Houston Museum District

Last updated
A direction sign in the Museum District HoustonMuseumDistrictSign.JPG
A direction sign in the Museum District
Museum District Red Line southbound station Houston Museum District.jpg
Museum District Red Line southbound station
Museum District Red Line northbound station HoustonMuseumDistrict.jpg
Museum District Red Line northbound station

The Houston Museum District is an association of 21 museums, cultural centers and community organizations located in Houston, Texas, dedicated to promoting art, science, history, and culture.

Contents

The Houston Museum District currently includes 21 museums that recorded a collective attendance of around 7 million visitors a year. [1] All of the museums offer free times or days and 11 of the museums are free all the time. [2] Thursdays the Museum District gets particularly crowded because of museum free days. On Thursdays, The Children's Museum of Houston is free after 5 p.m., [3] The Health Museum is free from 2–7 pm, [4] and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is free 11 am - 9 pm. [5] The Houston Museum of Natural Science is free on Tuesdays between 5-8 pm. [6]

Houston's Museum District is walkable and bikeable. Sidewalks are wide and well-maintained, and attractions and restaurants are situated near each other. [7]

The district is bordered roughly by Texas State Highway 288, Hermann Park, U.S. Route 59, and the Texas Medical Center. [8] [9] The Museum District Civic Association compared the area to Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and to the French Quarter of New Orleans. [8]

The Museum District is served by four stops on the METRORail, one specifically named for it and is easily accessible from I-69/US 59, State Highway 288 and Main Street, across from the main entrance to Rice University.

The beginnings of the Museum District are found in 1977, when it became apparent that some action needed to be taken to provide easier access to the museums of the area. This call for community improvement evolved into the non-profit Montrose Project by the mid-1980s but changed into the Museum District Development Association of Houston (MDDAH) shortly thereafter. Based on the works of this organization, the Museum District was formally recognized by the City of Houston in 1989. The founding organization was dissolved in 1994, but the Museum District is now under the auspices of the Houston Museum District Association, founded in 1997.

The Museum District attracts visitors, students and volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities to learn about and celebrate art, history, culture, and nature around the world. More information on the 21 institutions of Houston's Museum District [10] may be found on their official website. [10]

History

In the late 1970s, the area currently including the Houston Museum District had fallen into disrepair, badly needing attention from local, county and state governments to improve roads and beautify the area, then unsafe for pedestrian traffic and cyclists.

The Houston Museum District began as a grassroots community movement in 1977 led by Alexandra R. Marshall whose concept was to create a pedestrian-friendly district with the Museum of Fine Arts, at the intersection of Bissonnet Street and Montrose Boulevard, as its core. In such a strongly vehicle-oriented city, and one which to this day retains the title of the largest city in the United States without zoning, this was fairly progressive.

The Museum District Development Association of Houston proposed a multi-phase plan to beautify and make more pedestrian-friendly the area located between Allen Parkway, Buffalo Bayou and Hermann Park. It took advantage of the opportunity to create in Houston an area of vital urban importance, similar to the French Quarter in New Orleans, St. Germain in Paris, and Georgetown in Washington, DC.

Since its creation, the numerous efforts of the Houston Museum District organizations have included community improvement projects, tree planting, sidewalk planning, construction and expansion, esplanade design, development and beautification, establishment of public transportation to and from the area, police support and various cultural events

The Montrose Association, the Museum Area Municipal Association, the South Main Civic Association, the Cultural Arts Center of Houston and TALA (Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts) all played a part in the development and subsequent success in the creation of the Houston Museum District.

Timeline

City of Houston Museum District Resolution MDDResolution.png
City of Houston Museum District Resolution

Founding members

According to 1st board meeting notes (October 4, 1986): [17]

Directors:

Ex Officio members

Participating civic leaders at founding

[16]

Current museum members

HMNS.jpg
Museum of Natural Science
MFA houston.jpg
Museum of Fine Arts
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum.jpg
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
Houston Center for Photography.jpg
Houston Center for Photography

Parks and other institutions

Funding

Originally, funding was completely based on private sources—association member dues and members' donations. Later, with growing awareness of the MDDAH and their work, funding came from numerous other sources.

Today, total operating budgets for the member museums are funded almost completely from revenues and private donations. Museum District funding includes contributions from all participating museums; foundation support from The Houston Endowment, Inc.; [26] The John P. McGovern Foundation; [27] and The Wortham Foundation, Inc. [28]

Public issues

The District plays an ongoing role in forming responses to public concerns and opportunities that include transportation improvements, signage, visitor information, area beautification, flood control and urban planning considerations. The HMDA also serves as an intermediary, which fosters an ongoing dialogue among the museums in the district to maintain continuing interest and visitation in the area.

Residential areas

Museum Park Neighborhood Association (MPNA) serves houses roughly bound by Texas State Highway 288, Hermann Park, Main Street, and Alabama Street. [29] Several apartment and/or condo communities are already in the area and new ones are currently being built and developed. One benefit of living at The Circle at Hermann Park, The Mosaic, The Parklane, The Plaza, The Warwick, or new residential communities being built is that residents enjoy easy walking distance to the Houston Zoo, The Children's Museum Houston, The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Hermann Park, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and more.

In 2003 Keiji Asakura of SLA Studio Land presented the Museum District Walk Project, a project to expand walkability in the area. [30] In 2015 a walkability study came from SWA Group. [31]

By 2018 residential condominiums became a popular form of residence in the community. [32]

Parking

Parking in the Houston Museum District can be tricky if you visit on Thursdays, weekends, HISD Spring/Summer/Winter vacation days, or evenings when Miller Outdoor Theatre is hosting a popular show. A parking lot adjacent to the McGovern Centennial Gardens on Hermann Drive was added in 2014. You may park there for free. Parking in the lot across from the Law Building at MFAH is also free. [33] You may also park at the zoo or in the lot near the Rice University Light Rail Station for free (there is a 3-hour time limit). You may pay to park along Hermann Drive or on side streets, in the HMNS garage, or in various garages. You may also park along the MetroRail Line and take the light rail train to Rice University or The Museum District stops. [34]

Education

Presbyterian School Presbyterian School B.jpg
Presbyterian School
The Post Oak School High School PostOakHSMusDistrict.jpg
The Post Oak School High School

Primary and secondary schools

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) operates area public schools.

Elementary schools serving portions of the Museum District area:

Middle schools serving portions of the Museum District area:

Beginning in 2018 Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan also serves as a boundary option for students zoned to Blackshear, Lockhart, and MacGregor elementary schools. [39]

Lamar High School serves houses in the Museum District area. [40]

Presbyterian School is located in the Museum District. [41] The Post Oak High School, a private Montessori high school, opened in the northern hemisphere fall of 2012. [42] It is the first high school in the Museum District. [43]

In 2013 Houston A+ Challenge announced that the private middle school A+ Unlimited Potential would open in the Museum District area. [44]

Public libraries

Clayton Library, Center for Genealogical Research ClaytonLibrary1.JPG
Clayton Library, Center for Genealogical Research

The Houston Public Library Clayton Library, Center for Genealogical Research is located in the Museum District. The genealogical collection, originally housed in the Julia Ideson Building in Downtown Houston, moved to the William Clayton Home, a Georgian-style house built in 1917, in the Museum District in 1968. A site for a new building, adjacent to the Clayton Home, was purchased in 1986. The new building, which was built in 1988, was designed to complement the Clayton Home. [45] The city implemented a $6.8 million renovation project for the Clayton Home and the guest house and carriage house on the property in the 2000s. The city planned to renovate the property so it would meet LEED standards. [46] The city installed an elevator in the guest house so the building could be used as an administrative office. The carriage house received an addition so it could function as a 100-person conference room. The Clayton site can accommodate one plenary session and four breakout meetings, which would be required for a national genealogical conference. The Houston Business Journal awarded the renovation as the best historic renovation for its 2009 Landmark Awards. [47] There is also a branch of the Houston Public Library in the Children's Museum of Houston. [48]

Religion

First Presbyterian Church is located in the Museum District. [49] St. Mathew's Lutheran Church and St. Paul's United Methodist Church are located in the Museum District. [50]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Oaks, Houston</span> Subdivision in Houston, Texas, USA

River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans 1,100 acres (450 ha). Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael Hogg, the community became a well-publicized national model for community planning. Real estate values in the community range from $1 million to over $20 million. River Oaks was also named the most expensive neighborhood in Houston in 2013. The community is home to River Oaks Country Club, which includes a golf course designed by architect Donald Ross and redesigned in 2015 by Tom Fazio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Medical Center</span> Neighborhood in Harris County, Texas, United States

The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States. It is immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neartown Houston</span> District in Houston, Texas, a.k.a., Montrose

Montrose is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Montrose is a 7.5 square miles (19 km2) area roughly bounded by Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, South Shepherd Drive to the west, and Taft to Fairview to Bagby to Highway 59 to Main to the east. Montrose neighborhoods include Cherryhurst, Courtlandt Place, Hyde Park, Montrose, Vermont Commons, North and East Montrose, Mandell Place and Winlow Place. Montrose is also less well known by the moniker Neartown, encompassing Superneighborhood #24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts</span> Public arts magnet high school in Texas, U.S.

Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is a secondary school located at 790 Austin Street in the downtown district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Lanier Middle School</span> Public school in Houston, Texas

Bob Lanier Middle School, formerly Sidney Lanier Junior High School/Middle School, is a middle school in Houston, Texas, United States, with a ZIP code of 77098. Lanier, a school of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), handles grades 6 through 8. Named after former mayor of Houston Bob Lanier, the school is located in Neartown and near Montrose and has both neighborhood non-magnet and Vanguard/IBMYP gifted/talented programs. Lanier's neighborhood program serves Montrose, Afton Oaks, Boulevard Oaks, River Oaks, Southampton, and other communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midtown, Houston</span> Neighborhood of Houston in Harris County, Texas, USA

Midtown is a central neighborhood of Houston, located west-southwest of Downtown. Separated from Downtown by an elevated section of Interstate 45, Midtown is characterized by a continuation of Downtown's square grid street plan, anchored by Main Street and the METRORail Red Line. Midtown is bordered by Neartown (Montrose) to the west, the Museum District to the south, and Interstate 69 to the east. Midtown's 325 blocks cover 1.24 square miles (3.2 km2) and contained an estimated population of nearly 8,600 in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Public Library</span> Public library system of Houston, Texas

Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geographic areas of Houston</span> Overview article

The geographic areas of Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside Interstate 610, colloquially called "the Loop". The Loop generally encircles the central business district and the "island cities" of West University Place, Southside Place, and a portion of Bellaire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boulevard Oaks, Houston</span> United States historic place

Boulevard Oaks is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States, containing 21 subdivisions north of Rice University and south of U.S. Highway 59. Developed primarily during the 1920s and 1930s, Boulevard Oaks contains two National Register historic districts, Broadacres and Boulevard Oaks. The Boulevard Oaks Civic Association (BOCA) is the common civic association for all 21 subdivisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poe Elementary School (Houston)</span> United States historic place

Edgar Allan Poe Elementary School is a primary school located at 5100 Hazard Street in Houston, Texas, United States. A part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the school, which was built during the 1920s, is located in the Chevy Chase subdivision of the Boulevard Oaks neighborhood west of Rice University. The school, a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) historic district contributing property of Boulevard Oaks, was named after Edgar Allan Poe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayou City Art Festival</span> Arts festival held in Houston, Texas

The Bayou City Art Festival is an arts festival held biannually by the Art Colony Association in Houston, Texas. The festival is held in Memorial Park in the spring and in Downtown Houston in the fall.

Eastwood is a historic neighborhood in the East End area of Houston, Texas, United States. Eastwood maintains Houston’s largest intact collection of Craftsman, Arts & Crafts, Foursquare and Mission style architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory-Lincoln Education Center</span> K-8 school in the United States

Edgar Gregory-Abraham Lincoln Education Center (GLEC) is a K-8 school located at 1101 Taft in the Fourth Ward area of Houston, Texas, United States. Gregory-Lincoln is a part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and has a fine arts magnet program that takes students in both the elementary and middle school levels. Originally built in 1966 as Lincoln Junior and Senior High School, it later operated as Lincoln Junior High School until Gregory Elementary School merged into it in 1980, forming Gregory-Lincoln. The school moved into its current building in 2008; the rebuilding was delayed due to concerns that U.S. Civil War-era graveyards would be disturbed by the rebuilding process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montrose, Houston</span> Neighborhood of Houston in Harris, Texas, United States

Montrose is a neighborhood located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States. Montrose is a 7.5-square-mile (19 km2) area roughly bounded by Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, South Shepherd Drive to the west, and Taft to Fairview to Bagby to Highway 59 to Main to the east. The area is also referred to as Neartown or Neartown / Montrose.

Robin Utterback (1949–2007) was a contemporary artist from Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Houston)</span> Church in the United States

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral is the spiritual home of the largest Eastern Orthodox parish in Houston, Texas. It is located in Montrose and Neartown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wharton Dual Language Academy</span> School in Houston, Texas, United States

William H. Wharton K-8 Dual Language Academy, formerly William Wharton Elementary School, is a public school in the Neartown area of Houston, Texas, and part of the Houston Independent School District. Also known as the Wharton Dual Language Academy, the school serves gifted and talented students in the Language Magnet program from Pre-K through 8th grade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyde Park, Montrose, Houston</span> Neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States

Hyde Park is a historic community located in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston, Texas. Its southeast boundary is the intersection Montrose Boulevard and Westheimer. The neighborhood was established in the late 1800s on the summer farm of the second President of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau Lamar. In the 1970s, Hyde Park became a central part of the Gay Rights Movement in Houston. Like much of Montrose, the neighborhood is now experiencing significant gentrification, and is home to an abundance of restaurants, including Mexican, Italian, Greek, American, Lebanese, coffee houses, and numerous bars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of Gabriel Granillo</span> 2006 murder in Houston, Texas

On June 6, 2006, a teenage boy named Gabriel Granillo also known as Pelón was stabbed to death at Ervan Chew Park, in the Neartown district in Houston, Texas. His killer, Ashley Paige Benton, underwent a criminal murder trial which resulted in a hung jury. Benton's lawyers and the assistant Harris County district attorney agreed to give Benton probation in exchange for Benton pleading guilty to aggravated assault. Her probation was ended early in 2009, and her criminal charge was to be dismissed as part of terms of successfully completing her probation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker Montessori School</span> School in Houston

Ella J. Baker Montessori School, formerly Woodrow Wilson Montessori School and Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, is a public K-8 Montessori school in the Cherryhurst Addition subdivision in the Neartown area of Houston, Texas. A part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), Baker serves as the neighborhood elementary school for a section of Neartown, including a portion of Montrose. It also serves as a magnet school for all of HISD's territory. As of 2014 it is one of three public Montessori programs in Houston. It was the first HISD school to use the Montessori style for all students, as well as housing HISD's first Montessori middle school program.

References

  1. ↑ Visit Houston Website, https://www.visithoustontexas.com/about-houston/neighborhoods/museum-district/
  2. ↑ "HMDA Fact Sheet". Houston Museum District Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  3. ↑ "Free Family Night at Children's Museum of Houston". Children's Museum of Houston.
  4. ↑ "Plan Your Visit - The Health Museum". www.thehealthmuseum.org.
  5. ↑ "Hours & Admissions - The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston". www.mfah.org.
  6. ↑ "Hours and Pricing - Houston Museum Of Natural Science". www.hmns.org.
  7. ↑ "Houston Museum District - About Houston's Neighborhoods". Visit Houston.
  8. 1 2 Mulvaney, Erin. "Neighborhoods: Museum District becomes a place of contrasts." Houston Chronicle . July 8, 2016. Retrieved on July 11, 2016.
  9. ↑ "About HMDA". Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Houston Museum District". houmuse.org.
  11. ↑ "Acceptance of Montrose Project Articles of Incorporation" (PDF). Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
  12. ↑ "HMDDA Acceptance of Articles of Incorporation" (PDF). Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
  13. ↑ "501(c)3 Approval" (PDF). Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
  14. ↑ "Raiders of the Lost Art Program" (PDF). Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
  15. ↑ "Museum District Clean Houston Award" (PDF). Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
  16. 1 2 "Museum District Coalition Agreement" (PDF). Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
  17. ↑ "MDDAH Board Meeting Notes" (PDF). Houston Museum District Association. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
  18. ↑ "buffalosoldiermuseum.com". buffalosoldiermuseum.com. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  19. ↑ "czechcenter.org". czechcenter.org. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  20. ↑ "DiverseWorks". houmuse.org.
  21. ↑ "thehealthmuseum.org". thehealthmuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  22. ↑ "crafthouston.org". crafthouston.org. 2012-08-18. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  23. ↑ "hcponline.org". hcponline.org. 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  24. ↑ "Houston Museum of African American Culture".
  25. ↑ "Clayton". Houstonlibrary.org. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  26. ↑ "Houston Endowment". Houston Endowment. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  27. ↑ "Info: Foundation, Nonprofit: John P McGovern Foundation". John-p-mcgovern-foundation.idilogic.aidpage.com. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  28. ↑ "Info: Foundation, Nonprofit: Wortham Foundation". Wortham-foundation.idilogic.aidpage.com. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  29. ↑ "Mission." Museum Park Neighborhood Association. Retrieved on July 11, 2016. Maps available here
  30. ↑ Raine, M.E. (2003-03-13). "Plans call for new routes in museum area". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  31. ↑ Mulvaney, Erin (2015-07-13). "Study to identity ways to create walkable Museum Park district". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  32. ↑ Sweeten, Valerie (2018-07-01). "On the Market/Condo Life: Museum District, Med Center area popular for luxury condos". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  33. ↑ "Parking and Transportation Options - The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston". www.mfah.org.
  34. ↑ "Transportation". houmuse.org.
  35. ↑ "MacGregor Elementary School Attendance Zone," Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 16, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Poe Elementary School Attendance Zone," Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 16, 2016.
  37. ↑ Cullen Middle School Attendance Zone," Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 17, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Lanier Middle School Attendance Zone," Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 17, 2016.
  39. ↑ "AGENDA Board of Education Meeting May 10, 2018." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on October 12, 2018. F1 p. 86/135.
  40. ↑ "Lamar High School Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District
  41. ↑ "Presbyterian School steps into The Great Outdoors". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  42. ↑ Quick, Mark. "Museum District a study playground for new high school." Houston Chronicle . March 28, 2013. Ultimate Bellaire. Retrieved on April 1, 2014.
  43. ↑ Patel, Purva. "School turns Museum District into a classroom." Houston Chronicle . September 25, 2011. Retrieved on April 1, 2014.
  44. ↑ Tucker, Sarah (2013-06-25). "New middle school set to open in Museum District this fall". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  45. ↑ "History of the Clayton Library Houston Public Library Retrieved on March 11, 2010". Houstonlibrary.org. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  46. ↑ "Azevedo, Mary Ann. Historic center for family tree research growing into green era Houston Business Journal Friday December 14, 2007. Retrieved on March 11, 2010". Houston.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  47. ↑ "Best Historic Renovation: Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research Houston Business Journal Friday April 10, 2009. Retrieved on March 11, 2010". Houston.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
  48. ↑ "Parent Resource Library at Children's Museum of Houston". Children's Museum of Houston.
  49. ↑ "Minister elected to lead First Presbyterian Church". Houston Chronicle . 2001-11-12. Retrieved 2017-02-16. "Vanderbloemen said First Presbyterian is in the middle of a growing Museum District that is attracting new residents."
  50. ↑ Gabriel, Cindy; Chronicle, Copyright 2004 Houston (2004-04-29). "Church tour Saturday takes aim at heart, soul of downtown". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-08-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  51. ↑ "Texas". Asia Society. Retrieved 2012-09-19.

29°43′30″N95°23′20″W / 29.725°N 95.389°W / 29.725; -95.389

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.