Museums & Galleries in Bellaire

The John C. Freeman Weather Museum, which was founded by a meteorologist whose lengthy resumé includes forecasting and research for the U.S. Army Air Force and the U.S. Weather Bureau, hosts a variety of exhibits and experiences. Groups of up to 50 people explore nine exhibits devoted to various aspects of Dr. Freeman's field, either on self-guided or meteorologist-guided tours. The attractions include the WRC-TV weather studio, where guests are encouraged to create weather forecasts using interactive weather maps and green screen technology, the cyclone room which displays images of past hurricanes and computer models of possible future storms, and a tornado chamber where guests can witness and touch a tornado created in water vapor while learning how a vortex forms.

The story begins, in a way, with Ima Hogg. It was her land on which Carroll Sterling Masterson and her husband Harris Masterson III planned to build their home after they purchased it in 1952. The Mastersons, working with renowned architect John Staub, erected a sprawling home they named Rienzi, whose layout blended contemporary elements with homages to Palladian and 18th-century English design. Having dedicated their lives to the arts, the philanthropists gave their home to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston in 1991, and the building was opened to the public in 1999.

The Rienzi Museum of Fine Arts Houston now houses the Masterson’s eclectic collection of European decorative arts that they assembled over the course of 40 years, ranging from paintings, furnishings, and miniatures made from the 17th through the mid-19th centuries. Giving visitors of all ages a chance to understand the collection’s nuances, Rienzi staff hosts educational programs and events throughout the year, engaging guests in activities such as sketching sessions, art workshops, and lectures. Along with their dedication to visual arts, the museum celebrates the music of the 17th–19th centuries via live performances of chamber music, opera, and selections from Beethoven’s spoken-word album.

The Rienzi also features gardens designed in the 1950s by landscape architect Ralph Ellis Gunn. Having created a visually stunning green space that embraced the 4.4-acre property’s natural topography, Gunn’s garden remains a tranquil haven of lush plants and scenic trails.

Nestled within the original art-deco terminal at the William P. Hobby Airport, The 1940 Air Terminal Museum traces the heritage of civil and business aviation throughout the 20th century. Memorabilia such as photographs and silver service items chart aviation’s progress, and outside the terminal building, guests can monitor airport activity or marvel at the museum’s daily air shows and plane versus bald-eagle drag races. Elsewhere onsite, the newly restored 1928 Carter Field Airmail Hangar—closed on most weekends—shelters historic aircrafts including a Lockheed Lodestar and a volunteer-restored St. Louis Helicopter. Throughout the year, the museum also hosts frequent annual events, including a monthly Wings and Wheels open house with static airplane and automobile displays.

Designed by award-winning architect Gunnar Birkerts, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston's stainless steel building safeguards a multitude of work designed to intellectual engage viewers and invoke complex reactions. The museum's two galleries, the Brown Foundation Gallery and the Zilkha Gallery, collectively host 8–10 free exhibitions every year.

The Brown Foundation spotlights work by internationally renowned artists and pieces organized around themes; past exhibits include a Kiki Smith survey and a showcase of performance art by black artists. The Zilkha, meanwhile, hosts the museum's Perspective Series, which gathers the work of emerging artists. The museum's Teen Council curates a biyearly edition of Perspectives, unveiling work by young, Houston-area artists that mine for deeper feelings than the normal teenage angst toward parents, teachers, and singing animatronic bears. The Teen Council also contributes to the museum's numerous programs, which include lectures and discussions for each show, as well as Musiqa concerts based on each Brown Foundation Gallery exhibition.

When Houston Maritime Museum founder James L. Manzolillo moved to Houston in 1979, he found the city to be an ideal location for establishing a living, breathing monument to maritime history. As a host to the second-largest port in the United States, Houston provides a fitting backdrop for an institution that preserves the legacy of the intrepid individuals who explored the waters about which Manzolillo has always been passionate. Housed inside the former home of retired Navy lieutenant commander John Luykx, the Houston Maritime Museum's collection contains 150 model battleships, paddleboats, and submersibles as well as 100 maritime artifacts such as astrolabes, nautical quadrants, and sextants. An exhibit dedicated to the Port of Houston displays the port's history through artifacts and photos, and illustrates the port's significance to the local and national economy. Guided tours are conducted with advanced registration to allow visitors to learn little-known facts without having to forge the naval-officer secret handshake.