Houston's National Museum of Funeral History

If you are going to be traveling through Houston, Texas anytime soon, you may want to visit the National Museum of Funeral History. Located on the North side of Houston, it sits at the corner of Barren Springs and Ella Boulevard.

Exhibitions

There seems to be a little bit of something for everybody at the National Museum of Funeral History.

Hearses

For the car buff, there's a beautifully restored 1921 RockFalls Hearse, a truly magnificent representation of the cars of its time. Carved of six different types of wood, it weighs in at 4,500 lbs. This isn't the only hearse. The 1916 Packard Funeral Bus and the Japanese Hearse are just two more examples of the interesting collection of funeral vehicles on display.

Coffin Art

For the art enthusiast there is the Fantasy Coffins display. This exhibit contains the art of Ghanaian sculptor Kane Quaye. The coffins are sculpted to represent the deceased's characteristics or standing in the community. In Ghanaian belief, honoring their dead by having them buried in personalized coffins in lavish burial ceremonies will help the survivors gain spiritual blessings.

The coffins on display here include a KLM airliner, a Mercedes Benz and a Yamaha Outboard Motor. There are also animals such as the leopard, a bull, and a fish.

History

For the history lover, there's a diorama that illustrates the embalming method used by battlefield doctors during the Civil War. More specifically, the method of one Dr. Thomas Holmes, who studied at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and traveled from battlefield to battlefield, embalming the dead.

The museum also features fascinating artifacts like an 1860 German "Glaswagen" Funeral Coach and John F. Kennedy's "Eternal Flame" which is on permanent loan to the museum.

The Cost

The admission into the National Museum of Funeral History is very reasonable--just $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children under twelve. Children under three are admitted free and seniors and veterans are charged $5.00.

The museum offers tours, group discounts and private tours for schools and other groups. Also available are dining and kitchen facilities along with a full catering service for parties and events. For corporate events, an auditorium that seats 100 can be reserved.

The museum is also available for consultation for television and movie projects and have a wide range of props available for rental. Their services have been used in the production of movies like The Gangs of New York and Kill Bill.

For more information, or if your travels don't take you to Texas, visit the National Museum of Funeral History's website listed in the resources below.