it folk art or junk, they’re expressions of creativity from an urban population. Here are a few famous sites that may interest you.
Beer Can House is a folk gallery/workshop featuring more than 50,000 beer cans collected over more than 20 years. (222 Malone near Memorial Drive and Wescott)
Bradford House is home to artist mark “Scrap daddy” Bradford, renowned art car artist. If you stop by, you may find Bradford working in his studio or he’s out hunting and scavenging for scrap metal to make a new creation. (143 Heights Boulevard near Washington)
The Flower Man, aka Cleveland Turner, is a folk artist who has dedicated his life to creating a place for uncommon beauty. His home and yard in the Third Ward are full of flowers and scavenged junk and found objects. Some consider it wacky; others think it’s colorfully sublime. (317 Sampson, one block south of Elgin just southeast of downtown)
Tempietto Zeni in Houston’s West End (5420 Floyd at Detering) is the home and studio of artist and architect Frank Zeni. The temple-like residence uses metal pipes for columns and other scrounged materials. “I have reinvented the house,”Zeni once remarked.
Pigdom could be called a shrine to swine. The brightly colored home of Victoria Herberta and Judy Ganske is more than a monument to a pig – it’s a memorial to a swimming pig that saved a boy’s life and an art project in process. (4208 Crawford near Binz)
Culture-specific arts scene
Thanks to the many diverse populations in the region, Houston has an abundance of culture-specific art organizations. The list includes:
Asian Heritage Tours takes visitors through the heart of Houston Chinatown. Enjoy a dim-sum lunch or visit a Buddha Temple. It is a perfect opportunity to explore the Asian Culture without having to travel to Asia.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston is a Hindu temple in Stafford, Texas, and it was the first traditional temple of stone and marble to be constructed in the U.S. It was created entirely according to ancient Hindu architectural manuscripts and also meets all modern regulations of today.
Community Artist’s Collective leads change in service to the community through the arts. The collective creates and facilitates increasing opportunities and experiences that edify, educate, promote and preserve evidence of African cultural traditions, values and aspirations in the natural and built environment.
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