The museum never disappoints the science lover in me. From the regular exhibits to the special…read moreexhibits on loan, there is always something interesting. The pictures are of the outside of the museum and the butterfly exhibit. There is a nice sloping walkway in the butterfly house. Also they have several benches to sit on if you want to just sit and be one with the butterflies while they fly around you. For $5 you can release a new butterfly into the butterfly house. It might be a cool experience for a child to release a butterfly. Aside from the butterfly house they have an IMAX, planetarium and the regular and special exhibit museums. There is a McDonalds in the lobby and restrooms throughout the museum. They have a parking garage that requires a fee (might be free with a membership). But on a rainy day this extra charge might be worth it. They sometimes run out of parking space though, so you might have to walk from free lots a ways away.

I visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science with the family and had a decent experience-- but…read moremy wallet felt drained. The museum has a parking garage that is convenient but fills up quickly. The cost is a $30 flat rate and the spaces are tight, so reverse parking is key. General admission, planetarium, butterfly exhibit, and special exhibits are all individually priced. We spent $226 for a family of four to see two special exhibits (including general admission + parking). The Terracotta exhibit was smaller than we hoped -- more smaller artifacts and limited interactive elements and terracotta warriors on display. The King Tut exhibit was more memorable-- more immersive, better videos, and a clear narrative about his life, death, and discovery. Food is the biggest drawback. The Element Grill closes at 3pm, so late-day visitors are left with pre-made café items from the Periodic Table next door. This included cold cut sandwiches, burgers/hot dogs sitting under warmers, canned soda and bags of chips at a premium price. Recommend to visit the HMNS on a Tuesday 5-8pm for free general admission or consider a membership to save on costs. Plan ahead and eat beforehand or bring food and enjoy a nice picnic across the street!

I visited this museum specifically to view the Friday Khalo exhibit but found myself spending…read moreseveral hours exploring the rest of the museum. MFAH is a vast space that houses an impressive collection of arts and artifacts. Among its renowned pieces are works by Monet, Van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Matisse, and many more. The museum also features an Islamic Art Collection, Roman Catholic collection, and African Gold exhibit. Additionally, MFAH offers numerous immersive and interactive experiences for visitors. I particularly enjoyed walking through Ernesto Neto: SunForceOceanLife. A great experience for both adults and kids. Frida: The Making of an Icon, a captivating exhibition, graced the halls of MFAH in January and will leave May 17. This remarkable exhibition showcases over 30 works by the iconic artist. Among the treasures on display are her authentic dresses, back braces, corset, and boot, offering a glimpse into her life and artistic journey. If you are a fan, this is a must visit. You will not be disappointed. Note: Special exhibitions like Frida's is only $10 on Thursdays.

The MFAH is huge with some works from famous artists and many artworks from around the world. The…read moreexhibits are pretty standard art museum galleries that you could find anywhere, but they sometimes have temporary exhibits that are more interesting and eclectic. They have free admission every Thursday, and we paid $10 each to get the all access pass for temporary exhibits. Parking is $10 in the garage. We went to see a Frida Kahlo exhibit and an interactive playground-like exhibit by Ernesto Neto. They gave us hospital grippy socks to climb on the structure. Kusama's Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity was cool as well, although one minute of standing in there was definitely sufficient. The least enjoyable "immersive" exhibit was the James Turrell one where we just sat on a bench for one minute to watch something, except that nothing happened. I am not an art person, so I wasn't super engaged by this museum as it is pretty similar to other art museums, but I think it's a good one for patient people who enjoy art.

Peaceful, zen, bit of nature within the museum district's Herman Park…read more Parking was free since we went on a Sunday and we were able to find a very close spot within the lot. We want on a day with gorgeous weather, not too hot and plenty of sunshine. We saw squirrels, turtles coyfish and various birds. There was a decent crowd but we were able to move around easily and get some cute pics. This is a beautiful weather day must.

This was my first visit to the Japanese Garden in Houston, and it left a gentle impression on me. I…read morecame toward the tail end of winter, just as spring was teasing its way in. Here and there, I spotted a delicate cherry blossom and a few early blooms, though I wish I had visited at the peak of flower season. The garden itself is exquisitely designed and every corner seems crafted for peace, and I truly enjoyed the calm atmosphere. It felt like a small escape from the city hustle. That said, I did notice the cleanliness was a bit of an issue; the garden could definitely use some extra care to keep it pristine. Another small drawback was the restroom situation. There are only two available, and both were quite busy, so I ended up waiting a while and eventually decided it wasn't worth it. Still, the park draws a lovely crowd with people come to stroll, reflect, and soak in the beauty. If I'm in Houston again at a better time, I'll absolutely return to see the garden in full bloom. It has so much potential, and with a little more attention to detail, it could be a true hidden gem.

how could i not give the menil collection 5 stars?!! i…read morecan't think of another place in town where you can see such an amazing collection of art for free. every menil building is in immaculately curated. whenever you're in the area, please do yourself a favor and visit!! make sure to take your time and visit all of the buildings!

I have never been to a worse museum. Thank god it was free because I wouldn't pay a single penny to…read morego here again. They should've owned me money for going. The security guards are rude as hell. Apparently you can't point at the art and god forbid you had your PAMPHLET open while you are walking. To the man who told me to close it, you are insufferable. The pamphlets are for the people and they can do whatever the hell they want with it. He must be so bored standing around doing nothing with his life that he decided to make an issue with my PIECE OF PAPER. The art is utter dog sh*t. I don't need to go to art school to say the art was awful. The art looks like someone took their poop and smeared it on canvas with scribbles. I think a toddler can create better art. Everyone looked so depressed to be working there which I can see why if I was staring at bullsh*t all day. I've been to so many art museums over the years and I have never had such an awful experience with the pieces and the staff. Rude staff, crap art. Only people who know nothing about art will enjoy this "collection". Make sure to not take pictures of the trash work, point at it, or have your pamphlet open because they will cause an issue with you.

So the cool thing about the museums here in Houston is that on Thursdays it's FREE!!! This is…read moreprobably one of the biggest and most amazing museums that I have been to. They have three different buildings all connected underground and each building has different floors all separated by culture. My phone died towards the end, so I wasn't able to photograph any American or contemporary art.

this was an excellent museum !! also, the best part is it's free. the layout and architecture of…read morebuilding are unique and worth a visit! 10/10 would recommend!

July 10, 2015 FREE…read moreday at Houston museums so today was this one. we also watched a short film that was told by 4 survivors; horrific and powerful.

This amazing museum, enlightenment center, and place of learning is a Houston gem worthy of your…read moretime and investment. The staff are engaging, knowledgeable, and willing to share at the level of knowledge of the individual. They have exceptional programs for adults and children alike. The most resent event for children, Fania's Heart was a beautiful, dynamic piece, it safely brings the children into the holocaust learning experience, and then in the end returns them out safely. Introducing the inspiring concept of "upstanders", who do what is right, and stand up for those unable to do so for themselves. I strongly recommend you go to this museum, it's exceptional.

I went to the graffiti Park area and only saw one piece of "art" that others showed in their…read morereview. Not sure if the city has taken over the area, but there was a lot of construction and new condos being built. Also be very careful in this part of town. Not a safe spot to roam. Keep your head on A swivel.

Whether it's showing out of town guests around or an impromptu photoshoot, Graffiti Park in EaDo is…read moreworth a visit when in HTown. It gives me NYC 5 Pointz (#1) vibes with its colorful array of urban art. This experience is free and is the perfect tub of murals while capturing the city's Urban essence in an area that is changing by the minute. Find a good weather day and enjoy the street parking along Leeland and bring a camera to capture all the colors, convivial designs, and endless homages to mainstream heads and thought provoking concepts. This isn't a place that is often advertised as something people should see, but I think it should be on everyone's itinerary when visiting Houston. The other bonus is that it's rarely ever crowded. On the weekends, this part of town is in brunch mode but it's a quiet place and perfect for the casual tourist, the ever loving art fan, or just someone looking to diversify their social media feed. It is one of my favorite places to go in town. ___________ (#1) R.I.P: https://www.yelp.com/biz/5-pointz-long-island-city?hrid=05Il9SSjbIcv3lSEaHzdIA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

I've lived in the heights when I was a kid/teen for like 20 years. Not sure how I never been here…read more I always saw it and wanted to go. Saw the parade from time to time. Out of the the times we come by to this museum it was the showcase for owners collage artwork. Talk about being very lucky! The exhibit was top notch. I got air of ideas for art at this exhibit. Great ideas and pieces. This is a true gem in houston Texas. If you haven't stoped by don't be like me and wait 20 years. So glad I got to see her work. The museum is free. They sell merch so support them that way. I'll definitely keep this one in rotation as they change the exhibit every few months. Very happy we were able to stop by and see her work and mural. I will add the older lady at the front working the ticket booth needs to relax. dropping all these art names and organizations and acting all shocked like we didn't know who they were. Relax lady. We are not absorbed into the art scents like you are! Then she had the nerve to say something about someone winning some 400k award. She emphasized 400k. I wanted to say, is that the first time you seen 400k but I was trying to be more like god and let her make it.

This was my first time here! It's been on my list of museums. It's a unique, albeit small, museum…read more It fits only about 3-4 cars inside and other artwork among the small and larger rooms. When we went, the artist was also there talking about his art pieces. It's like when you visit the art galleries at Sawyer Yards. Pretty cool. You can leave donations for this free museum. There's a painting of Mrs. Jones, chihuahua, which she was introduced to us when we came in during our appointment time. For same-day appointments, you call to schedule. Anyway, she was so cute walking around the museum. We were told that the art changes every 4 months, so it'll be nice to come back and see what's new. I also want to see the art car parade next time. There's parking in front of the museum about 4 spaces like when you park in a driveway at home or street parking within walking distance that fits about 7 vehicles.

I found this to be a very interesting museum if you are interested in all elements of the human…read morebody. Parking was free across the street, but on a weekend, there wasn't any available spaces. We had to stop and wait on the lot for someone to move. We only had to wait a few minutes, but I presume there are arguments over spaces because there is a sign upon entry that says no holding spaces. When we walked to the museum, we noticed that there was a paid museum parking lot right in front of the main entry. The cost is only $8.00 and there were half of the spaces empty. We'll do that next time. All in all, it was a good experience and I encourage others to visit.

I've lived in Houston for years and never made it to The Health Museum until today. I decided to…read morevisit at the very last minute remembering that many of the museums offer free admission on Thursdays. Take note that admission is free on Thursday but you must make a reservation in advance, available in 30 minute reservation time blocks. These blocks allow you a 30 minute timeframe to enter but once inside, you're welcome to stay until close. After arriving, I was not surprised but still a little overwhelmed with the number of small children and families with baby strollers. As several other reviewers mentioned, this is really a Children's Health Museum with the exhibits featuring larger than life organs and elementary interactive displays geared towards a child. I'll admit I did enjoy walking around the displays such as the enormous human eye and massive beating heart, but wished there had been more information on modern medicine and some of the advances like prosthetic joints and transplantation. They did have a current exhibit featuring the rise of microplastics with a focus on the waste collection efforts at Buffalo Bayou and some statistics about Houston plastic usage. This was a nice touch to have a local feature. For logistics, the museum is located right in the middle of the museum district making it super easy to walk to other surrounding museums and some of the great parks and gardens in the area. It's just two or three blocks from the metro rail line and they do have parking onsite for $8 for all day parking. This is convenient but I honestly recommend just going with metered street parking. I paid just over $2 for an hour. Overall, a great spot for kids.

I normally don't leave reviews for something unless the experience was really good or really bad…read more My family saw Starry Night Express on Saturday August 9, 2025 (3 tickets x $12 for a total of $36). I was hoping to see a presentation about Astronomy, but it was 90% about Astrology. Almost all the time was spent telling historical mythological stories about the different "constellations", not about the science of the planets, stars, galaxies, or nebulae, or even something simple like why we have seasons on Earth. This scientific teaching tool, in the form of the planetarium, was totally wasted by the museum. At least the presenter had a general script they were working from and they knew how to operate the equipment, but the content was very poor. One would think going to a science museum would expose them to science in every part of the building, but this fell flat on its face. I would recommend that people save their money and skip this!

We have seen numerous shows at this planetarium, including Mesmerica and a narrated live…read moreexploration of the night sky called Starry Night Express. The experience takes you out of this world, and is quite incredible. Highly recommend. Great for all ages!