National Museum of Funeral History — Attraction in Spring

FINALLY, after all these years, I have visited the NMFH! I vividly recommend it, it is very informative and fun! The staff is lovely and they have a great shop where one can buy the entrance tickets. It was rainy today and we were lucky to not have to wait to enter. The place is bigger than what I thought, and they are many many things to read and to look at. We had a deep thought for the firemen and all the victims of the 9/11 just a few seconds after we had a step into the place, looking at what is left of an entire firetruck. My husband and I were really impressed by the beautiful collection of hearses the museum exhibits: real pieces of art. We also enjoyed the impressive fantasy coffins from Ghana, in Africa. Death can be an event, like the "Dia de los Muertos" when the livings honor their beloved with offrands. One will see a nice recontruction of an altar for example. Funeral rituals are fascinating and they tell a lot about us, about a civilisation. While many would strangely like to be immortals, let us not forget, as Khalil Gibran underlined it, that "Life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one". Death is first a process, the end of vital signs. I had vaguely heard about the Vatican's rules concerning papal death; after the physician has confirmed the state of death, the camerlengo "taps the pope's head with a silver hammer pronouncing his name three times". Interesting, no? Apart from obsequies, there are so many other astonishing details there about stars or less famous deceased. Strange things I loved were the Victorian pictures where families would pose with dead grand-pa propped up on a chair for instance. The fact we had New Orleans jazz, Parade Tunes, or Gregorian chants to accompany us through this 2 hours long lively trip was a plus to me. I will not mention the rest, except that we definitively enjoyed ourselves! There is a big parking place with a few spots for handicaped persons. A few steps away are the entrance doors to penetrate in a big hall. Once inside, one will find on the left the (clean) bathrooms, while the entrance museum will be on the right. In the hall, one can buy a brick with his/her/its/ their name on it. Urns that are stunning are for sale inside the museum. They are in a vitrine and the museum have various sizes. "I Love Urns" is a brand that make some in the shape of a bird. They are beautifully made. They could have been drawn by Botero...

Houston’s Museum District is the place most outsiders flock to when they want to visit a wide variety of museums. I agree that this is a great place to start, but the fact is, there are many other excellent museums to visit in the Houston area that are located somewhere else in the city and a prime example is the National Museum of Funeral History.

Most people feel a little creepy about visiting a museum dedicated to funerals and dying, but once you experience this hidden gem, you will wonder what ever held you back. The museum does include a large number of hearses, coffins, etc, like you would expect, but it has much more to offer than that. The section on presidential deaths, the tomb of the unknown soldier, the life and deaths of Popes, and others will pique your interest and keep you browsing.

One section at the National Museum of Funeral History that caught me by surprise is the one dedicated to celebrity deaths. Here, you will learn about famous people, many of whom died younger than expected. They even have copies of the actual funeral order of service/program that was used when the celebrities died and they have exhibits and audio that take you back to fateful moments, like when John Lennon was assassinated.

To keep things entertaining, the National Museum of Funeral History has videos, trivia, and other fun, interactive moments, like creating your own epitaph. The gift shop is larger than expected and it is where your visit begins and ends. They have several t-shirts that are quite amusing and I recommend buying at least one before you go.

Houston’s museums are many and while the National Museum of Funeral History isn’t as well known as the ones in the Museum District, it is definitely a place you need to visit. The many exhibits, the hearses on display, the educational lessons, and so much more add up to a museum experience...

Full Disclosure.... I'm a retired LFD/Embalmer from Michigan with 25 of Funeral Home Management/Service to Families. Those years were spent with SCI out of Houston, Texas whom I am proud to have been affiliated with, they have phenomenal employees all over the world providing the best and most compassionate of services to those who've lost loved one ones'.

While spending the Winter of 2022/2023 near Houston, I chose to take some time and visit the National Museum of Funeral History. I can say without reproach that the Museum far exceeded my expectations in many ways. The Museum is laid out, no pun intended, in an unbelievably Professional Manner and in an appropriate Educational Fashion which will not make any visitors uncomfortable. The Genuine Artifacts, and Historical Items are pristine in condition and access is less than an arms length away. The Museum asks, and understandably so, that no one touch any of the items so as to protect every aspect of their preservation for years and years to come.

You can take all the pictures you'd like and travel through the Museum at your own pace without any pressure whatsoever...I took roughly 2 hours to go through it which I would say is a little longer than non-funeral service individuals might take. It is appropriate for all ages however young/very young children would probably highly bored with this type of outing.

The employees in the gift shop are highly accommodating and the retail gift offerings are numerous and priced very fairly.

Please attend...you WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Michael J. Pomante LFD/EMBALMER Michigan Licensed Date of visit;...