The Best Museums Houston, TX, Has To Offer
May 23, 2023 | Lifestyle
Houston Loves Museums! With over 150 museums and cultural institutions in the Greater Houston area, museums are a large part of Houston’s cultural scene. Houston’s diverse museums, including the Lone Star Flight Museum, the 1940 Air Terminal Museum, the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the Children’s Museum of Houston, and many more, cover everything from nature, art, science, history, and beyond. Many of these well-known museums are affordable and offer multiple free pass days throughout the year.
Houston, TX, is home to some of the best museums you can visit and are appropriate for all ages. Museums are great to visit when you want a relaxing day but want to do something fun. It can also be very educational and great for an indoor activity when it’s raining or too hot outside! We’ll take a look at some of the most popular museums around Houston and deep dive into what they are, what you can expect to see, and hours of operation.
Lone Star Flight Museum
The Lone Star Flight Museum is an aerospace museum that displays more than 24 historically significant aircraft and many artifacts related to the history of flight. The museum’s collection is rare, due to the fact that most of the aircraft are flyable. This museum includes aircraft collections, flight simulators, and warbird rides.
The newest edition to the many aviation-inspired experiences at the museum is the Space Gallery. This gallery offers a deeper understanding of what it was like for Space Shuttle astronauts to train, live and work in space, the exhibit features the NASA Crew Compartment Trainer-2 (CCT-2) and EVA Airlock System, the Space Shuttle Motion Base Simulator and other artifacts from NASA, including a Rover and Humanoid.
Additionally, you can see the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, experience the Flight Academy, or visit the Aviation Learning Center! The Aviation Learning Center (ALC) is where STEM-based education takes flight. The ALC introduces the energy and excitement of flight through an immersive pilot training and ground school-inspired program where students experience aeronautical science, piloting protocols, and the thrill of flight.
They’re open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m.. Depending on your age and status, the prices at the Lone Star Flight Museum are fairly cheap. All single tickets are under $20, and if you come with a group of 10 or more, you get a discount!
1940 Air Terminal Museum
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is housed in the historic art deco terminal building that once served the City of Houston as the Houston Municipal Airport. The museum hosts events for a variety of exhibits that come into town, wedding and special events, and even photography rentals.
When they host certain events and exhibits they have activities like VR Flight Simulators, historical presentations, and unlimited planespotting at the airport.
This museum is also open to the public Tuesday through Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is
closed Monday. All the tickets are $10 or less, and Museum members, US Military, Police, and Firefighters receive free admission.
The Health Museum
The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science, or The Health Museum in short, is a museum in the Museum District of Houston, Texas. The museum is a member institution of the Texas Medical Center. In the heart of Houston, The Health Museum inspires passion and curiosity in health, the medical sciences, and the human body. With over 2.5 million visitors, they’re the most interactive and popular science learning center and a favorite among Houstonians.
The museum puts on multiple exhibits and events throughout each day, including real organ dissections, mini-med schools, health fairs, family science labs, dyslexia simulations, and more!
Some of their exhibits include Amazing Body Gallery, DeBakey Cell Lab, Living Icons, and Your Body, Your Air.
Similar to other Museums, they are closed on Monday but operate Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission tickets are $10 or less, and on Thursdays, they offer free admission from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is a museum dedicated to the history and achievements of Buffalo Soldiers and African American soldiers from all of the branches of the United States Military.
When you visit the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, you can catch a glimpse of The Military Inspired Art exhibition. It creates an atmosphere where veterans and active-duty men and women can showcase their talents off the battlefield, along with other modern and contemporary artists who the military may have influenced. Additionally, you can look at the Technology Wall exhibit that displays tools and machinery that were used in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The museum aims to articulate, collect, display, and preserve historical artifacts, documents, videos, prints, and other historical memorabilia which detail the history of the brave men and women who overcame extreme adversity while fighting the great American wars. Visitors will see artifacts stretching from the Revolutionary War through both world wars to present-day conflicts.
This national museum operates Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays are free from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Holocaust Museum of Houston
The Holocaust Museum Houston is found in Houston’s Museum District. It is the fourth-largest holocaust museum in the U.S. and opened in 1996. The Boniuk Center houses Holocaust Museum Houston’s Education Department, including four classrooms, staff offices, storage rooms, and a library.
Some of their permanent exhibitions include:
- Bearing Witness: A Community Remembers
- The Texas Liberator: Witness to the Holocaust
- Rhona and Bruce Caress Gallery – And Still I Write: Young Diarists on War and Genocide
- Lester and Sue Smith Human Rights Gallery
- Samuel Bak Gallery and Learning Center, In Loving Memory of Hope Silber Kaplan
The Holocaust Museum has four different tour experiences for classrooms and community groups to explore our galleries – docent-led tours, virtual tours, audio-guided tours, and self-guided tours.
The price to visit the Holocaust Museum is as follows:
- Members – Free
- Adults – $22
- Seniors (age 65 and above) – $16
- AARP Members – $16
- Active Duty Military – $16
- Under 18 – Free
The Museum is free for everyone on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.. They are open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m..
Children’s Museum of Houston
Just two minutes up the road from the Health Museum is the Children’s Museum of Houston. With over 90,000 square feet of action-packed fun, you and your family will experience something inventive, imaginative, and fun happening here! Rated the No. 1 children’s museum in the U.S. by Parents magazine, the Children’s Museum is A Playground for Your Mind. This museum is bustling with family fun with a wealth of hands-on activities such as a Bubble Lab & a Tot Spot.
In this top-voted 2023 stand-out museum, you can experience world-class exhibits for all ages. Some of their most popular exhibits include:
- Inventors Workshop
- Genius Station
- FlowWorks
- Kids’ Hall
- Power Science Lab
- Parent Resource Library
Not only can you experience something for everybody, but you can also host parties and enjoy grabbing a bite to eat at their cafe!
To ensure a comfortable visitor experience, advanced online ticket reservations are highly encouraged. They’re open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays, Noon – 6 p.m., and Thursdays, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. for free Family Night extended hours.
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