City: Houston, TX

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (713) 525-9400

Address: 1515 Sul Ross St.

Insider Pick:

Description: One of the most significant private art collections assembled during the 20th century is right here in Houston. The Menil Collection houses some 15,000 works of art—paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, and rare books—that span from antiquity to the Byzantine and medieval eras to African and Oceanic tribes on up to the 20th century. The collection, amassed by John and Dominique de Menil, also includes some of the world’s finest examples of surrealism, cubism, and pop art by the likes of Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. The Menil Collection recently launched the Menil Drawing Institute and Study Center, which collects, exhibits, and studies modernist drawings by the likes of Paul Cézanne, Paul Klee, and René Magritte. The Menil Collection holds special events throughout the year; most take place at the main building on Sul Ross Street. On the first Sunday of each month, for instance, The Artist’s Eye series features local artists talking about their favorite work from the Menil Collection. Also popular is the Menil/Rice Lecture Series held at nearby Rice University throughout the year. All Menil lectures relate to a theme found in the museum’s permanent collection. Admission is free. So is parking behind the Menil Collection on West Alabama Street between Mulberry and Mandell Streets. Closed Mon and Tues.