My blog

Tag: Museums

  • Cockrell Butterfly Center

    Cockrell Butterfly Center

    Cockrell Butterfly Center
    Cockrell Butterfly Center

    1 Hermann Circle Drive

    Houston, Texas, 77030, USA

    713-639-4629

    A Living Butterfly Habitat

    The Cockrell Butterfly Center and Brown Hall of Entomology provide entertainment and education for the whole family.

    Walk through a living butterfly habitat, marvel at spectacular live and preserved specimens of some of the world’s largest and weirdest arthropods, and enjoy interactive games and quizzes. The Cockrell Butterfly Center is well known for its immersive walk-through butterfly habitat, but there is much more to explore in the world of bugs! Visit the exhibits surrounding the rainforest conservatory for an in-depth look at arthropods.

    Explore the fascinating world of insects and arthropods in a hands-on experience that brings science to life. From the delicate dance of emerging butterflies to the intriguing anatomy of the world’s most bizarre bugs, the exhibits offer a captivating journey for curious minds. Whether you’re a budding entomologist or simply fascinated by nature’s tiny wonders, the Cockrell Butterfly Center and Brown Hall of Entomology invite you to discover, learn, and be inspired. Experience the beauty and complexity of these creatures up close, and leave with a newfound appreciation for the often overlooked inhabitants of our planet.

  • Lone Star Flight Museum

    Lone Star Flight Museum

    11551 Aerospace Ave

    Houston, Texas, 77034, USA

    346-708-2517

    Experience the only museum in Houston where the exhibits FLY!

    The Lone Star Flight Museum, located in Houston, Texas, is an aerospace museum that displays more than 24 historically significant aircraft, and many artifacts related to the history of flight. Located at Ellington Airport, the museum is housed on about 100,000 ft2 (10,000 m2) of property, including its airport ramp.

    History

    The museum began as a private collection of historic aircraft in 1985. By 1990, that collection had grown enough that its owner decided to place them on public display. The Lone Star Flight Museum, a non-profit organization funded entirely through private donations, was formed for that purpose.

    Exhibits

    The museum has featured exhibits on the September 11th attacks and Women Airforce Service Pilots.

    Texas Aviation Hall of Fame

    The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, located within the museum, honors the contributions of residents or natives of Texas to aviation and spaceflight. Inductees include Howard Hughes, Gordon Bethune, Emma Carter Browning, Alan Bean, Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Azellia White, and President George H. W. Bush.

    Airshows

    The museum’s collection often participates in airshows across the country. As of 2005, the museum’s aircraft annually log more than 40,000 miles (60,000 km) of cross-country flying to various air demonstrations.

  • Burke Baker Planetarium

    Burke Baker Planetarium

    5555 Hermann Park Drive

    Houston, Texas, 77030, USA

    713-639-4629

    The Great Planet Adventures: Defying Gravity in the Solar System

    Embark on Thrilling Off-World Expeditions and Experience Low-Gravity Excitement Across the Celestial Landscapes of Mercury, Pluto, Titan, Triton, and the Moon

    Experience the thrill of being a superstar in the low-gravity worlds of our solar system with The Great Planet Adventures! With muscles and bones accustomed to Earth’s gravity, imagine the exhilaration of zip-lining across the scorching surface of Mercury or snowmobiling through the snow-covered landscapes of Pluto. Bungee jumping into outer space from an asteroid will feel like a gravity-defying dive from the tallest cliff or rappelling into the deepest canyon in the entire solar system.

    In these low-gravity environments, the possibilities for adventure are endless. Glide effortlessly over the hydrocarbon lakes of Titan, propelled by the absence of gravity’s strong pull. Jet-pack through the mesmerizing spray of a geyser on Triton, or take control of a monster truck as you navigate the steep walls of lunar craters. The Great Planet Adventures offers each of these incredible off-world experiences, bringing the wonders of the solar system to life in exhilarating ways.

    Prepare to embark on an extraordinary journey where you’ll defy gravity and explore the unique landscapes of our celestial neighbors. Brace yourself for adrenaline-pumping escapades that will leave you in awe of the vastness and diversity of our solar system. The Great Planet Adventures invites you to unleash your inner explorer and discover the thrills that await beyond Earth’s boundaries.

  • Numbers

    Numbers

    Houston’s oldest and most infamous venue for live local, international and breaking alternative acts
    Houston’s oldest and most infamous venue for live local, international and breaking alternative acts

    300 Westheimer

    Houston, Texas, 77006

    (713) 758-7200

    Since 1978, Numbers Nightclub has been home to Houston’s alternative and underground nightlife, becoming one of the longest-running dance and music venues in the United States.

    By 1980, Numbers transitioned as a more mixed, alternative dance club with the help of former Record Rack owner and DJ extraordinaire, Bruce Godwin, who started the club’s “new wave” nights.

    In a last-minute turn of events in October of 1981, the club showcased its first live band – Siouxsie & The Banshees. After the success of this historic concert, Numbers went on to exhibit an array of national and international live acts such as Ministry, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Grace Jones, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, and many many more.

    It was in 1987 that British video artist and Numbers DJ, Robert Burtenshaw aka “Robot” along with Bruce Godwin, took over Numbers and further built upon the legacy of the club as an accepting, all-inclusive stomping ground while exposing Houston to cutting-edge music on both the dance floor and the stage.

    In 1991, Numbers resident DJ, Wes Wallace, started “Classic Numbers” on Friday nights – a night dedicated to the industrial, goth, post-punk, new wave, and synth-pop bands that were played at Numbers in the ’80s. After a huge initial turnout, “Classic Numbers” has become a Friday night ritual for Houstonians ever since.

    Throughout the ’90s and 2000s, Numbers continued to be a music destination for major touring acts as well as local bands.

    Now in its 4th decade of operation under the ownership of Number’s longtime staff member Rudi Bunch, the club continues to offer weekly dance nights, special events, and occasional concerts in a come-as-you-are environment.

  • Houston Police Officers Memorial

    Houston Police Officers Memorial

    Houston Police Officers Memorial
    Houston Police Officers Memorial

    1400 Memorial Drive

    Houston, Texas, 77019, USA

    HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS MEMORIAL

    The Houston Police Officers Memorial serves as a public recognition of the sacrifices made by Houston police officers as they carry out their duties, and, especially, those who have died in the line of duty. The monument serves as the location of an annual procession and wreath-laying ceremony honoring the officers. Laid out in the form of a Greek cross with a stepped pyramid in the middle, the memorial also features a reflecting pool surrounded by pink granite slabs incised with the names of over one hundred fallen Houston police officers. Jesus Bautista Moroles designed the memorial in chiseled granite, the material he loved best. He was a Prix de Rome laureate and was awarded the National Medal of Arts, among many other honors. Moroles died in June 2015.

  • Virtuoso by David Adickes

    David Adickes's
    David Adickes’s “Virtuoso,”

    615 Prairie Street

    Houston, Texas, 77002, USA

    David Adickes’s “Virtuoso,”

    Virtuoso has the distinction of being the first larger-than-life sculpture to emerge from the hands of artist and sculptor David Adickes. In the early 1980s, he created the 36-foot tall, 21-ton sculpture on a commission from the developer of Lyric Centre, the office building behind it.

    Developer Joe Russo asked for a piece of public art that paid homage to music, dance and performing arts, making it a fitting neighbor for the adjacent Theater District

    The completed abstract sculpture depicts a giant cello, being played by mustachioed and goateed player, who is completely invisible except for his head, hands and bow. Behind the cello are a trio of abstract orchestra members, on a more life-size scale, playing a violin, upright bass and a flute.

    With bodies reminiscent of string instruments, their hands are attached to seemingly invisible arms. If you stand close enough, and traffic is quiet, you can hear a classical soundtrack playing at the sculpture.

    Original Critical Reception of Virtuoso

    Virtuoso was polarizing when it first debuted in 1983, with critics and many residents panning Adickes’ work. But the work proved popular amongst many Houstonians and over the years most critics have accepted and embraced it as a piece of pop art that’s at home in Houston.

    David Adickes Larger-than-Life Pop Art

    Of course, Adickes went on to create other giant pieces in his workshop including 36-foot abstract statues of The Beatles in their Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band finery, the realistic 18-foot busts of U.S. and Texas presidents, the 67-foot Sam Houston Statue along I-45 in Huntsville, and the “We Love Houston” sign.

  • Heritage Lanterns

    Heritage Lanterns

    HERITAGE LANTERNS
    HERITAGE LANTERNS

    Root Memorial Square 1400 Clay Street

    Houston, Texas, 77002, USA

    HERITAGE LANTERNS AT ROOT MEMORIAL SQUARE

    Located in the northeast corner of Root Memorial Square Park, these five stainless steel sculptures are lit from the inside with LED lights that change colors. The lanterns, which range from five to seven feet tall, are built in the style of the Victorian era; their ornamental spires are typical of the time. They pay tribute to the downtown area in which they stand, once home to architecturally elaborate mansions in the early 20th century. Designed by artists Carter Ernst and Paul Kittelson, the lanterns were installed in 2005.

  • Ceramic Tile Benches at Markert Square Park

    Ceramic Tile Benches at Markert Square Park

    CERAMIC TILE BENCHES AT MARKET SQUARE PARK
    CERAMIC TILE BENCHES AT MARKET SQUARE PARK

    301 Milam Street

    Houston, Texas, 77002, USA

    MARKET SQUARE PARK CERAMIC BENCHES

    Ceramic tile benches, designed by artist Malou Flato in 1992, line the perimeter of Market Square Park. The hand-painted ceramic tiles feature colorful, impressionistic scenes of the park as it was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A favorite spot for office workers on break from nearby buildings, the benches offer a view of the walkways of Market Square, which are paved with the raw material remains of the neighborhood’s demolished buildings.

  • Armillary Sphere

    Armillary Sphere

    ARMILLARY SPHERE
    ARMILLARY SPHERE

    Sam Houston Park 1000 Bagby Street

    Houston, Texas, 77030, USA

    THE ARMILLARY SPHERE

    The 72-inch Armillary Sphere has one large vertical ring representing the meridian of Houston. Attached to the inside of this ring is a wide band decorated with the signs of the zodiac and representing the celestial equator. Houston’s version of this sphere is a 72-inch globe set against a backdrop of high-rises in Sam Houston Park. Slanting up through the middle is a rod with a ball at its upper end representing the earth’s axis. Armillary Sphere is so designed that this central rod points toward the North Pole of the heavens, very close to the North Star. As the sun moves across the heavens from east to west in the course of a day, the shadow of the central rod moves across the inside of the equatorial band, passing from one hour to another, and showing constantly the actual sun time in Houston. This Armillary Sphere has been carefully designed for its precise location, and thus shows the actual sun time. It was donated to the City of Houston in 1977 by then-President of the Houston Heritage Society, Elizabeth Bracewell.

  • Toyota Center

    THE TOYOTA CENTER- Stadium, Arena, Sports Venue
    THE TOYOTA CENTER- Stadium, Arena, Sports Venue

    1510 Polk St

    Houston, Texas, 77002

    (713) 758-7200

    Since opening in October 2003, Toyota Center has set a new standard for sports and entertainment, becoming one of the premier live entertainment venues in the nation. Laid over the span of six city blocks, Toyota Center is home to the NBA’s Houston Rockets. Toyota Center also plays host to the nation’s top concerts and touring shows.

    Winner of the Allen Award for Civic Enhancement by Central Houston in 2003, “Rookie of the Year” by the Harlem Globetrotters in 2004, and a finalist for Pollstar Magazine’s “Best New Concert Venue” award, Toyota Center welcomed more than 1.5 million fans during its first year alone. Toyota Center hosted the Latin Grammys in 2008, as well as two NBA All-Star Games in 2006 and 2013. In 2010, Toyota Center became the first professional sports facility in Texas to earn the Silver Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

    Toyota Center is highlighted by large open windows and some of the most comfortable seats of any arena anywhere. The arena’s playing surface is set nearly 32 feet below street level giving Toyota Center the largest lower level of any arena in the nation. Coupled with the exclusive Lexus Lounge, trendy Golden Nugget Club, and Red and White Bistro’s superior food and service, Toyota Center offers something for everyone making it the hottest spot for sports and entertainment in Houston.