A little slice of paradise right here in Houston! An absolutely gorgeous place to enjoy nature's beauty - from the lush green lawns, caladiums, to stunning landscaping. An wonderful place to enjoy with friends, family, date night, or solo. They offer events throughout the Summer, like the one I attended yesterday "Sip and Stroll". This event gave access to a former home (residence of Ms. I. Hogg) turned museum, a stroll of the grounds including luscious views of Caladiums, and water features. Our entry fee also paid for a refreshing sherbet dessert, and a drink. These gardens are located on Westcott - to park you would need to continue down the driveway where there is additional parking and signage leading to the bridge to the home and grounds. This place is picturesque, and serene. You'd never guess something like this is nestled in Houston. If looking for a place to just breathe and reset while walking the paths and enjoying the plants, trees, flowers, and decor, or to enjoy a lovely evening with cocktails, this is the place to be. A true gem of a place. You'll love it! Enjoy! read more

See all

The customer service here was awful. Daniel was the meanest person I have ever interacted with he was demeaning, cruel, and just overall very rude. The way he explained their policies was judgmental, and didn't even seem like he wanted to help. Horrible to navigate, and super confusing. I would absolutely never come back here again, and I would not recommend. Take your time elsewhere, where you will be appreciated. read more

A well curated collection of pieces and beautifully maintained gardens. I learned a lot about American history and its lesser known change makers as well as about Houston. I look forward to visiting again for events in the gardens. read more

See all

It has been a long time since I've been here, but it was my first time here back after my TBI 5 years ago. So coming back here as a disable person make me realize how much this place is not really ADA compliant. Let's start with the entrance that they have provided to everyone where you park in a parking lot and you cross a bridge but at the entrance of the bridge it will let you know it is no Wheelchair accessible here but it does not say where to go or what to do to find the wheelchair accessible entrance. Luckily my friend who is in a wheelchair call them ahead of time to find out where he need to go to enter the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. For wheel access, you have to drive to a different address of: 2940 Lazy Lane Boulevard , it will take you to a different entrance with a guard at the gate. Two of the staff here were really helpful for my group of disabilities wheelchair guests are Charles and Manny. Manny made sure the Metro lift bus was able to come into the gate and Charles even gave me his number in case if we need any assistant where visit Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Some of the challenge we have faced are the door to enter the Cottage where the only restroom is at is not big enough for wide wheelchair, so my friend Telia had to hard time going in and back out. The other challenge is the slope from the House to the Cottage is too steep for a regular wheelchair user to go up or down by themselves. There is no way for wheelchair users to see the art on the second floor of the house. Speaking of lack of wheelchair access, majority of the garden are unable to access which wheelchair. So my friends were not able to really enjoy the full experience of the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. It is an unique art experience here and a lot of people will come here take engagement photos. read more

See all

The former home, built in 1927-1928, of Houstonian and philanthropic civic leader, Ima Hogg, sits on 14 acres of well manicured lawns in the historic River Oaks neighborhood. Bayou Bend is the MFAH house museum for American arts and paintings. Reservations required for timed guided docent tours. Self guided tours are available. Photos included with hours and admission. read more

See all

BEAUTIFUL gardens!! House tour was very informative and interesting. Loved it and I will definitely be going back!!

Decided to come to the beautiful Bayou Bend Gardens in Houston on a warm Houston day. The audio self guided tour on our phone was perfect for us as we winded through the 2 floors of Ima Hoggs home built in 1928. Appreciated the a/ c after being in 100+ degree days in Htown. The staff was lively and helpful with wonderful stories as they guided us to each room. We learned that IMA' s father put nails on their home's banister to keep kids from sliding down banister after her brother fell off it and broke his arm. We also learned that Margaret Thratcher slept in the housekeeper quarters when she visited with President Bush. After a tour of her home, we maraudered through the gardens . It was quiet ,peaceful, and wonderful to catch the end of the day before they closed. Plan on returning when everything is lit up for the December holidays . read more

See all

Great collections of art and gardens - I'll come back to tour the full space but got the opportunity to check out the Hogg family collection and some of the antiques and artifacts. The grounds I was told will take a full hour to explore so I will return for that! read more

See all

Absolutely stunning grounds to walk around. The interior of the house is so interesting with so many collectibles and the staff there is so lovely and knows everything!!! Just ask!! Each garden has music to play via the QR code as you walk around. So surprising and beautiful! read more

See all

I visited this location with my friends and had an incredibly disappointing experience. We were denied entry for no valid reason. All we did was ask the man at the front desk if we could purchase tickets, and he immediately made assumptions about us based on our appearance. We were dressed in casual sundresses, yet he rudely told us we were not allowed to take any kind of photos--despite the website clearly stating that personal photography is permitted as long as it's not for a special occasion. When my friend politely explained that we only intended to take a few casual pictures for social media, the man dismissively told us to "just go to a park instead." His tone was condescending and unprofessional. To make matters worse, I called again later and spoke to a different employee who confirmed that photography is allowed as long as it's not for events like prom or engagements. So why were we treated so unfairly? We drove over an hour to visit this place, only to be met with unnecessary hostility and misinformation. It was a complete waste of time, and the way we were treated was unacceptable. read more

Ive been to Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens around 5 times and always love this place! It's a hidden gem in the heart of Houston. For adults its $7.50 and you pay at the "museum" area then can drive down to the garden area. They will double check you have a ticket/sticker before you enter the garden area. The house/mansion is only for the house tour so if you do not pay for it, I don't believe you can enter. This is definitely a place for pictures and dressing cute. You are not able to bring food/drinks (except water), dogs, or "professional photographer". I think there is a high fee for professional photographers but you can take pictures with your phone. Every time I have gone recently there has been construction around the entrance and towards the houses so you cannot walk by the "neighborhood" attached to the garden. I would recommend anyone who enjoys parks to Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. I will most likely be coming back! read more

See all

Bayou Bend is not actually a park, but a museum (part of the MFAH system). It's the former home of Houston philanthropist, Ima Hogg. Her mansion is available to tour, but if you're like us and prefer the outdoors to the stuffy inside of a decorative mansion, garden-only tickets are also available. The cost for house tour + gardens is $12.50 (for adults), $11 with student ID. Garden only tickets are $7.50 for adults, $6 with student ID. You will first need to go into the main museum entrance to buy tickets from the gift shop. Then, proceed (either via driving or walking) ~1 mile down the road to the garden/house parking lot. It is a little pricey to visit, so I would encourage you to visit in the spring when the flowers are in full bloom. Also keep in mind the hours when planning your visit. It's only open until 5p every day of the week (closed on Mondays). This wouldn't be one to visit after a long day at work. I recommend giving yourself 2-3 hours to enjoy the gardens. There's 14 acres of land to explore here. Ms. Ima Hogg had an absolutely gorgeous garden in her backyard. Come well-dressed because the sculptures and gardens offer great photo opportunities. Take a look at our photos below! read more

Looking for a new experience, our local friends took us to Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. It is part of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH). We visited on a weekday, and there were no crowds. Plenty of parking for everyone. To enter the grounds you cross this terrific pedestrian walking bridge called the Hogg Bridge. Cool place for photo opps. Best not to take too long on the bridge because the staff will ask you to keep moving for safety reasons. We entered through the gift shop. They did a temperature scan of each one of us, and masks were required at the time of our visit. We chose to do both the house tour and garden tour. There is no tour guide, but they do have a detailed audio guide that you should download to learn as you go through each station. They only allowed a maximum total of 5 people per group. The house is the former home of Houston Philanthropist Ima Hogg. Inside each room you will see so many antique furnishings, paintings, plus more. Make sure not to touch anything and no flash photography people!!! The gardens were not blooming so we had bad timing in regards to that. Still, it was fun walking and exploring the grounds. Overall, it was well spent afternoon at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Most of the staff was good. Two of the staff members were EXEPTIONAL!!! Wish I had remembered their names for a shout out. They said that Christmas time is a great time to come back because the place is all decorated! Hope to do that one day. read more

See all

VISITING BAYOU BEND: -Guided tours are available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 10am - 140pm; Friday and Saturday: 10am - 1145am. Tours begin approximately every 15-20 minutes. -Reservations are not required. -Self-guided tours are available outside of the guided tour times. -Guided tours are suspended during August (self-guided tours are available all day). -The guided tour options include either a highlights tour (1 hour) or a study tour (1.5 hours). The longer tour includes more rooms and more in-depth info. Personally, I felt like the 1 hour tour was sufficient for me. -Tickets must be purchased at the Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center (6003 Memorial Drive). There is a relatively small parking lot. While you are there, you can also watch an orientation video and check out a room with information (as well as some artifacts) relating to the Hogg family. I'd recommend carving out a few minutes to do this before your tour so you don't have to come back. After you buy tickets for a designated tour time, you make a right on Westcott and take that down until you hit a large parking lot. That's where you'll park for the house tour. To get to the house, you cross a cool suspension bridge. An employee will meet you on the other side and direct you to the cottage, where you'll meet your docent. -The tour: you cannot bring a purse on the tour but they have free lockers at the cottage. There is a bathroom at the cottage but not at the house area. Finally, you can't bring a water bottle on the tour. This was a bit disconcerting for me since I'm 6 months pregnant and always thirsty. The docents were really understanding and offered to have me leave my water bottle with the house guard, just in case I needed to have quick access to it. I will say that the house is air-conditioned and pretty comfortable. There is some stair-climbing involved but nothing too intense. Overall, I really enjoyed learning about Ima Hogg and her contributions. She's kind of a big deal in the Houston area (making strides in education, mental health, and the arts). I'm glad I chose the 1 hour highlights tour - it provided just enough information for me. I came on a Tuesday morning and had a docent all to myself. I'm glad I didn't do the self-guided tour because I was able to ask questions. The set-up of the house is a little different from what you'd expect. Only two rooms are reflective of the exact furniture set-up during Ima Hogg's time there. The rest of the rooms are furnished using furniture from the relevant time period and intended to showcase different design elements/styles prevalent during that time. The gardens are also quite lovely. Make sure you carve out some time after your tour to explore them. You can also pay a reduced admission and just visit the gardens. Big thanks to my docent, Mary. She was friendly and knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable during my solo tour. Everyone I encountered was really sweet and amicable, aside from the dude working the register at the cottage gift shop. That being said, the gift shop itself is pretty great. It's small however the selections were well-curated and unique. Recommended if you enjoy historic homes, gardens, and local history. I tried to include as much info here as possible but their webpage (part of the MFAH website) is very thorough and useful. read more

I'm a native Houstonian and somehow managed to miss this one! I love the gardens at the Hogg mansion - it's like being in The Secret Garden! A great time to explore here is during the annual Azalea Trail - expect to see gorgeous floral displays!! read more

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens - Art Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

WOWWWW!!! Been a Houstonian my entire life and how have I never been here!? This place is amazing. Peaceful, tranquil and beautiful. $25 for 2 tickets to enter. There is a tour you can take inside of the mansion. Creepy but worth it. My favorite part was exploring the gardens and taking a long stroll getting lost around the bayou bend paths. Breathtaking gardens and scultures.. great date idea and great for family/friends as well. read more

See all

Came here to visit the gardens. The bridge is beautiful and the gardens as well. There is a quaint ticketing office/gift shop, and the employees are very helpful. The phone website audio tour works moderately well - there are times where it'll say press XXX for more info, but it doesn't work with the website format. I tried dialing in, but the numbers weren't aligned properly with the tour. They are suspending in person tours during the pandemic. Overall, a beautiful place to visit that would be undoubtedly even more beautiful in the springtime when the flowers blossom. read more

See all

Exploring Houston and my friend found this place. We decided to check it out. Wanted to do a little walking/hiking. There's not a lot to walk here but the scenery is nice. We didn't not go into the historical house. I think this would be a cute place for a wedding. I think it's about 12 bucks to get in. That is for the garden only. No historical house. Parking is free. read more

See all

The absolute weirdest experience here. We did a self guided tour and enjoyed walking around the home and looking at the gardens. However, once we entered the home it became very strange. Along with our group, there were multiple guided tours in the home. We were walking by around and unintentionally entering the rooms with the guides but were not trying to mooch or enter in unannounced. Unfortunately, this one lady did not appreciate our actions and called us out for entering into a guided tour group when we were clearly self guided. It is a relatively small house when you have multiple tours going on so we are bound to run into them at some point. This lady proceeded to call us out for this action and was incredibly rude even after the actual tour guide invited us into the room. The lady absolutely ruined our experience and actually created more of a disturbance than we did as we were just trying to view the rooms in the order we chose and we're not trying to join in on any pre guided tours. Overall a terrible and unnecessary experience that was not necessary. Also not to mention my girlfriend had to lock up her bag for no reason before entering the grounds. Do not recommend at all unless they fix their staffing. read more

This is always a spectacular destination in Houston for ALL persons whether in a historical, horticulturist, adventurous or playful mood. i love it as a place to enjoy the beauty of outdoor Houston because it's well shaded and you can break your trip into parts to include the air conditioned mansion so you don't swelter when it's the usual hot and humid, which it can be any time of year anyway. But in looking for things to do outdoors, it ranks up there in the top 5 things to do in H-town and is one of the few gardens in the Houston area, sadly, until the Houston Botanic Garden opens in the near future. It's in a nice location for us, near downtown and many great food venues, being just off Memorial Drive. The initial walk from the parking lot is over a grand suspension bridge from which it gets its name Bayou Bend. It's an odd feeling to be walking across something so robust looking and to feel the motions of the entire bridge like an earthquake, especially noticeable when you stop to look at the views, which are, until the end of the bridge, free. It obviously costs to get in and a bit more to tour the mansion, but it's well worth it! They have lockers, bathrooms, an information desk and very detailed maps. The headset audio tour may be good in the mansion, but for the gardens I would rather listen to nature I think. If I were by myself, I may do it though. Goes without saying that everyone is helpful and friendly, so don't hesitate to ask questions, as you will probably get more out of it than simple rote answers! You can probably spend hours wandering the trails and gardens themselves. There are many secluded areas with beautiful benches to sit and reflect and gaze high at the towering trees. Very peaceful and serene. I love how almost everything is meticulously labeled so we know what we are looking at, so I'm learning even when i don't feel like it. The mansion I think is a must for first timers. We've been a few times just for the gardens, but the rooms are so cool, and again, well labeled and historically significant to the area. It's a trip back in time and it's easy to picture yourself in this era. I remember the vacuum cleaner in the broom closet by the kitchen, talk about before its time! Look for it. Overall this is easily a five star business and a must for any Houstonian and a good idea for tourists and guests. Don't forget they have historical events so keep an eye out if you want an extra special visit. read more

See all

Took my father while he was sick and he absolutely loved it. Amazing acres of open field and I love it

What a wonderful way to spend a day at these beautiful gardens. Take the historical tour of the mansion where Ima Hogg lived. It has interesting artifacts and it has been beautifully restored. This is a must see if your touring the houston area. The gift shop is nice and the workers are super friendly and helpful. Parking is free and accessible. read more

See all

We decided to have a Houston Bucket List Day and included Bayou Bend on our itinerary for the day! We showed up just as they opened on a Sunday. Turns out it was Family Day, which seemed really sweet. However, there was a pretty long line to tour the house due to the event. It was a warm, muggy day, so I didn't feel like waiting to tour a crowded house, but we did wander around the gardens for a bit. They're quite lovely, but not too extensive. Still, quite nice on a pretty day. (Not sure it's worth paying for, so I wouldn't go unless you're planning on touring the house as well.) read more

See all

Lovely place for a stroll among calm gardens and to get a glimpse of the previous century's way of life.

This place is fantastic! We went for the Christmas village and it was so pretty. I absolutely think it's worth the trip. The lights were everywhere and they were beautiful! They had a cotton snowball fight for the kids, which was a lot of fun. A tent with wine for purchase, a Christmas tree and Santa for pictures. There was also a short movie about the spirit of the bayou bend house giving Santa a hard time getting in the house( kind of funny). The house tours were limited to a few rooms downstairs, but it was a cute little act with hired actors. They were also showing cartoons on one side of the garden.I will definitely be back to see the grounds during the daytime. MFAH did a fantastic job with Bayou Bend. read more

See all

I am surprised to find out this place has only 53 reviews so far (5/29/2018). Then, this is still a hidden gem for visitors. This place reminds me Atlanta History Center in Atlanta GA (even on the way to get here). Gardens are beautiful and a good amount of walking paths (most of them are not wheelchair accessible friendly). Also there are lockers that you can store your belongings (free of charge). During hot days, it might be challenging for younger kids and elderly people (carrying a water bottle). Parking: Free of charge Tickets: There are multiple options. One thing that I would recommend is to purchase the House tour together (about $5 extra). Don't forget to ask some questions to the people who are working inside of the House read more

See all

Beautiful hidden spot and the grounds are kept exceptionally clean. However my only Issue is while we were taking a picture of the bridge, not on the bridge the attendant walked across to have us cross over immediately which I throughly was weird. Once you enter the museum they have strict rules. I understand they want to preserve the history but it was not that full and sometimes you accidentally rub against things causing a loud alarm to go off Other than that the attendants are very educated about the history behind this beautiful governors daughters home and all the different architecture. It's such an informative trip and the way they have preserved this home is exceptional. While some things such as the wall papers are not original they have replicated it well. It is worth a visit. You are transformed into a different time as you walk through the grounds and there's so many nice trials and walkways throughout that you can spend any of time there. The cost is 12.50 a person which is also a great price considering how much they take care of this establishment read more

See all

What a hidden treasure this house and gardens turned out to be. Ima Hogg left behind a beautiful home and lush gardens to share with Houston. The azaleas were in full bloom which made the visit even more enjoyable. The docents are super friendly and knowledgeable. The manicured gardens, you tour at your own pace. Really lovely. Even the entrance which is reached via a suspension bridge is a part of the overall experience. Really good value for money. read more

See all

I went to this location to enjoy myself before the start of my holiday. Upon arrival to the gardens,  I proceeded into the cottage house where a senior man  approached me and asking where I am from.  I told the staff I'm from New York. He took a pause and looked at me, as if scanning me like a robot. He then asked without hesitation 'are you asian'. Of course I am person of different ethnic origins. He tried to speak a different language to me that I'm not familiar with, not once but twice. The language he spoke to me was"xiexie and ni hao" I can't believe someone of this age  could be overconfident to bluntly ask me this question. I think he has forgotten America is a country made up of diverse of different cultures. After this incident, I was so disappointed at how unprofessional the staff is. The tour was a total waste of my time. read more

My review is just of the gardens. I intended to do both the garden and the house but the house is only available via a tour and my timing was off. I did not want to wait another hour before seeing the house so I decided just to tour the garden. It costs 3 dollars for just the garden or 10 for both the house and the garden. The coolest thing is the trip from the parking lot to the grounds. You get to cross a suspension bridge. The gardens themselves are pretty nice and relaxing but the fact that I had to pay to enjoy nature kind of bugged me. I will update once I get inside the house but for the gardens it was nice seeing some of the nicely designed bushes, I guess the 3 dollars goes towards keeping this place very well maintained. read more

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens - Art Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

The house, garden and collection are all lovely. The app they've made for the house is honestly not very good. There isn't enough information on the objects nor does it include important objects like the many wonderful paintings in the home. The staff here all need to be retrained asap (with the exception of one kind security man who was the first person we encountered in the house). They are the rudest group of museum employees I have met in a long time. The man selling tickets was awful - wouldn't take the time to look at my business card (I am a fellow museum employee - not for the MFAH but for elsewhere). It is common courtesy for museums to extend a discount to other museum workers. Funny enough, the main campus at MFAH had no problem with this! The woman in the gazebo near the house was clearly not thrilled to see visitors. Security in the house followed us around each room with about 6 inches of distance, sighing loudly. We were the ONLY people in the house, there was no reason to rush us and the museum wasn't closing for another 2 hours. I felt so uncomfortable, I couldn't wait to leave. Having been to the main MFAH campus, I am not surprised by the lack of manners in your visitor services/security employees. I wouldn't come back here. read more

This place is really nothing to write home about. The gardens are well tended but they are boring and nothing to see. The employees are " texas wierd". If youve been to any gardens world wide this one sucks. The " house" is just some dead rich broads belongings in a dusty house. Waste of time if you ask me. read more

A few stars, though I wish I could give more. It's a beautiful property with lots to see. Mostly stroller friendly with exception of very few paths and the house tour. One location for bathrooms, with two stalls in the ladies room. Sweet little cottage gift shop with lots of gardening books. They do sell water at the cottage, though I recommend bringing your own because they ran out. Lots to see and appreciate and marvel at. The house tour was where we had the most problems. The employees working inside should really understand that they can make or break people's experience there. One employee, who you ran into at the top of the stairs, just grunted and mumbled orders, which was rude as heck, and if he doesn't like his job, he should go elsewhere. Upstairs, in the room with the TOUCHABLE EXHIBIT, there are no signs saying NOT to touch them, so as we opened each drawer to marvel at the contents inside, one of the employees was visibly panicking telling us not to touch them. We respect rules, but if you have nothing posted, and the exhibit is set up like the other museums in Sugarland and Houston, we're gonna assume we can open the drawers. Not to mention, each drawer has a lock on it. So why the museum wouldn't post a sign saying to not touch the clearly touchable exhibit or lock the drawers is beyond me. We also felt rushed through each room and can't imagine having time to listen or read through the whole guided tour with the glares from employees and rate they were pushing people through. Look, we paid to see this house, we're not going to rush through it. And we forced ourselves to slow down so we could truly appreciate it, as what the original owner would've liked. Overall, it was an okay visit. I'd like to come back when the azaleas are in bloom, which the nice employee at the gift shop said was in Feb and March. Would we come back otherwise? Probably not. The house was beautiful inside and out, as were the gardens, but the rudeness of the employees and the rate that they were trying to get us to go through the house, really took away from the experience. read more

I dragged my parents to Bayou Bend the day after Christmas. The directions on the website were wrong causing some great family bonding - note the element of sarcasm. When we finally found Bayou Bend we had to walk across a narrow suspension bridge crossing a creek to get to the house and grounds. My mother did not appreciate me humming Raiders of the Lost Ark at the top of my lungs. Mostly she was terrified of the bridge shaking back and forth as we walked on it. Yes, it is scary. Go look at the picture I took of it. We got up to the guard booth and the lady tells us we have to wait until 5 pm for the house to re open for the Christmas tour. We waited and then the next set of ladies tell me I had to lock up my purse. WHAT?? I've been in house museums all over the country and have never been told to lock up my purse before. Then the lock ups were falling apart and most of them did not have working locks. Annoying. We toured the gardens before it got dark. I imagine in March that Bayou Bend is magnificent. They have an impressive selection of camellias and they are on the American Camellia Society tour or something like that. Some of the shrubs had fancy splices on them so some creative person is making camellia hybrids. The house was ok. Yes it was just ok. I am jaded though.. growing up on the East Coast I've seen many houses that put Bayou Bend to shame. I can appreciate that Ms. Ima Hogg was one of the first people to bring antique American art to Houston. The house however was not set up that great. It was fanciful stories of old Americana. For example, Room number 1 had a set up for an old Massachusetts Christmas party. I completely did not understand how on earth Massachusetts had anything to do with a house in Houston. By Room 3 of confusion, I finally asked my mom.. What is this??? She said apparently Ms. Hogg collected old American art and this is how they opted to showcase it in the rooms. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... but if nobody had told me that I woulda thought it was kinda silly. Fortunately my mother in her wisdom had it figured out. Sometimes she's smarter than me. Upon exit we were accosted by two large gingerbread people. Funny stuff. I enjoyed that episode the most of the entire tour. My dad asked them if they were afraid of small children munching on them and they both went into dramatic horror at his suggestion. read more

See all

"Fewer and fewer Americans possess objects that have a patina, old furniture, grandparents pots and pans--the used things, warm with generations of human touch, that Rilke celebrated in The Duino Elegies as being essential to a human landscape. Instead, we have our paper phantoms, transistorized landscapes. A featherweight portable museum." -- Susan Sontag, from a collection of essays entitled On Photography Yep. We have our laptops, digital pictures and books online--as ephemeral as the binary 1's and 0's which are their essence. "New and improved" are bywords for our consumer society. I, for one, treasure the books, furniture, artwork and mementos I've inherited from my grandparents, many of which had been passed down to them in a similar vein. They connect me to my past and help center me as I choose a path I wish to take into the future. I believe our American culture as a whole has a similar need. To that end, Ima Hogg and her old home, Bayou Bend, are priceless treasures. Furniture and decorative art won't raise your adrenaline level. If they do, you probably have an unhealthy fetish and urgently need therapy. If you wish to be entertained by technology-infused interactive displays, please don't visit this extension of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH). On the other hand, if you wish to viscerally experience an environment which reflects the day-to-day needs and tastes of our founding fathers (and mothers), Bayou Bend is a must-see. If you're visiting, there are two significant hurdles you must first negotiate to enter the beautiful gardens that surround the place: (1) Finding the street entrance in the first place. It's at the intersection of Memorial Dr. and Wescott St. If you're driving on Memorial, it's easy to wiz through the intersection and miss it completely. If you're teeing into Memorial whilst driving south on Westcott, the entrance sign should be staring you in the face, but people seem to have a penchant for missing it anyway. I've uploaded a picture of the entrance as seen from Google Map's "Street View" to help prevent you from driving by like many. (2) Crossing the bridge over Buffalo Bayou. It's a narrow pedestrian bridge that shakes and sways with every footfall. There is a sign posted at its entrance that describes in great detail all the conditions that may occur that would prevent you from using the bridge (including the maximum allowable wind velocity). I have a feeling MFAH paid too much for the lawyer that stipulated these conditions. It's a joyfully bouncing experience to walk across and deliberately start the bridge shaking as much as possible (that is, until a dour security guard comes out of the guard house on the other side and shakes her finger at you--oops!). The crossing may result in the adrenaline rush you crave but won't find whilst touring the museum. Others may wish to take a Valium before attempting the crossing. Once safely on the grounds, you can tour them on your own or walk up to a small building on your right which serves as the reception area for those who wish to take a guided tour of the museum. They are scheduled regularly so you normally don't have to wait long if you didn't call ahead to confirm times and make reservations. As you wait for the guide to appear, you can read all about the oil heiress Ima Hogg's philanthropic and cultural contributions to the city and state. You also can read about how she got her unfortunate name. Note: it is an urban legend that she had a sister named Ura. And now we've reached the gist of whether you will have a 5-star experience or something less than that. It's all about the volunteer guides. Their labor of love may not transfer well to you unless you get one of the good ones. If you are sufficiently lucky, you will be guided through a furniture-laced (albeit, low key) adventure that spans centuries and encompasses styles we know as Queen Anne, Dutch, Georgian and Chippendale (sorry ladies--don't let your adrenaline spike--this has nothing to do with dancers). With a little patience and perseverance, you will begin appreciating the lilting s-curves of cabriole legs, claw-and-ball feet, peculiarities of back splats hand-crafted in Newport, Boston, Philadelphia and New York, and all sorts of fanciful finials. "What's a finial?" you may ask. I'm not telling. You will do a lot of walking during the tour, so if you're a bit out of shape, your pulse may actually be elevated before you sit a spell on the upstairs balcony and sip lemonade. The paintings that complement the furnishings are historic and reflect the same discriminating taste Ms. Hogg used when purchasing the other items in the collection. If you're familiar with the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, you'll immediately recognize his distinctive style in a portrait that graces one of the walls. On second thought, I do get an adrenaline rush when I visit Bayou Bend! Do I need therapy? read more

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens - Entrance on Memorial Drive as seen in Google Map's Street View - Art Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

We've been here a couple of times: once for a sip and stroll through the gardens and for a tour of the Ima Hogg house and once for a viewing of the annual Opera Vista performance. The Opera Vista was slightly more entertaining than the sip and stroll, but Bayou Bend offer much tranquility in a busy city. Perhaps I should go to Bayou Bend and cross it's creepy bridge when it's not crowded for an event. Either way, it's always enjoyable - - not just to us! The birds and bugs love it too!! **Wear repellent** read more

Beautiful gardens. Very nice staff. For $7.50, it's a nice, different Houston outdoors experience. We opted not to get house tour tickets but might check it out if we come back. Nice to discover stuff like this exists in Houston, and it's very affordable and accessible read more

If you love historic/antique/nostalgic sights and things, a fan of the MFAH, or curious about much of Houston, DO COME to the Bayou Bend Collection. It's a pretty oasis in the River Oaks areas and the Hogg House (or a mansion tbh) is so very well curated. The tour is docent-lead and I got the pleasure of being toured solo by ms Barrett. She gave extensive information about the house and its many themed rooms. You will be told that the main rooms (you can't go in all of em; most are for open viewing) are curated per ms Hogg's taste. There's Greek influence, Federalist influence, Chippendale, and even a room dating back to the 1600s. Curious about American furniture style and even from different states? You will learn a lot because a lot of the furniture placed in the rooms come from New England states, New York, Philadelphia, etc. My tour lasted about 70 minutes. The bridge is currently closed for repairs due to erosion underneath it. You still go by the address listed in the website to buy tix but you have to drive around (about 3-4min) to Lazy Lane to access the house, but fret not because then you'll see more of the colonial neighbourhood. It's very impressive to have this so very well taken care of in Houston. I'm also told Bayou Bend Collection serves events, esp during Xmas time. They said the best time to visit the gardens is in spring time when all the flowers in the gardens are blooming. What a beautiful place. read more

See all

Pretty nice that they have activities that center around the Fourth of July with employees dressing up as soldiers from 1776. The gardens is huge too--sitting right in the middle is a mansion. A nice suspension bridge that gets you from A to B--just be careful not to walk with multiple persons it may give way in fall in the water. Distance from the water seemed pretty far. The grass was fairly muddy when my sister and I came as the garden was packed with people for the event. Pink azaleas, roses, tall trees, and a water fountain all paralleled with each other. The employees even served cake and lemonade to celebrate the birth of America. Now the gift shop is like most gift shops it's pricey and for the tourists. read more

My fiancé and I enjoyed strolling the house and gardens! Very nice place to kill some time. The different rooms have different eras of furniture which is super interesting to me! They have lockers in the gift shop where you buy your tickets so you can put your belongings away for free. The staff inside the home was super friendly and educational. They even showed us some photos of when George W Bush had dinner in the dining room there! Not many of the plants in the gardens were blooming when we visited, but still super pretty. read more