City: Houston, TX

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (713) 639-7800

Address: 1406 Kirby Dr., in River Oaks

Description: Obsessed with European decor? Make a trip to Rienzi to see the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s decorative arts holdings, which date back several centuries. The museum makes its home in an exquisite River Oaks house that belonged to philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III. Inside is an extensive display of European ceramics dating back to the early 1800s, English portraits, religious paintings from Spain and Italy, Worcester porcelain, and one-­of-­a-kind pieces of European furniture. The elaborate house sits on 4.4 acres, much of which are filled with gardens—some formal, others filled with native plants such as ferns. Depending on the season, visitors can enjoy dozens of different blooms, thanks to the Garden Club of Houston, which now maintains the gardens. Guided tours of the house and gardens are available, but reservations are recommended. Admission, which includes the cost of the tour and parking, is $6 for adults and $4 for museum members, seniors 65 and up, college students, and kids 12 to 18 years old. Kids under 12 get in free. On Sunday, admission is $5 for individuals of all ages, $10 for groups of 2 to 4 people, and $15 for groups of 5 or 6. Admission to the gardens is free. Free on-­site parking is available if you take a tour; limited free parking is also available on side streets around Rienzi. Rienzi is closed Mon and Tues; the gardens are open daily.