Museum District

Designed by Renzo Piano, the internationally respected Menil Collection houses the private art collection of its founders John de Menil and Dominique de Menil. The museum encompasses a number of other nearby galleries and spaces, including the Rothko Chapel, the Cy Twombly Gallery, and the recently built Drawing Institute. All together, the aptly named Museum District features 19 different museums, such as the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Fine Arts. This family-friendly area is also home to 300-acre Rice University, a private research institution with an emphasis on science and engineering. The breathtaking James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace can be found on the Rice campus.