The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is one of the largest art museums in the United States, located at 1001 Bissonnet Street in Houston‘s Museum District. It contains a permanent collection of nearly 80,000 works spanning more than 5,000 years. This guide covers opening hours, admission, parking, transport, accessibility, and practical visitor tips.
Updated May 2026. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. Several other guides incorrectly state Monday as the closed day. Permanent collections admission is free every Thursday, and Thursday evening parking is also free for visitors entering between 5pm and 9pm.
Quick facts: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 1001 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX 77005 |
| Closed | Tuesdays; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day |
| Thursday hours | 11:00am–9:00pm (free permanent collections) |
| Friday hours | 11:00am–9:00pm |
| Sunday opening time | 12:15pm |
| Adult admission (All Access) | $24 |
| Child (12 and under) | Free |
| Thursday permanent collections | Free for all visitors |
| Nearest METRORail | Museum District station, Red Line |
| Parking | Three paid garages on site (first 30 minutes free) |
| Typical visit duration | 2–3 hours |
Museum of Fine Arts Houston opening hours
The MFAH is closed every Tuesday, and also on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It is open on Memorial Day and most federal holidays.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 11:00am–5:00pm |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 11:00am–5:00pm |
| Thursday | 11:00am–9:00pm |
| Friday | 11:00am–9:00pm |
| Saturday | 11:00am–6:00pm |
| Sunday | 12:30pm–6:00pm |
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Museum of Fine Arts Houston ticket prices
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| All Access — Adult (19+) | $24 |
| All Access — Senior (65+ with ID) | $20 |
| All Access — Youth (13–18) | $20 |
| All Access — Child (12 and under) | Free |
| Thursday — Permanent Collections (all ages) | Free |
| Thursday — All Access (13+) | $10 |
An All Access ticket covers the permanent collections and most special exhibitions across all three main buildings on the same day.
Free admission for: MFAH members; children 12 and under; active US military and reserves with valid ID, and military families with dependent cards; Texas Lone Star Card holders (TANF, SNAP, WIC); Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders on the first full Saturday and Sunday of each month (one free admission per cardholder); Texas public library cardholders aged 18 and under on Saturdays and Sundays.
Houston CityPASS: The MFAH is included in Houston CityPASS, which covers five attractions at up to 53% off. Thursday CityPASS visits include the All Access ticket.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked against the official MFAH website and last updated in May 2026.
How to get to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The museum is in Houston’s Museum District, at the corner of Bissonnet Street and Main Street.
By METRORail: The Red Line stops at Museum District station, a short walk from the main entrance. This is the most reliable option, particularly when garages are full.
By car: From US 59/I-69, exit Main Street or Greenbriar/Shepherd and head into the Museum District.
By bicycle: Parking is available near the Cloud Column sculpture on Montrose Boulevard and on the first level of the Beck Garage at 1144 Binz Street.
Parking at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Three garages serve the campus, all open daily 6am–11pm. The first 30 minutes are always free. Card payments only.
| Garage | Address |
|---|---|
| Beck Garage | 1144 Binz Street |
| Kinder Garage | 5500 Main Street |
| Glassell Garage | 5101 Montrose Boulevard |
Thursday evening: Parking is free for visitors entering the museum between 5pm and 9pm. This makes a Thursday evening visit free from door to door. Garages fill during major exhibitions and summer weekends — METRORail is the safer option on busy days. Full parking information is at mfah.org/parking.
Five great things to do in Houston
- 🚀 Reserve your tickets – for Houston’s number one attraction, Space Center Houston.
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- 🚇 Explore the largest downtown tunnel system in the US – on the Astroville Tunnel Tour.
- 🎨 On a downtown mural tour – learn about Houston’s street art scene.
- 🖼️ Immerse yourself in a spectacular interactive art installation – at Meow Wolf’s Radio Tave.
How long to spend at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Most visitors need two to three hours. The campus covers 14 acres across three connected gallery buildings. Three underground tunnels link the buildings — these are worth walking through rather than using external routes.
Accessibility at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Most public areas are fully wheelchair accessible. The museum lends free wheelchairs with a valid photo ID as a deposit — ask at any admissions desk. Use the covered drop-off lane at the Main Street entrance to the Beck Building; wheelchair-accessible parking is in the Beck Garage at 1144 Binz Street. Full accessibility details are on the official website.
Inside the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: what to see
The Audrey Jones Beck Building houses the European paintings collection, covering the Renaissance to the early 20th century, with works by Rubens, Goya, Cézanne, Degas, Monet, and Picasso. This building also contains the main special exhibition galleries.
The Caroline Wiess Law Building covers African, Asian, Islamic, and pre-Columbian art, alongside American decorative arts. One of the connecting tunnels runs through this building and features a light installation by James Turrell.
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building (opened 2020) holds the 20th- and 21st-century collections. A rooftop terrace garden is accessible during museum hours.
The Cullen Sculpture Garden on Bissonnet Street is open during museum hours and free to all visitors. It includes Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Column and works by Matisse and Rodin.
Dining: Le Jardinier (Michelin-starred, advance booking recommended) and Café Leonelli (casual Italian) are both on campus. MFAH members receive a 15% discount at both.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| The museum is closed on Tuesdays | A common source of wasted journeys. Several major guides incorrectly list Monday as the closed day. |
| Thursday is the free day — and the busiest | Permanent collections are free for everyone. Thursday morning is significantly quieter than Thursday evening. |
| Thursday evening parking is also free | Visitors entering the museum between 5pm and 9pm park free in all three garages — making a Thursday evening visit completely free. |
| Sunday opens at 12:30pm | A detail many visitors miss. Do not arrive before 12:30pm on Sundays. |
| Book timed tickets for major exhibitions | Popular special exhibitions sell out on weekends. Book in advance at mfah.org. |
Frequently asked questions about the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is admission to the MFAH free? | Permanent collections are free every Thursday for all visitors. On other days, adult All Access tickets cost $24. Children 12 and under are always free. |
| Is the MFAH open on Sundays? | Yes, from 12:30pm. Note the later opening compared to other days. |
| Is the MFAH closed on Tuesdays? | Yes. The museum is closed every Tuesday, plus Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. |
| Is parking free? | The first 30 minutes are always free. On Thursdays, parking is free for visitors entering between 5pm and 9pm. Other visits incur a charge — see mfah.org/parking. |
| Is the MFAH included in Houston CityPASS? | Yes. CityPASS covers the MFAH alongside four other Houston attractions at up to 53% off. Buy at citypass.com/houston. |
Things to do near the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Cullen Sculpture Garden (Bissonnet Street, adjacent, free) is open during museum hours and contains major works by Kapoor, Matisse, and Rodin. No ticket required.
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose Boulevard, free) is directly across Montrose from the Glassell School. Non-collecting contemporary art with strong rotating exhibitions. Free every day.
Houston Museum of Natural Science (5555 Hermann Park Drive, ticketed) is ten minutes on foot, adjacent to Hermann Park and the Houston Zoo.
Hermann Park (6001 Fannin Street, free) is a large public park connecting the Museum District to the zoo, Japanese garden, and a miniature railway.
Menil Collection (1533 Sul Ross Street, free) is a world-class private museum in Montrose with outstanding Surrealist and African art, a dedicated Cy Twombly Gallery, and the Rothko Chapel nearby. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
What to visit tomorrow: art museums within two hours of Houston
Menil Collection (Montrose, ~1.5 miles, free) is Houston’s other major art institution and the natural companion visit. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The Rothko Chapel (3900 Yupon Street) is a two-minute walk and always free.
Art Museum of Southeast Texas (500 Main Street, Beaumont, ~90 miles east, ~1.5 hours) is a regional museum with American art and craft.
Galveston Arts Center (2127 Strand Street, Galveston, ~50 miles, ~1 hour) is a community arts centre with rotating regional exhibitions in the historic Strand District.
McNay Art Museum (San Antonio, ~200 miles west, ~3 hours) is a fine arts museum in a Spanish Colonial Revival mansion with a notable Impressionist collection. Beyond the two-hour range but the nearest major dedicated art museum to the south-west.
Orange Show Center for Visionary Art (2402 Munger Street, Houston, ~4 miles, ~10 minutes) is a distinctive outsider art environment in east Houston, open seasonally. A locally significant folk-art alternative to the major Museum District institutions.
More Texas travel
Other Texas travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Compare Austin’s big museum experiences at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Texas Science and Natural History Museum.
- Plan your trip to the Downtown Aquarium, Children’s Museum Houston, Houston Museum of Natural Science and Waugh Drive Bridge bat colony.
- See more wildlife at The Dallas Zoo.
- Guides to the Bryan Museum, Ocean Star Museum, Galveston Naval Museum and Galveston Railroad Museum in Galveston.
- Practical guide to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth.
