Museum District

Things to do in the Museum District could fill a week, and most of them are walking distance from each other. Houston's Museum District sits south of Midtown and next to Hermann Park, inside the 610 Loop, with the Texas Medical Center just to the south. You get the Museum of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Arts Museum, the natural science museum, a children's museum, history museums and more, plus one of the best city parks in Texas right next door.

The Vibe in the Museum District

The Museum District is leafy, calm and a little fancy. Big old homes, oak-lined boulevards, museum lawns and the fountain at the Mecom Fountain traffic circle. Weekdays it is school groups and medical center traffic. Weekends it is families, couples and people wandering between museums.

It is one of the best places in Houston for an all-day, low-stress adventure. Park once, walk a lot.

Museum District Munchies

The Museum District itself has museum cafes and a handful of restaurants, but the best munchies are a short drive in every direction. House of Pies on Kirby is a few minutes west for all-night diner food. Goode Company Barbeque, also on Kirby, does old-school Houston smoke and famous pecan pie. Midtown, with The Breakfast Klub and Mai's, is a short rail ride north, and Frenchy's in Third Ward is just east.

Pack a picnic for Hermann Park and you will not regret it. More options in the Houston munchies guide.

Things to Do in the Museum District

• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. One of the largest art museums in the country, with the stunning Kinder Building for modern and contemporary art and a James Turrell light tunnel underground.
• Houston Museum of Natural Science. The dinosaur hall, the glowing gem and mineral hall, the butterfly center, the planetarium and a giant screen theater.
• Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Rotating contemporary shows in a steel parallelogram of a building, usually free.
• Hermann Park. The Japanese Garden, McGovern Lake pedal boats, the train, the zoo and the McGovern Centennial Gardens.
• More museums. The Holocaust Museum Houston, the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the Health Museum and the Children's Museum all sit nearby.

Our things to do in Houston guide goes deeper.

Music, Art and Movies in the Museum District

The MFAH film program screens restorations, international films and retrospectives in the museum's auditorium and theater. Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park puts on free music, theater, dance and film on a lawn under the sky, in season. And the natural science museum's planetarium and giant screen theater are a favorite daytime move. See the movie theaters guide.

Chill Outdoor Spot: Hermann Park and the Japanese Garden

Hermann Park is Houston's big front yard. The Japanese Garden, with its koi pond, stone paths and teahouse, is one of the most peaceful places in the city. The hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre is perfect for a blanket. McGovern Lake has pedal boats and ducks that will absolutely steal your snacks.

A Perfect Day in the Museum District

Here is how we would spend a full day around the Museum District, start to finish. Check hours before you go, and keep a sober driver in the plan.

1. The dinosaur hall and gem vault at the natural science museum.
2. Lunch picnic in Hermann Park.
3. The Japanese Garden, slowly.
4. The Kinder Building at MFAH and the Turrell light tunnel underneath.
5. A free show on the hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre, in season.
6. Late pie at House of Pies on Kirby.

The Good and the Annoying

Nearby Neighborhoods

The Museum District sits between some of the best parts of the city. Montrose is to the northwest, Midtown is north, Third Ward is east and Rice Village is southwest past Rice University.

• Montrose neighborhood guide
• Midtown neighborhood guide
• Third Ward neighborhood guide
• Rice Village guide