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Museums

As the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the country, Houston is a hotbed of culture and arts. The vast array of museums and galleries are nearly as diverse as the city itself, with everything from the renowned Museum of Fine Arts Houston to unusual and engaging learning centers like the Weather Museum and the Health Museum.

With 16 museums within walking distance of one another, the Museum District allows visitors and locals to experience some of the world's finest displays of art, science, nature and history in one fell swoop. Located just southwest of downtown -- where Hermann Park, Rice University, and the Texas Medical Center come to meet -- the Museum District draws more than seven million visitors a year. With 55,000 works of art  spanning two museum buildings, two decorative art centers, two art schools, and acres of beautiful gardens, the Museum of Fine Arts alone could captivate art lovers for days. The nearby Menil Collection boasts one of the finest private holdings of surrealist art, while the Contemporary Arts Museum showcases excellent one-person shows.

Beloved by young and old, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, situated in the beautiful Hermann Park,  blends science, nature and fun, with a butterfly exhibit, planetarium, observatory, scores of galleries, and an IMAX Theatre. And while you're in the park, you can say say hello to Blanco, the famous white American alligator, and 4,500 other exotic animals at the Houston Zoo. The Children's Museum of Houston is another perfect place for kids. Featuring 14 galleries of fun-filled exhibits, many of the museum's outstanding activities are bilingual. Beyond the Museum District, between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive, the Buffalo Bayou ArtPark provides another beautiful outdoor setting for sculpture and other forms of art.