List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast facts for kids
The Texas Gulf Coast is a super cool place with lots of amazing museums! These museums are special places that collect and take care of interesting objects. They show us things about art, science, history, and different cultures. You can see everything from old tools to dinosaur bones and even spaceships!
This list will tell you about some of the awesome museums you can visit in the Texas Gulf Coast area. This region includes counties like Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Walker, Waller, and Wharton.
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Awesome Museums to Explore
Austin and Brazoria Counties
- San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site: This historic site in San Felipe shows you where Stephen F. Austin started his colony way back in 1823. It's like stepping back in time to see how Texas began!
- Brazosport Center for the Arts & Sciences: Located in Clute, this center is packed with fun. It has an art league, a community theater, a natural science museum, and even a planetarium!
- Brazosport Museum of Natural Science: Also in Clute, this museum is part of the Brazosport Center. You can see cool shells, fossils, dinosaur skeletons, and learn about wildlife, rocks, and ancient history.
- Karpeles Manuscript Museum: In Alvin, this museum is part of a huge collection of original handwritten documents. Imagine seeing real letters and papers from hundreds of years ago!
- Lake Jackson Historical Museum: This museum in Lake Jackson tells the story of the area. You can learn about prehistoric times, old plantations, and how the modern city of Lake Jackson was founded.
- Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site: Near Brazoria, this site is an old plantation from before the Civil War. It's still being developed, but you can sometimes visit by appointment to see the historic house.
- Varner–Hogg Plantation State Historical Site: In West Columbia, this is another important historical plantation. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Chambers and Fort Bend Counties
- Baytown Historical Museum: In Baytown, this museum shares the local history of the area.
- Confederate Memorial Museum: Found in Columbus, this museum was built in 1883 with over 400,000 handmade bricks! It's a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
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- Black Cowboy Museum: In Rosenberg, this museum, started in 2017, celebrates the history and contributions of Black cowboys.
- Fort Bend Museum: Located in Richmond, this museum complex includes several historic homes and tells the story of Fort Bend County.
- George Ranch Historical Park: This huge 20,000-acre working ranch in Richmond is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. You can see historic homes, meet costumed interpreters, and learn about ranch life.
- Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugarland: In Sugar Land, this museum has awesome exhibits on dinosaurs (paleontology), space, and how life and Earth work.
- Rosenberg Railroad Museum: All aboard! This museum in Rosenberg has a real railroad tower, old rail cars, and a cool model train layout.
Galveston County
- Ashton Villa: This beautiful house in Galveston was built in 1859. It's on the National Register of Historic Places and shows what life was like long ago.
- Bishop's Palace: Also in Galveston, this stunning mansion was built in 1888. It's a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a must-see for its amazing architecture.
- Bryan Museum: In Galveston, this museum has a fantastic collection of art and artifacts about Texas history, gathered by J.P. Bryan.
- Galveston Railroad Museum: This museum in Galveston is a dream for train lovers! It has real rolling stock (train cars), model trains, and exhibits about railroad history.
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- Galveston Naval Museum: Head to Galveston to see real naval history! This museum is home to the USS CAVALLA (a WWII submarine) and the USS STEWART (a destroyer escort).
- Moody Gardens: This huge attraction in Galveston is super fun! It has a Discovery Pyramid with changing science exhibits, a Rainforest Pyramid with animals and plants, and an Aquarium Pyramid with amazing sea creatures.
- Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum: Ever wondered how we get oil from under the ocean? This museum in Galveston is on a real offshore drilling rig! You can learn all about the history and technology of the oil and gas industry.
- Texas Seaport Museum: In Galveston, this museum is home to the Elissa, a beautiful three-masted sailing ship. You can explore the ship and learn about Galveston's maritime past.
Harris County
- 1940 Air Terminal Museum: Located at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, this museum takes you back to the golden age of aviation. See old planes and learn about flight history!
- Art Car Museum: This unique Houston museum celebrates contemporary art, especially amazing "art cars" that are decorated in wild and creative ways.
- Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens: In Houston, this beautiful estate is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. It features American decorative arts and stunning gardens.
- Buffalo Soldiers National Museum: This Houston museum honors the brave African American soldiers known as the Buffalo Soldiers. It's a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
- Children's Museum of Houston: This museum is a blast for kids! It has 90,000 square feet of interactive and bilingual exhibits where you can play and learn about science, technology, and more.
- Health Museum: Also known as the John Philip McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, this Houston museum makes learning about your body and health super interesting.
- Holocaust Museum Houston: This important museum in Houston teaches about the Holocaust, a terrible time in history from 1941-1945 when millions of people were persecuted. It helps us remember and learn from the past.
- Houston Bicycle Museum: In Houston, this museum showcases the history of bicycles. As of 2022, the owner was looking for someone new to take over, so check if it's open!
- Houston Museum of Natural Science: This huge museum in Houston is full of wonders! Explore natural history, dinosaurs, space, ancient Egypt, and so much more.
- Lone Star Flight Museum: Located in Houston, this museum features amazing historic aircraft and honors important figures in Texas aviation in its Hall of Fame.
- Menil Collection: This Houston museum has a fantastic collection of 20th-century art from all over the world.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: One of the largest art museums in the United States, this Houston museum has about 64,000 works of art spanning over 6,000 years of history from six continents!
- National Museum of Funeral History: This unique Houston museum explores the history of funerals, caskets, and mourning traditions. It's a fascinating look at how different cultures honor the dead.
- San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site: Near La Porte, this historic site is where Texas won its independence! It's a National Register of Historic Places site.
- Space Center Houston: This is the official visitor center for the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center! In Houston, you can see real spacecraft, learn about astronauts, and experience what it's like to go to space.
- USS Texas: This incredible battleship is part of the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site near La Porte. It's a real battleship you can explore!
Liberty and Montgomery Counties
- Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center: In Liberty, this center has changing exhibits about South Texas history. It also includes two historic house museums.
- City By the Sea Museum: In Palacios, this museum tells the story of the Palacios area. Learn about Camp Hulen, fishing, ships, agriculture, and even the Karankawa people.
- Matagorda County Museum: Located in Bay City, this museum was once Bay City's first post office. It displays many historical artifacts from the area.
- Heritage Museum of Montgomery County, Texas: In Conroe, this museum is designed to be child-friendly and easy for everyone to visit. It shares the history of Montgomery County.
- Magnolia Depot Museum: This museum in Magnolia is housed in a train depot built in 1902! It's a great place to learn about railroad history.
- The Woodlands Children's Museum: In The Woodlands, this museum is specially designed for children to learn and play through interactive exhibits.
Wharton County
- 20th Century Technology Museum: In Wharton, this museum has a wide variety of cool technology from the 20th century. It's a great place to see how things have changed!
- Danish Heritage Museum of Danevang: In Danevang, this museum shows what life was like for the Danish pioneers who settled the area.
- El Campo Museum of Natural History: Started in 1978 in El Campo, this museum focuses on natural history.
Defunct Museums
Some museums have closed over the years, but their history is still part of the Texas Gulf Coast story. These include:
- Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, Houston (closed in 2012)
- Forbidden Gardens, Katy (closed in 2011)
- Geraldine D. Humphreys Museum, Liberty (closed in 1984)
- Gulf Coast Archive and Museum, Houston (museum closed, but archive is still open by appointment)
- Samuel May Williams House, Galveston (closed in 2007)
- Tate-Senftenberg-Brandon House, Columbus (closed in 2006)
See also
Images for kids
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20th Century Technology Museum
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Austin County Jail Museum
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Ammon Underwood House
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Brazoria County Historical Museum
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Old Foster Community Museum
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Home of Michael Branamour Menard
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The William Lewis Moody Home
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Seawolf Park
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Lawndale Art Center
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List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.