The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — Attraction in Houston

My recent visit was disappointing, and I’m sharing this solely based on that experience. I’ve visited this museum several times before and genuinely enjoyed it, which is why this was so upsetting.

Yesterday, I went with my girlfriend and her family. As soon as we entered the Kinder building and told a staff member we were going to purchase tickets at the kiosk, we were immediately watched. The staff member hovered near us while we bought our tickets and continued to stand nearby even after we put on the ticket stickers. She stood extremely close to my girlfriend’s father and didn’t back off even when she noticed I saw her.

As we moved through the galleries, we began to notice a pattern: gallery attendants were following us very closely. At each section, someone kept a constant eye on us—often just feet away—even though plenty of other visitors were in the same areas. The attention felt very targeted.

A staff member named Julian stood just a few feet from my girlfriend and me while we were viewing an exhibit. Even after we moved to another part of the section, he followed us, while seemingly ignoring other visitors nearby. At one point, he stood about three feet away from us, pretending to watch the gallery but clearly focusing on us. He didn’t leave us alone until we left that zone, and even then as I was leaving he didn’t care I knew he was watching us because he followed for a little bit as we left the area and kept making eye contact with me.

Another staff member followed us into an elevator and continued to track us through the next exhibit. We saw her talking to another attendant and then quickly parting ways when we got close, which made things feel even more uncomfortable.

When we returned to the bottom floor to wait for my girlfriend’s brother, we sat near the area where we had purchased our tickets. The same staff member from earlier saw us sitting and began hovering again. My girlfriend’s 2-year-old sister was running around a bit, as toddlers do, and started playing with some of the pamphlets on a nearby stand. We immediately put them back ourselves, but the staff member rushed over anyway and began adjusting the display as if we hadn’t already handled it. She stayed close by after that, watching us, which made us feel even more scrutinized despite doing nothing wrong.

Eventually, my girlfriend’s family and I felt so uncomfortable and singled out that we decided to leave early. We didn’t even get to experience the other two buildings. This was especially upsetting because it was my girlfriend’s family’s first visit, and it left a very negative first impression of the museum. I hesitate to assume the worst, but it was hard not to feel that we were being profiled—especially since my girlfriend’s family is Mexican, and none of the other (white) visitors appeared to be receiving the same level of scrutiny.

I truly hope this wasn’t racially motivated, but the experience left us feeling watched, unwelcome, and disrespected. I’m sharing this in the hopes that the museum will reflect on its training and ensure that all guests, regardless of background, feel...

Houston in general is a wonderful place if you love Art, and the MFA is no exception. It is big, one of the largest American museums (over 300 000 square feet according to Wikipedia). It includes also the Renzi and The Bayou museums ex situ. There are no valid reasons to not visit a museum, especially in Houston. On Thursdays, the MFAH is open to the public to admire the permanent collections... for free thanks to Shell USA!!! (24 dollars the rest of the week with no reduction). Temporary exhibitions are NOT FREE, but for 10 dollars pro adult (or less if you have a yearly pass being a member), you can have the privilege of a tete a tete with some of the most impressive pieces of Art on Earth. Thus, for example, until the 16th of February 2025 , "Gauguin in the World” is at the MFAH. This collaborative project exhibits more than 100 pieces of the artist (drawings!!!!, paintings, printings and writing). I was surprised to learn that he was also able to carve wood! Other exhibitions to see are "Living with the Gods", or the stunning collection of contemporary photographs from Cuba called "Navigating the Waves", or "Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery" just to cite a few. Unfortunately, after 4 hours, I was tired. I will certainly go back for the Hockney's, just to say. Go and see by yourself, alone or with friends, it is worth it. If you are exhausted after a while, there is this beautiful garden of sculptures where one can sit after having grabbed a coffee from the Cafe Leonelli in the kinder building (there are 2 of them, the other is in the Glassell School of Art. MFAH members receive a 15% discount at both cafes locations!) The museum is usually a great journey so why not also experience, if you are hungry, one of the best and chicky micky restaurants of the city (the chef is Filipe Botero and being a museum member there is a discount on dine-in service)!!! To go to the MFAH you need to drive to the district Museum. The BECK and KINDER buildings are accessible via Bissonet str and Main st. There are 3 Parking places: one is adjacent to the Beck building in Bissonet. Adresses are 1144 Binz St, Houston, TX 77004, and 1100 Milford St, Houston, TX 77006. There is also an underground garage at 5101 Montrose Boulevard. More or less it is 10 dollars for 4 h. There is also a valet service, but you could also come with a taxi : the museum has a drop off area. MFAH.org The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. It opens on Wednesday: 11 AM–5 PM Thursdays (Except for thanksgiving, closed!!!! ) and Fridays: 11 AM–9 PM Saturday: 11 AM–6 PM Sunday: 12:30–6 PM One can take pictures, but no commercial use one, no flash. Ask the...

THE MASTERPIECE

MFAH isn’t just a museum—it’s an ever-unfolding dialogue with 6,000 years of human creativity. Wander its 14-acre campus and surrender to spontaneity:

Gaze upon Fra Angelico’s “The Virgin of Humility” (called “one of America’s finest Italian paintings” by The Art Bulletin), then lose yourself in Monet’s liquid light or Olmec stone giants.

Let the Kinder Building’s “luminous veil” (a 2020 architectural marvel praised by *The New York Times) bathe you in celestial light as you face Rothko’s soul-stirring canvases or Ai Weiwei’s provocations.

Stumble into the Cullen Sculpture Garden—where Matisse bronzes rest under live oaks, and Rodin’s shadows dance at dusk.

This museum breathes. Beyond its 70,000+ permanent treasures, MFAH thrives on reinvention:

Blockbuster shows like Frida Kahlo: A Retrospective (2024) shattered attendance records (Houston Chronicle), while the Glassell School turns visitors into artists.

The campus itself evolves: Rafael Moneo’s sun-drenched Beck Building (2000), Steven Holl’s light-drinking Kinder tubes, and Donald Judd’s “Brown Wall” create an architectural anthology.

Two historic house museums—Bayou Bend (American decorative arts in Edenic gardens) and Rienzi (European porcelain in a Gilded Age jewel-box)—offer intimate counterpoints.

THE EXPERIENCE

Where grandeur meets intimacy (Condé Nast Traveler):

Free Thursdays draw locals and pilgrims alike (4.8★ on Google: “worth a flight to Houston”).

Dine under Calder mobiles at Café Leonelli (James Beard Award-winning chef), then descend into tunnels transformed into James Turrell’s light-saturated dreamscapes.

Southern hospitality reigns: scholars geek out over pre-Columbian gold, while kids sketch in sunlit atriums.

FINALLY THE VERDICT

MFAH transcends “regional gem”—it’s a global heavyweight. Smithsonian-affiliated, Top 10 in U.S. attendance (The Art Newspaper), and home to one of America’s finest Impressionist, Latin American, and contemporary collections. Its genius lies in scale and soul: humanity’s artistic legacy, housed in visionary architecture, served with warm Texan grace.  MFAH is not just a museum. it's an essential human experience.

YOUR CURATED JOURNEY

Start at Kinder Building (contemporary wonders in natural light).

Beck Building next (European masters, American icons).

Save the Law Building (antiquities + special exhibits).

Secret Hack: Thursdays = free + extended hours (Kinder open till 9 PM!).

Don’t miss: Bayou Bend’s gardens in spring—azaleas blaze like living...