Is the Museum of Fine Arts Houston Free? Thursdays, Special Exhibits & Parking
MFAH permanent collections are free every Thursday, courtesy of Shell. Special exhibitions cost extra. Plus: Bank of America free weekends, parking rates,…
By Thomas A. · Updated October 5, 2026 · Written with AI assistance
Yes, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston permanent collections are free every Thursday, courtesy of Shell USA. Special exhibitions still require a separate, discounted All Access ticket even on Thursdays. Outside of Thursday, adult admission is $24, seniors 65+ and youth 13-18 pay $20, and children 12 and under are always free.
What's Free on Thursdays at MFAH
General admission to the permanent collections is free every Thursday, courtesy of Shell USA. That gets you into all three gallery buildings on the Sarofim Campus: the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the Caroline Wiess Law Building, and the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. You can see the permanent collections and spend as long as you like until closing. Special exhibitions are not included in the free Thursday admission. They require a separate All Access ticket, which is discounted on Thursdays but not free. Check which exhibitions are on and whether they interest you before assuming the whole visit costs nothing.
Special Exhibitions: What Costs Extra
Special exhibitions cost extra for most visitors, even on free Thursdays; members, children 12 and under, and active-duty military families get in free. The museum sells an All Access ticket that covers general admission plus all special exhibitions, and on Thursdays the All Access ticket is sold at a discount. The current exhibition list and ticket prices are on the museum's site.
Other Ways to Get In Free
Bank of America cardholders get free general admission on the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday of every month. Bring your Bank of America credit or debit card and a photo ID. Texas public library cardholders aged 18 or under get in free on Saturdays and Sundays. Active-duty military and their families are free every day with valid ID. Texas Lone Star Card holders (SNAP, TANF, WIC) can bring up to six people from the household free, any day. Children 12 and under are free every day.
Parking at MFAH: Rates and Free Windows
Garage parking is free for the first 30 minutes, then $10 for up to four hours and $18 for four to twelve hours. Members pay $6 and $10. The garages are open 6am to 11pm. If you are only ducking in to see one gallery or pick up a member, the free half-hour works. For a proper visit, plan on $10.
Hours and Last Entry
The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday hours are 11am to 5pm. Thursday and Friday it stays open until 9pm, Saturday until 6pm, and Sunday 12:30pm to 6pm. On Thursdays the late close makes an after-work visit possible, and the free admission makes it the single best day to go.
Bayou Bend and Rienzi: Separate Admission
Bayou Bend and Rienzi are house museums with their own admission and their own hours. They are part of the MFAH but are not on the Sarofim Campus and are not included in general admission or in the free Thursday offer. If you want to see them, check their individual pages for tickets and visiting rules.
How to Plan a Free Thursday Visit
The Kinder Building holds modern and contemporary art. If a special exhibition interests you, buy the discounted All Access ticket online before you go. Check mfah.org for whether a free Thursday ticket is needed. Pair the visit with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston across the street, which is always free, or the Menil Collection in Montrose, a short drive west.
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