If you interested in touring the older grand homes, you may like this. We've toured others in other places, and it was disappointing not to see the whole house. The house is more of a museum of what you would have expected to see in that era rather than anything specific to that home. It was worth going though! read more

Great twilight experience. Beautiful home filled with interesting art in various mediums. Painting, sculpture, furniture, and glass were all on display. read more

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Wife and I went to the dia de los muertos mixer... The ladies at the door were just awful. I´m a donor, I give my money to the museum every year, that´s who I am. No pictures allowed read more

I arrived with my photographer just wanting to take a few pictures for memory purposes and the security (or whoever he was) denied us access without reason even after we stated multiple times that we would only be using the FREE outdoor gardens... Maybe a good spot to stop at to simply view whatever they have to show but definitely not somewhere to go looking for a spot to take photos or receive decent human interaction read more

This place has been on my list for awhile and today I had the pleasure of visiting it for a late Bastille Day celebration. There were fun color and craft tables for kids and Danish cookies with lemonade served as refreshments in the living room area, right before you step out to view the patio-which by the way is so gorgeous. Photos do not do the entire scenery justice. Everyone at the event was so kind and welcoming. The tour guides gave detailed explanations of the artworks and history of each room and one of the ladies, named Ann, even went the extra mile and dressed up as Marie Antoinette! Her enthusiasm was contagious and I loved how informative she was. Down the foyer hall near the ballroom, there was a pianist and lovely singer on site singing French songs to serenade the guests. This might sound a little strange but I'm not sure what they put in this particular area but it smelled so good lol. The mix of live music, lovely scents, and amazing artwork was blissful to my sensories. I am definitely visiting again. I would only note that parking can get a bit difficult in the driveway but the security guys will direct you to where you can park on the street complimentarily. read more

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This is one of MFAH's historic house museums (alongside Bayou Bend). It belonged to prominent Houston philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III. -You can visit by advance ticket purchase only (available online). -General admission tickets include a docent-led tour at the following times: Wednesday at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Thursday & Friday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Saturday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. Sunday at 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. -All other times, visits are self-guided. -Closed during August every year (except the gardens). -$10 adult admission; $8 for seniors; $5 for students and youth (13-18); $5 for MFAH members; free for military; free for children 12 and younger. -The gardens outside the house are small but charming. I'd recommend taking a quick stroll after visiting the house. They are open for FREE self-guided visits every day: Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. -Unlike Bayou Bend, they don't make you lock up your small purses (at least that was the case for me). If you have large bags, leave them in your car. -PARKING: Limited. Small parking lot with just a few spaces. The staff grabs most of them. You can park alongside the road, if necessary. -Public bathroom available inside the house. -Friendly docent and security staff. -Their website is very useful. The hours/rates posted here are accurate as of the present moment but I'd recommend checking to see if anything has changed. -They also host a variety of events: gallery talks, parties, classes, children's activities, etc. Check their website for updates. A good experience if you appreciate historic house museums / private art collections. I enjoyed viewing the decorative furniture and art pieces in this house and would love to return for a special event. read more

Lovely estate to stop at and explore while trying to kill a couple hours b4 the airport! Staff is friendly and informative, so much so I asked for a bit of peace to explore- which they happily obliged. Great staff, beautiful home and gardens. I highly recommend any history buff to make this a stop while in Houston! read more

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On my recent trip to the Museum of Fine Arts I found that it is not limited to just the two buildings in the museum district. The MFAH also includes Rienzi and Bayou Bend. Rienzi is open from wed - sat and offers tours at 10 am, 11 am, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. When I arrived I was literally the only person there so I was able to get a private tour for the cost of 4 dollars!!! (for a student, 6 dollars for adults) I came at 1 pm so I had 30 minutes to kill before the next tour started. I took this time to explore the grounds. There is a beautiful pool out back and marvelous landscaping all around. It was easy to pass the time before the tour. Rienzi was the home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and her husband Harris Masterson III. They donated their home to the MFAH and now it is the center of Houston's European decorative art. The whole estate consists of 4.4 acres. And on the tour you are shown the majority of the house. I could go on and on about the contents of this marvel but I'd rather you spend the hour of your time to experience if for yourself. The only thing I will tell you about the contents is take your time and soak in all the beautiful porcelain; the details are impeccable. read more

Rienzi - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Heads up: this MFAH property is guided tour ONLY. Make an appointment. I visited on a lazy day, when it was raining and I didn't have much to do. A lovely docent, Margaret, took me on a solo hour and a half tour of the home, pointing out the major pieces of art and explaining the history of the art, the home, and the original owners of the home. Margaret was great - she asked me right up front what I was most interested in, and I told her the art and the home. So she kept the porcelain information light for me, even though they have a major collection and I understand that it's a major draw for many people to the museum. My tour was just Margaret and I, but I believe they keep all of the tours quite small, which allows the docents to personalize the tours and answer as many questions as you have. A very interesting and well spent afternoon. read more

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We attended their May brandy tasting & dinner event. There were 2 women who helped manage the event. They were brunettes. They didn't know how to host an event and when 1 of their other workers came over to ask a question, a young black girl, they were very dismissive of her is all I'm going to say. Made everyone uncomfortable. And when it was finished they hustled us out of there like we were bargain shopping (it was $225/person). And as we waited for our ride, the 2 brunettes took all the flower centerpieces and the food left over. What greedy pigs! read more

This mansion is smaller than Bayou Bend, but more accessible in a way. Like Bayou Bend, each room is decorated with furnishings from a specific period (Colonial, Renaissance, Mesozoic, Cretaceous, etc) but the tour actually leads you through each room and you can get up close and personal with the furniture and decor as long as you don't touch them. Our docent seemed a little rusty, but she was friendly and had good information, especially if you're interested in the design details of each room. The best part of the mansion, as mentioned in the other reviews, is the gallery/ballroom with it's magnificent paintings, statues, and columns; and where they frequently host cocktail parties, tea services (using the fancy china and tea sets displayed all over the house) and even weddings. Definitely a good place to take your out-of-town guests if you want to show them something fancy. read more

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I've often found myself driving around River Oaks, drinking my Starbucks frappuccino, marveling at the beautiful multi-million dollar mansions and wondering who lives in there and how they got to own such lovely homes. I also like to sometimes envision myself living in one of these homes leading an extravagant life and being fabulous all day long. When I pulled up to Rienzi I was excited to finally get a glimpse into one of these ritzy houses that I'd only gotten to see from the outside. I was like a kid in a candy store. My friend and I, who both share a love for arts and humanities even though we both ended up engineers, walked from room to room by jumping from one intricately designed candelabra to a beautifully detailed 6x3 ft painting to an exquisite collection of mocha serving set. I'm pretty sure our most overused phrase was "Look at THIS!" We didn't get a guided tour but there were docents in each room ready to provide us with little bits of information about the pieces in the room. I wish I could've heard more about the people who owned the house, but I think this tour is highly dependent on who guides you. If you have any interest in beautiful architecture, European history, beautiful furniture, decorative arts or simply like marveling at the finer things in life, put Rienzi on your list of things to see in Houston. read more

My in-laws along with my husband and I all attended the Rienzi this past weekend. We arrived at 1:15pm only to learn that we couldn't wait inside the home and had to walk around the garden and outdoor areas, which would have been fine if it weren't 100+ degrees in Houston (in June). Once we arrived at the home around 1:26pm, we were told the docent was "missing and not picking up her phone." So, we were a bit disgruntled, but the security guard offered to take us on a "free tour" of the home even though she wasn't a trained tour guide. We agreed, and about a 10th of the way through the tour, the docent appeared. Repeated some of what the security guard had said, and she was definitely a bit scattered. I understand their docents are volunteers, but some professionalism should be enforced in any work place or volunteer position. Nonetheless, the tour was insightful minus all the times when the tour guide had to go through her binder to find answers to our questions. Poor thing, she must have been exhausted. This was lovely, and perhaps we'll return at another time with another tour guide to compare the experience. A great benefit of being an MFAh member (Admission was only $4). read more

If you can't afford to buy a nice mansion in the River Oaks neighborhood, you can at least experience one by visiting this mansion museum that is decked out with European artworks! Welcome to the Rienzi, a MFAH house museum that was a former mansion owned by the prominent Masterson family. Donated by the Mastersons, the Rienzi mansion now houses not only the original artworks and furniture but also rotating artworks that stay faithful to the European art theme. Because of its size, all visits must be made through reservations beforehand and guided by a museum staff member. Here, you will find many quality antiques with interesting history and stories explained by the museum guides. This is an excellent destination for all who are interested in art especially European ones. However, because of the amount of information given in a tour, people who are just casual museum visitors may be bored easily. Nonetheless, whether if you are sure that you are an art lover or unsure if you can handle that much art, make a reservation to experience Rienzi! read more

Rienzi - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

A jewel in Houston's art and architecture scene. A part of the MFAH donated by Mr and Mrs Harris Masterson. Today was Bastille Day and they had a play read more

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Do not waste your time. Nothing spectacular and not worth the gas it would take to get there. It is a lot smaller than we expected, inside and out. Took us about 40 minutes to go through and that's being generous. There are nice things in the house but not worth it. read more

In a prior incarnation, I visited Rienzi when it was a private home for the Mastersons and worked parties there - it was a pleasant memory. With Godfather Auntie ("GA") in town, my mom called me to bail her out since she was all out of entertainment ideas. She stated that they thought about driving into town to go to the Galleria mall since it should be devoid of people on the weekend after Christmas, right? Wrong. Having experienced the madness Saturday at 11 AM, I knew that the Death Star Mall would be approaching its fire marshal-rated occupancy limit. And, let's not talk about the parking gridlock. Since I had seen David N's FTR review, I thought a return trip as a museum patron would kill two birds with one stone. We took GA to the Adickes Sculpturworks Studio, drove by Discovery Green, and walked across the suspension bridge at Bayou Bend. We ended up being a part of a group tour of 9 persons - on Sundays, no appointment needed but they bundle walk-ins together as docents are available. Luckily, we were able to pass the 15 minute wait by walking around the expansive grounds. On Sundays, parties of 2-4 members pay $10 so you can get a price break this way. Two docents split up the narrative - our first one was a bit rusty on the details and a bit slow in the delivery. Two of our group split off, marched to their Medicare sled (a Cadillac), and pealed out of the lot. [I watched all of this from the window since I wasn't too interested in the docent's talk at that point.] The second one was more lively in both facts and pacing, which can account for all remaining members finishing the tour. Porcelain, paintings, and plates could sum up 80% of the items you'll see on this tour - and most of it could be described charitably as "fusty". Not my style cup o' tea but I'm not living there, otherwise, call the "Spice Up My Palladian Pile" producers. I was more interested in the John Staub original architectural design and Neuhaus-designed expansion. But, your results may vary. Overall, an interesting study in architecture, a bit of Houston old-money history, a collection of European bits, and some nice gardens. Add this to the pile of places for touring: worth 30 minutes inside the house and 30 minutes on the grounds. 3.5 stars. read more

We had a great time visiting this house, the artwork was wonderful, it was nice indoor activity and the outdoor garden area is gorgeous. It cost $8 a person, I probably wouldn't visit again but enjoyed going the one time. read more

Rienzi - Front of the house - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We attended a tour of this nice house, but we first encountered a very rude security lady by the name of Cheryl Collins. She seemed to be upset from an earlier incident and continued her short and rude attitude with us. Other than that, the tour was very interesting. read more

We had family visiting in town and I thought it might be interesting to visit the Rienzi. I'd read a detailed review by David N. on Yelp and was looking forward to it. We paid $10 for our group and were met by a lovely and thorough tour guide. My favorite parts of the tour: The ceiling to floor bookshelves and windows in the library. The skylights throughout the old and new parts of the house. And the art gallery/ballroom with lifesize paintings. The European artwork/decor was a little over the top and gawdy for my taste, but I enjoyed the tour and the history of the Masterson family. read more

Quick update, went again with husband and mother in law. The garden has different flowers blooming at different times of the year. This time the fragrance of sweet olive tree was to die for. The tour... well let's just say Sylvia was in another league compared to these tour guides. One of the docents we got this time was scared to take over our tour and confessed that she forgot everything she learned at training. Which is fine because she mumbles so much we couldn't hear anything she was saying anyways. Bless her heart. I ended up telling my husband everything I learned from Sylvia, the wood inlaid furniture, the family crests, the wanderer pearl painting, family history... read more

I have lived in Houston 42 years and it took Groupon to let me know about this place. I ended up taking some family out here for a tour (six of us). The exterior is beautiful and we toured the gardens for about 30 minutes before our guided tour inside. The staff were all very nice and definitely knowledgeable about the house and everything inside. I highly recommend this tour if you remotely like museums, art, or antiques. I don't think this would keep a child's attention, but my parents, grandparents and I were very impressed. read more

Tucked away on Kirby is the River Oaks area is the Rienzi. The facility hosts numerous MFAH events along with other art related swaray's. The grounds and building's exterior do not reflect what awaits inside. I enjoy smaller private museums. While I prefer to mill about a reflect my own. This is not an option here. Almost all of the displays are unprotected. So you area allowed to be face to face with the items , but you will be accompanied by a very knowledgeable staff member. When your done , you will have a glimpse into the house collection of the Mastersons and perhaps their uncanny obsession with porcelain and miniatures. Along with an impressive art and furniture collection. Check it out. read more

Beautiful gardens but the tour was a little long. The Asian security guy was my favorite!!! read more

The Museum of Fine Art's Rienzi Collection contains European decorative arts, primarily china. The collection itself, housed in a beautiful River Oaks mansion on Buffalo Bayou, is spread over several rooms. The expansive ballroom and entrace foyer contain the most impressive floor-to-ceiling paintings in the home. In general, the collection is small, and unless you're a ceramics and china expert, can be seen within 45 minutes. The docents are knowledgeable, but tours/information of the home can be spotty depending on how talkative the docent is. It's excellent for events for the MFAH, but I'm unsure if I'd come just to wander the way I do at Bayou Bend. read more

Just got back from a tour. If you love art history I highly recommend stopping by Rienzi. The 12,000 square foot house and grounds are gorgeous. Owned by the Mastersons, the house contains a beautiful collection of 17th to 19th century art. It also doesn't hurt that it's located in Riveroaks; a beautiful area of town. My favorites were the Blue Celeste porcelain and the gallery. You could easily spend a few hours here. read more

This was such a gorgeous museum. Our tour guide Barbara was friendly and accommodating and obviously cared a lot about the house. The collection was stunning, and the best part was that it was empty, so it was like having a private tour! This is definitely a must see if you have an hour of free time and want to look at an amazing collection of porcelain and international artwork and decor, all housed in an amazing architectural home. read more