Posted on December 03, 2012 by sguese

 

If everything is bigger in Texas, Houston is no exception. The largest city in the state and the nation’s fourth largest city overwhelms with its wealth of offerings from its thriving Museum District to its abundance of parks. And whil

e some may believe it to be just a sprawl of concrete and superhighway, Houston proves it has a quirky side especially throughout its museum spaces.

 

Orange Show Center for Visionary Art

Houston’s art scene is not always what it seems, specifically at the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. The center brings beer cans, welded steel oranges and plastic flowers to the table, all apart of Houston’s folk art scene. The Orange Show Center for visionary Art showcases the wacky art streak of the late Jeff McKissack. He molded his house into a junk art tribute to his favorite fruit. Tours are offered of the folk art vision and the center is also in charge of keeping up the 50,000 can exterior of the Beer Can House. Located off 1-45 South, you can easily reach this piece of quirky art with your car hire Houston.

 

Museum of Printing History

Often passed over by travelers to Houston, the Museum of Printing History presents rare and unusual printed works. You can see pieces like the Dharani Scroll, dating from AD 764. It is one of the oldest printed works in existence. The Museum of Printing History also boasts a vast collection of daily papers printed on historical dates such as the day the Titanic sank, JFK’s assassination and the invasion of Pearl Harbor.

 

Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum

Most travelers don’t come to Houston in search of Byzantine frescoes. However the city has it own slice of Byzantine art in the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum. The frescoes in the space hail from a 13^th century votive chapel that came to Houston from a home in Cyprus in the early 20^th century. The dome and apse were rescued from thieves and then restored under the arrangement with the Greek Orthodox Church and the Republic of Cyprus.

 

Art Car Museum

Another funky museum staple in Houston is the Art Car Museum. The museum provides the opportunity to see several over the top autos along with cutting edge temporary exhibits. The free museum is worth a stop, especially if you aren’t in town to see the Art Car Parade in May.