Houston Christian University Museums
The University Museums will be closed November 27-30
for the Thanksgiving Holidays.
HCU is home to three museums of history, one fine arts museum and two art galleries. Discover the rich history of the Bible and its impact in our Bible Museum; examine artifacts from our nation’s history in the History Museums; and embark on a journey of visual expression in our Fine Arts Museums. The Dunham Bible Museum and the Fine Arts Museums are free.
A special exhibit, Nativities Around the World, will be on view November 18, 2024 – January 18, 2025 at the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts.
Rich in History
The Dunham Bible Museum, the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts and the Museum of Southern History are housed within the Joella and Stewart Morris Cultural Arts Center. These museums enrich the educational environment and improve the community by attracting history lovers and learners of all kinds to HCU’s campus.
Dunham Bible Museum
Holding one of the most extensive collections of rare bibles in the nation, the Dunham Bible Museum’s exhibits include ancient manuscripts, medieval scriptures, a working Gutenberg-style printing press, some of the first Bibles printed in America and even some of the earliest Bibles printed in the English language—all creatively displayed to show the Bible’s history and impact on civilization and culture.
Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts
Showcasing Texas between 1830 and 1930, the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts features household furnishings and decorative arts from the days when Houston was merely a frontier settlement.
Museum of Southern History
A window into the South during the mid-1800s, the Museum of Southern History showcases room settings, clothing, fine furnishings, uniforms, tools and weapons that give visitors a sense of how settlers rebuilt their lives after the Civil War.
Commitment to the Arts
The Fine Arts Museum, Contemporary Art Gallery and Gallery 220 are located in the University Academic Center. These museum and gallery spaces support lifelong learning among a range of audiences, including the University family and the broader arts Houston community.
Fine Arts Museum
Religious-themed paintings and prints are on display in the Fine Arts Museum, including St. John in the Wilderness by Sir Anthony Van Dyck, c.1624. Programming varies throughout the academic year and includes lectures, poetry readings and musical performances as well as community outreach programs.
Contemporary Art Gallery
The Contemporary Art Gallery encourages contemporary artists to challenge and educate public perceptions of civic and social ideas and aesthetic and spiritual consciousness.
Gallery 220
Art exhibits by regional artists are rotated every two months during the Fall and Spring semesters in both of these unique spaces. Visiting artists provide meaningful interaction and inspiration during gallery talks presented at the regularly scheduled opening receptions. HCU art students also participate in the installation process during their courses in Gallery and Museum practices.
Founding Principles
The Morris Center for Law & Liberty
This building is modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and forged. Independence Hall is a classic example of Georgian style architecture popular in Great Britain and America during the reigns of Kings George I, II and III.