All great cities, by definition, boast great museums. If they’ve done their homework they’ve arrayed those museums in the same area, and connected them via pedestrian-friendly paths so you can see more with less hassle. Houston is one of those cities.
Located just southwest of downtown, the Houston Museum District is home to 18 cultural institutions. The tree-lined, elegant slice of the Bayou City is the sort of area where you can spend a couple of days and barely have begun your exploration.
The district’s crown jewel is The Museum of Fine Arts, the country’s sixth-largest art museum, encompassing some 56,000 works. One of MFAH’s biggest draws is Masterworks by Fredrick Remington, the man who helped popularize one of this nation’s enduring archetypes, the American cowboy. MFAH’s newest area is the Arts of Japan Gallery. It nicely reflects the beauty and elegance of the country.
The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is another premier attraction. Check out a couple of exhibitions. Jane Alexander: Surveys (From The Cape of Good Hope) explores what the museum calls “the porous borders between humans and other forms of animal life,” while Perspective 179-Alvin Baltrop: Dreams Into Glass surveys the critically-acclaimed work of this Bronx-born African-American photographer.
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is one of the district’s smaller enclaves, but it’s also one of the most fascinating. It’s the only museum in the United States dedicated primarily to the legacy and achievements of African-American troops, and houses the largest repository of African-American military history and artifacts anywhere.
All-new and double the size, the Children’s Museum of Houston is a gem, one of he best kid’s museums in the world. One of the neatest permanent exhibits is Kidtropolis, USA. It’s where children start businesses, hold jobs and elect their peers to city government. There’s little that’s static about this museum, and much that’s moving.
(Image: sikeri)
