Arts & Culture in Houston
Houston is internationally recognized as a performing and visual arts mecca with hundreds of institutions across the region dedicated to artistic expression through a multitude of mediums. Whether you’re looking for a night at the theater or an afternoon exploring one of the city’s many museums, here’s a guide to some of the leading organizations setting the tone for artistic expression in the nation’s most diverse city. Theater DistrictMuseum DistrictBeyond the Theater DistrictBeyond the Museum DistrictHouston Timeline/ Performing Arts
Theater District
Houston is one of a few cities in the United States that can boast major symphony, ballet, opera, and theater companies of worldwide acclaim. The downtown Theater District—which includes the Alley Theater, Jones Hall, the Hobby Center, and the Wortham Center—is the vibrant heart of the city’s tremendous cultural assets. Thanks to the Society for the Performing Arts, Houstonians routinely have access to some of the world’s best musical, dance, and theatrical talent.
Houston Ballet
Cited by the New York Times as “one of the nation’s best ballet companies,” the Houston Ballet is also one of the largest in the United States. The ensemble of more than 50 dancers performs around the world and treats Houston’s ballet aficionados to more than 100 performances a year in the Wortham Center. Visit website.Houston Symphony
An integral part of the local arts scene since 1913, the Houston Symphony performs more than 170 concerts a year at Jones Hall, Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. Visit website. Houston Grand Opera
One of the nation’s largest opera companies, Houston Grand Opera is internationally recognized for its innovative repertoire that blends the classics with contemporary works and world premieres. Houston Grand Opera is the only opera company in the nation to win two Grammy awards, a Tony, and two Emmys. Visit website. Da Camera of Houston
Founded in 1987, Da Camera brings together leading American and international musicians. It is nationally acclaimed for provocative chamber music, contemporary music and an annual jazz series that showcases renowned performers and emerging artists. Other musical offerings in Houston are performed by such groups as the Houston Friends of Music, the Houston Masterworks Chorus, the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Visit website. Alley Theatre
Houston’s rich theatrical tradition began in 1947 with the opening of the Alley Theatre in, literally, an alley. Today the Alley is one of only a few professional theaters in the country to employ its own resident company of actors. Performances are year-round in the Alley’s two-theater complex—the 824-seat Hubbard Stage and the 310-seat Neuhaus Stage. Visit website. Theatre Under the Stars
Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), one of the largest nonprofit producers of musical theater in the country, has cast more than 300 musicals in its 45-year history to national acclaim. TUTS stages Broadway classics, world premieres and new works at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts downtown—also home to Broadway in Houston, featuring touring productions of Broadway hits. Visit website. Society for the Performing Arts
Society for the Performing Arts (SPA), founded in 1966, is the largest nonprofit presenting organization of its kind in the Southwest. SPA presents internationally acclaimed artists from the entire performing arts spectrum, traditional to avant-garde alike, from large orchestras and dance companies to recitalists and solo performers. SPA provides affordable opportunities to discover and develop creativity on and off the stage through diverse educational and community programs and cultural partnerships. Visit website. CAPTIONAbove: The Houston Symphony has been a significant part of the local arts scene since 1913. Right: The Houston Ballet. Theater DistrictMuseum DistrictBeyond the Theater DistrictBeyond the Museum DistrictHouston Timeline/ Visual Arts
Museum District
Houston’s renowned Museum District lies just south of downtown, near Hermann Park, the Texas Medical Center and Rice University. A dynamic testament to the city’s commitment to the visual arts, the district offers something for everyone—with special touring exhibits throughout the year.
Asia Society Texas Center
Asia Society Texas Center, opened in 2012, houses the 273- seat Brown Foundation Performing Arts Theater, the Louisa Stude Sarofim Gallery and more. One of only 13 Asia Society locations throughout the world, the center serves as an Asia-Pacific educational and cultural institution in the region. Visit website. Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
Founded in 2001, the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is the only U.S. museum dedicated to preserving the legacy and honor of the African-American soldiers that served on behalf of the United States of America. Visit website. Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
The Contemporary Arts Museum is a museum for visual arts focusing on international, national, and regional art of the last 40 years. And the Menil Collection displays an immensely significant private collection of nearly 16,000 works dating from the Paleolithic period to present day. Visit website. Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science features more than a dozen permanent exhibit areas showcasing space science, Native Americans, paleontology, energy, chemistry, gems and minerals, seashells, Texas and African wildlife, and ancient Egyptian culture. Included within the museum are the Wortham IMAX Theatre, the Cockrell Butterfly Center and the Burke Baker Planetarium. The museum’s satellite facility, the George Observatory, is located in Brazos Bend State Park, southwest of the city. It houses the largest telescope available for public viewing in the Houston area. Visit website. Museum of Fine Arts Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), which opened in 1924 as the first art museum in Texas, has a collection of more than 56,000 works. Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, the restored mansion of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg, houses decorative arts and contains one of the finest collections of American furniture, paintings, glass, and textiles from 1620 to 1870. Another home, Rienzi, donated to MFAH by Houston philanthropists Harris Masterson III and his wife, Carroll Sterling Masterson, holds the Southwest’s most important collection of European decorative art, including ceramics, furniture, paintings, and sculpture. Visit website. Children’s Museum of Houston
Children’s Museum of Houston, founded in 1980, is ranked as the number one children’s museum in the U.S. by Parents Magazine. Families from 31 countries, all 50 states and 905 Texas cities have visited the Children’s Museum of Houston. The museum receives nearly 800,000 visits annually, has hands-on galleries and offers a multitude of exhibits and programs for children through age 12. Visit website. Czech Center Museum Houston
The Czech Center Museum Houston, opened in 1996, is dedicated to the exploration and preservation of Czech and Slovak heritage, including art, music and dance. The center features a wide array of cultural events, film screenings, art exhibitions and lectures. Visit website. DiverseWorks
DiverseWorks, founded in 1982, presents and commissions new visual performing and literary art. With a year-round schedule of exhibitions, performances and community programs, DiverseWorks is a leader in the nationwide movement of artist-centered organizations. Visit website. Holocaust Museum Houston
Opened in 1996, Holocaust Museum Houston is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, honoring the survivors’ legacy and remembering the six million Jews and other innocent victims who died in concentration camps in WWII. The museum recently underwent a $34 million expansion, and its new 57,000-square-foot Lester and Sue Smith Campus is now the fourth largest Holocaust museum in the nation. Visit website. Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, founded in 2001, is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to advancing education about the process, product and history of craft – it is one of the few venues in the country dedicated exclusively to craft at the highest level. Visit website. Houston Center for Photography
Houston Center for Photography, founded in 1981, brings together a community of people interested in photography and lens-based work. The center offers a gallery and a library with over 4,000 books. In addition, the center provides more than 300 photography classes and workshops annually. Visit website. Houston Museum of African American Culture
The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC), established in ’12, exhibits the material and intellectual culture of Africans and African Americans in Houston, the state of Texas, the Southwest and the African Diaspora. Visit website. Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo seeks to provide a fun and inspirational experience fostering appreciation, knowledge and care for the natural world. Currently there are over 6,000 animals attracting more than 2 million guests each year. Visit website. Health Museum
The Health Museum, founded in 1996, is an interactive science center and a member institution of the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. With over 2.5 million visitors, the museum is the most visited health museum in the country. In ’17, the museum was named a Smithsonian Affiliate.Jung Center of Houston
The Jung Center of Houston was founded in 1958 in honor of Carl Gustav Jung, the revolutionary psychologist. The center displays new art exhibits each month and offers more than 200 classes annually. Much of the featured artwork is generated by local and regional artists. Visit website. Lawndale Art Center
Lawndale Art Center, founded in 1979, is one of the only institutions in Houston that is dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art with an emphasis on work by regional artists. Visit website.Menil Collection
The Menil Collection, opened in 1987, features a highly acclaimed collection of some 17,000 works of art, including masterpieces from antiquity, the Byzantine and the tribal cultures of Oceania. The museum has one of the world’s foremost collections of Surrealist holdings. In 2018, the museum underwent six months of renovations, reopening in fall 2018. Visit website. Moody Center for the Arts
The Moody Center for the Arts, located at Rice University, serves as an experimental platform for creating and presenting art works. The 50,000-square-foot facility newly constructed in ’17 for $30 million features a striking contemporary design with bold geometric shapes. In ’17, the Moody received a Design Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects, California Council. Visit website. Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel, founded in 1971, is a non-denominational place of meditation and reflection that welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year. The chapel contains 14 canvases by the painter Mark Rothko and is lit only by skylight. The chapel’s plaza contains an obelisk in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visit website. CAPTIONAbove: Asia Society Texas Center. Left: the Paleontology Hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Theater DistrictMuseum DistrictBeyond the Theater DistrictBeyond the Museum DistrictHouston Timeline/ Performing Arts
Performing Arts Beyond the Theater District
Outside of Houston’s Downtown Theater District, you’ll find numerous other performing arts companies producing regular theatrical and musical performances.
A.D. Players
A.D. Players, founded in 1967, is one of Houston’s largest resident theater companies, which produces plays and programs from a Christian world-view that engage a diverse audience. The A.D. Players offered five mainstage shows and four children’s theater performances for the ’17–’18 season. In ’17, the company moved to its new $18-million, 35,000-square-foot theater with seating for 440. Visit website. Ensemble Theatre
Ensemble Theatre, located in Midtown and established in 1976, is one of the only professional theaters in the Southwest devoted to preserving African-American artistic expression. Ensemble Theatre is one of the nation’s largest African American theatres owning and operating its own facility and producing in-house. The theatre offers six contemporary and classical works annually, a Performing Arts Education Program and a Young Performers Program. Visit website. Main Street Theater
Main Street Theater (MST) founded in 1975, produces professional, engaging productions based on children’s literature in-house and on tour around Texas. MST also offers Education and Outreach programs on-site and at locations throughout the Houston region. Numerous world premieres have been presented by MST. Visit website. Stages Repertory Theatre
Stages Repertory Theatre founded in 1978, presents plays and musicals on two stages – the 171-seat Yeager Theater and the 229-seat Arena Theater. With an average of 12 productions per year and more than 380 performances, Stages welcomes 65,000 visitors each season. Stages will move to a new three-theatre campus called The Gordy in the ’19–’20 season. Visit website. CAPTIONAbove: A production of West Side Story from A.D. Players. Right: The Gordy is the new home of Stages Repertory Theatre.Theater DistrictMuseum DistrictBeyond the Theater DistrictBeyond the Museum DistrictHouston Timeline/ Visual Arts
Museums Beyond the Museum District
Many visual arts and other museums and attractions are scattered throughout metro Houston, showcasing the history, culture and artistic expression of the region.
Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston, the $75-million Disney-designed visitors’ center for Johnson Space Center, opened in 1992 and attracts more than one million visitors per year. It features an IMAX theater, live demonstrations, Apollo, Mercury and Gemini capsules, a space suit collection and one of the largest collection of moon rocks. Visit website. The San Jacinto Monument and Museum of History
The San Jacinto Monument and Museum of History, located at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, features artifacts and documents covering four centuries of Texas history. This 1,200-acre site is also a National Historic Landmark and consists of the San Jacinto battleground, the monument with observation floor, the museum of history and Battleship Texas. Visit website. Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 that preserves, promotes and documents visionary art environments. The center has been the producer of the annual Houston Car Parade for the past 25 years. Visit website. Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park
The Heritage Society operates ten historic buildings that date from 1823 to 1905, which the organization authentically restored and moved to Sam Houston Park. Together with the Museum Gallery, these buildings serve as historic reference points and exhibition spaces for more than 23,000 artifacts that document life in
Houston Murals Guide
by Kristine H on November 6, 2016 in Family Fun, Houston, Local Businesses
Hooray! It is no longer so hot that you can fry an egg on the pavement. Hopefully, this makes exploring H-town much more appealing. While a pilgrimage to a single Houston mural at a time may not be worth the trek from the ‘burbs, it’ll be worth it to include a stop to these places if you’re headed to nearby establishments. Plus, you may have found yourself in the situation where your favorite photographer is already booked for the holiday season, but you still need a family photo for that Christmas card. Here are a few great murals around town that serve as a great backdrop. Don’t forget that tripod, selfie-stick, or friend to snap that family photo for you!
As a bonus, there’s a suggested itinerary of nearby places to make your trip worthwhile. Note :: it mostly revolves around eating. Who are we kidding? It’s Houston. We love to eat.
Biscuit Paint Wall
Biscuit Home | Montrose | 1435 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
Itinerary Suggestions – See the mural and pop into Biscuit Home. Visit The Menil Collection and Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum {both free!}. Eat at Common Bond, Empire Cafe, and/or The Chocolate Bar.
Greetings from Houston
Gelazzi | The Heights | 3601 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007
Tip :: There are often cars parked in front of this mural. Use the panorama mode on your smart phone to capture the mural in its entirety.
Itinerary Suggestions – Brunch or lunch at either Happy Fatz, Onion Creek, or Pho Binh down the street. Stop at Gelazzi for the photo first – then reward with gelato. Then, stop by Revival Market for the best latte in town. Art Car Museum is south of the mural by a mile.
Love
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church | The Heights | 600 Pecore Street, Houston, TX 77009
Itinerary Suggestions – Mural first. Lunch at Good Dog Houston {made it to Alison Cook’s 2015 Top 100} or Dacapo’s {cafe with delicious cakes}. Dessert at Red Dessert Dive. Stop by the other Heights murals.
Houston is Inspired
Market Square {Treebeards} | Downtown | 315 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002
Photo courtesy of Eighty Two Photography
Itinerary Suggestions – Lunch at either Treebeards {open weekdays only} or Niko Niko’s. Snap at picture at the mural. Pop over to Market Square park to burn off some energy, or go a few blocks to Discovery Green.
About ___ Rocks
Lawndale Art Center | Museum District | 4912 Main St, Houston, TX 77002
Photo credit Amanda Sorena
On exhibit until October 2017
Itinerary Suggestions – Stop by the MFAH {free on Thursdays!} or head over to the Health Museum. Stop in to Lawndale Art Center for a picture in front of the mural outside and for contemporary art flare {free admission always}. Nearby eats include Dak & Bop {Korean fried chicken wings}, Monster PBJ food truck, Little Bigs {sliders and killer milk shakes}.
Keep on Dancing
Cottonwood | Garden Oaks | 3422 N Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77018
Use caution. It’s close to an active railroad track.
Itinerary Suggestions – Eat at Cottonwood. They’re kid friendly. Or, eat at nearby Petrol Station – yes, it’s also a community bar…but their burgers are to die for. Then, head South into the Heights for Fat Cat Creamery.
EaDo Murals
EaDo | St. Emanuel St. @ Leeland St. 77003
