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New revealing Ruth Bader Ginsburg exhibition holds court at Houston museum

Meet the five-foot-one giant of the Supreme Court in this new exhibit.

Image courtesy of Holocaust Museum Houston

Immersive and interactive events are all the rage in Houston these days, bringing life to historic figures — take the current Immersive Van Gogh and the new Immersive Friday Kahlo. Now, locals can get to know Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the five-foot-one giant of American politics and Supreme Court judge, in a new exhibition coming to Holocaust Museum Houston.

Houston will be the sole Texas site for “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg” which will be on view March 11 through July 31.

This new show is based on the New York Times bestselling book and Tumblr blog of the same name, Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is the first-ever museum exhibition focused solely on Ginsburg, who passed away in 2020 but gained a new generation of fans as her image has adorned mugs, t-shirts, posters, and bobbleheads.

In keeping with the spirit of the Notorious RBG book, the exhibit riffs off the pop-culture connection between Ginsburg (Notorious RBG) and famed rapper Notorious B.I.G. Playing on that theme, each gallery section alludes to a song or lyric from the late hip-hop star. Ginsburg’s briefs and other writings, including some of her famously searing dissents, also are woven throughout the exhibit, according to a press release.

But before she was a pop culture phenom, Ginsburg was a student, wife, mother, lawyer, judge, and women’s rights pioneer. To that end, the show features three-dimensional environments that illustrate key moments of her life, such as recreations of her childhood Brooklyn apartment and of the Supreme Court bench.

Visitors will also get a glimpse of the Supreme Court justice’s marriage to Martin “Marty” Ginsburg, her husband of more than 50 years. More imagery includes family snapshots and even some of Marty’s favorite recipes; he was the family chef.

Other draws, per press materials, include a robe and jabot from Ginsburg’s Supreme Court wardrobe; multiple listening stations where visitors can hear RBG’s delivery of oral arguments, majority opinions and dissents in landmark Supreme Court cases; yearbooks from across her academic life; the desk in her chambers, and the official portraits of she and Sandra Day O’Connor, the first two women to serve on the Supreme Court, on loan from the National Portrait Gallery.

Holocaust Museum Houston will hold special events and public programming, including a free day, March 15, which celebrates of Ginsburg’s birthday. Other key public events include the HMH NEXTGen’s Notorious Sip and Stretch Yoga March 30, Notorious RBG in Song performed by soprano/composer Patrice Michaels and internationally acclaimed pianist Andrew Harley May 18. The museum will also offer free admission during extended hours on select days.

“She may have stood only five foot one, but Justice Ginsburg was truly a giant in her work on equality and justice for all,” said HMH CEO Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga, in a statement. “Whether you are a fan or a law scholar, this exhibition is a love letter to a true American icon. Few in history have stood taller in exemplifying what it means to be an upstander. We are honored to be the only Texas museum to host this exhibition so her remarkable story can live on to inspire others.”

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“Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg”; Holocaust Museum Houston; 5401 Caroline St.; For tickets, schedule, and more information, visit the museum website.

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let's dance

Houston Ballet leaps into 2026-2027 with world premieres and Swan Lake

Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox

Artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake.

Announcing its 2026-2027 season, Houston Ballet leaps into an immersive wonderland with the world premiere ballet Where’s Alice? from co-artistic director Stanton Welch. This is just one of many dance adventures set for a season filled with spectacular story ballets, cutting edge contemporary dances, and world premieres.

“This season reflects the full breadth of what Houston Ballet is — and where we’re going,” Houston Ballet co-artistic director Julie Kent said in a statement. “We are honoring the great choreographic voices that have shaped our art form, from Balanchine and MacMillan to Lubovitch and Peck, while simultaneously opening the door to new creative possibilities through world premieres and bold collaborations.”

The season begins September 11 through 20 with a classic Texas twang for Pecos Bill, the title production of an eclectic mixed repertory program. Stanton Welch’s fun and rollicking dance follows the adventures of the folklore cowboy, Pecos Bill. The program also showcases a work from 20th century dance master, George Balanchine, with the elegant and dynamic Symphonie Concertante. And for the first time, the company will perform celebrated choreographer Lar Lubovitch’s Meadow, a piece Julie Kent herself once danced when it first debuted.

Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon returns September 24 through October 4. First performed by the company in 1994, the doomed love story between irresistibly beautiful femme fatale, Manon, and impoverished student, Des Grieux, has had audiences swooning for decades.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Houston Ballet season without the annual Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance. And then closing out 2026, the company gifts Houston with Welch’s delightful and delectable Nutcracker Ballet.

The new year premieres Where's Alice? , Welch’s brand new work will be a re-envisioning of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, February 25 through March 7. Describing it as one of the most ambitious undertakings in HB’s recent history, the company plans for Alice to become a fully immersive theater experience that incorporates cutting-edge audio and visual effects that will take audience down the rabbit hole into a living, breathing, wondrous world.

Keeping with what looks to be the 26-27 season’s theme of blockbuster ballets from Welch, the company floats into spring, March 11 through 21, with the classic story of Madam Butterfly, a dramatic exploration of love, sacrifice, and cultural collision danced to Puccini’s heartbreaking score.

Beginning May 27 through June 6, HB offers the second mixed repertory program of the season, The Rite of Spring, and with it another world premiere. First, the company brings back the hypnotic, contemporary ballet, Reflections, a piece it originally debuted by the dance world’s reigning rock star, Justin Peck. Company member and up-and-coming choreographer Jacquelyn Long will create a new ballet for the program. Another highlight of the evening and the title work, Welch’s The Rite of Spring, offers a a visceral and elemental reimagining of dance for Stravinsky’s score that shocked the music world when it first debuted.

$Artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch\u2019s Swan Lake$

Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox

Artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake.

The season ends June 10 through 27 with one of ballet’s most beloved stories, Swan Lake. Stanton Welch’s celebrated production was first staged by the company in 2006 and has gone on to become an audience favorite. Inspired by Pre-Raphaelite painter John William Waterhouse’s painting “The Lady of Shalott,” the production features lavish sets and costumes.

Reflecting on the whole season and his Alice in particular, Welch echo’s Kent’s belief that the programming offers a vision that connects the company’s history, present, and future.

“Where’s Alice? is an example of that vision – a production that pushes the boundaries of ballet through immersive sets and thought-provoking storytelling that makes you question, 'Who in the world am I?' as Alice did, creating an entirely new world audiences can step into,” Welch said. “It’s work like this that allows us to welcome new audiences into the theater while continuing to challenge and inspire our longtime supporters.”

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