The Houston Museum District is a place in Houston, Texas that is dedicated to promoting culture, history, and science. There are a total of 19 galleries, museums, community organizations, and cultural centers located here in the Houston Museum District. Every year, this place attracts about 8.7 million visitors, and every Thursday, the Museum District gets a bit crowded because museums usually do not charge entrance fees. This place is bikeable and walkable. The sidewalks here are maintained pretty well, and you will notice that restaurants and attractions are placed near each other. In this article, we are going to know more about the history of the Houston Museum District and the museums that you can visit while you’re here.

History

During the late 1970s, the area which includes the Houston Museum District had fallen into poor condition, and it was very evident that it badly needed attention from the county, local, and state governments to expand and renovated roads and revamp the whole area. Back then, the Houston Museum District was ruled unsafe for pedestrian traffic and cyclists.

In 1977, the Houston Museum District began as a grassroots community movement that was led by Alexandra R. Marshall. She had a concept where they would create a pedestrian-friendly district that contains the Museum of Fine Arts as its core. They wanted to have a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in such a strongly vehicle-oriented city. Their vision became quite successful because up until today, the Museum District in Houston still holds the title of being the largest city in the United States without zoning.

The Museum District Development Association of Houston planned a multi-phase plan that aims to beautify the area and make it more pedestrian-friendly. They took the opportunity of creating a space in Houston where it promotes vital urban importance, such as the French Quarter in New Orleans, St., Georgetown in Washington, DC., and Germain in Paris.

Since the district’s creation, the Houston Museum District organizations were able to promote several community improvement projects, such as sidewalk planning, tree planting, esplanade design, development and beautification, construction and expansions, as well as establishing public transportation to and from the area, strengthening police support, and hosting different cultural events

Museums and Galleries in Houston Museum District

The Houston Museum District attracts students visitors, as well as volunteers of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. This place allows you to learn and celebrate history, art, nature, and culture, not just in Texas but worldwide. Here are the museums, parks, and galleries that you can check out:

• Czech Cultural Center Houston
• DiverseWorks
• Lawndale Art Center
• The Menil Collection
• Moody Center for the Arts
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
• The Rothko Chapel
• Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
• Hermann Park
• The Health Museum
• Holocaust Museum Houston
• Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
• Houston Center for Photography
• Asia Society Texas Center
• Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
• Children’s Museum of Houston
• Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
• Houston Museum of African American Culture
• Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Houston Zoo
• The Jung Center Of Houston