Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

A limited number of Houston tours visit Bayou Bend, but your best option might be to start at the Kilroy Visitor and tour the house or gardens. Your admission charge varies with the type of tour: Take the “Highlights'' tour to see the main points of interest in the house in one hour, or the “Study Tour'' to see additional rooms and art objects in 90 minutes. Self-guided tours of the house and gardens are also options.

• The Kilroy Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible.

• Large portions of the gardens and the house's second floor are inaccessible to guests who use wheelchairs and walkers.

• Flash photography, photo props, tripods, or similar equipment are not permitted inside the estate.

• The Cottage Shop next to the Clio Gardens sells jewelry, stationery, books, garden products, and more.

• Visitors with a Houston CityPASS save 51 percent on admission.

• Tickets may be purchased only on-site.

Bayou Bend is on the outskirts of Memorial Park in the River Oaks residential area of west Houston. From downtown Houston, driving is the fastest—you'll reach the estate in about ten minutes. A ride on the #20 bus from Congress Street and along Memorial Drive to the estate takes about 20–30 minutes.

Bayou Bend is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sundays. It closes on Mondays except on holidays. Guided tours are offered every 15 or 20 minutes until late morning or early afternoon. Self-guided tours are available almost all day, but self-guided tours of the house sometimes stop after 2pm. Guided tours are unavailable in August, while self-guided tours are offered all day.

There are four tours available at Bayou Bend. The "Highlights" tour covers rooms on both house floors, a few artworks, and the history of the Hogg Family, the former owners. The "Study" tour visits additional rooms, focuses on the entire collection of American decorative art objects, and has an option for seeing silver and ceramic objects. Audio and paper guides are available for self-guided tours.