People can celebrate the intellectual and creative diversity of Houston’s Museum District at no charge this weekend.
Seventeen museums will open their doors for free to the general public in celebration of Museum District Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The METRORail will provide free shuttles to ease the pressure of finding a parking spot at each location.
The Museum District includes 18 museums within a 1.5-mile radius of Mecom Fountain on Main Street. Nine of these museums showcase the artwork of regional, American and international artists of various disciplines, ranging from abstract sculptures at the Jung Center to the modern architecture and canvases of the Rothko Chapel.
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Czech Center Museum Houston and Holocaust Museum Houston are gateways to understanding the history of the United States and regions across the world.
The Museum District is also home to several kid-friendly museums, such as the John C. Freeman Weather Museum, the Children’s Museum of Houston, the Health Museum, the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Visitors to the John C. Freeman Weather Museum can experience the chilling force of a real, 4-foot-tall water vapor twister in the tornado chamber.
Bring a pair of tennis shoes to the Children’s Museum. It has a three-story Power Tower, which is secured by 5 miles of steel aircraft material. Visitors are allowed to climb the tower.
Supportive spectators appreciate the artistic side of the Power Tower.
‘(It) looks more like an avant-garde installation rather than an exhibit component,’ Henry Yau, spokesperson for the Children’s Museum of Houston said.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science appeals to a wide audience with world-class permanent exhibits, including the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals. Dim lighting in the exhibit hall highlights the bright colors and jaw-dropping grandeur of the pieces.
The HMNS also has the Cockrell Butterfly Center, Weiss Energy Hall, a paleontology hall with massive dinosaur fossils, a planetarium and an IMAX theatre. This dynamic museum also offers traveling exhibits for an additional fee, such as ‘Terra Cotta Warriors: The Guardians of China’s First Emperor,’ voted in the top five of ‘must see’ exhibitions by Time Magazine.
For more information about the Museum District, visit http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org
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