John Nau Vision

Thinking Houston big: New $40 million culture center aims to change how touristssee the city

The Center for Texas Cultural Heritage
Rendering courtesy of Bailey Architects
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Exhibits at the Center will be geared towards a younger audience, ranging fromgrades four through seven.
Rendering courtesy of BRC Imagination
Many of the displays, however, will offer an extra layer of historical detailfor curious adults.
Rendering courtesy of BRC Imagination
"Birth of the Republic of Texas" — one of the many conceptual designs sumbittedby BRC Imagination Arts, the firm behind Space Center Houston.
Rendering courtesy of BRC Imagination
With an additional hotel coming to the Discovery Green area, the new heritagecenter will be at the apex of the thriving tourist-friendly neighborhood.
Graphic courtesy of The Center for Texas Cultural Heritage

Mayor Annise Parker joined noted Houston businessman John Nau Thursday to reveal the full scope of the plans for the Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage — a new educational facility and visitors center dedicated to the unique history and culture of southeast Texas.

"Two years ago, John and I sat down and began to have some serious conversations about this project," Parker said at a press event on the future building site, located along Avenida de las Americas between the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park.

"I had just a very small idea. I wanted a simple tourism center. It was a really nice vision, but it was way too small for John."

"I had just a very small idea. I wanted a simple tourism center that could capture the folks from the convention or sports venues to explore our amazing cultural heritage . . .

"It was a really nice vision, but it was way too small for John."

Geared toward students in fourth through seventh grades with additional material for adults, the forthcoming center is expected to become a new starting point for tourists to delve deeper into the history of both the city and the entire region.

"If you're really passionate about NASA, for example, it's not just about going to Space Center Houston," Parker said. "It's about going to the City of Houston's own Gragg Building, the headquarters of our parks department which was the first home of mission control and has some nifty space artifacts."

During the ceremony, John Nau — chairman of the center's new board and CEO of Silver Eagle, the nation’s largest distributor of Anheuser-Busch products — announced he would be donating $8 million to the $40 million capital campaign to construct the facility. Houston First Corporation, which manages the convention center and surrounding hotels, is providing an additional $15 million to see the building to completion.

Historical inspiration

"There really hasn't been a place to direct visitors and conventioneers to places like Washington-on-the-Brazos or San Jacinto, one of the most important battles in the history of the U.S.," Nau told CultureMap in an interview after the event.

"Houston thinks big, dreams big and takes action. That message has to come out to inspire the young people ."

"This will be far more than just a visitor building. After we traveled to cultural and heritage centers in place likes Philadelphia, Gettysburg and Springfield, Illinois, it became clear that this project should have a strong educational component if it's going to succeed."

Early organizers of the Center for Texas Cultural Heritage assembled a diverse group of leaders from across the region to discuss how to present the rather complex and many-layered history of the greater Houston area.

"Out of these first meetings came this notion that Houston has big ideas. People here have vision and they back it up with action," Nau said, naming the Houston Ship Channel and the Texas Medical Center as but two of the city's seemingly-impossible achievements.

"Houston thinks big, dreams big and takes action. That message has to come out to inspire the young people. It's not just learning about Texas history. It's about being inspired to think bigger than they might normally think."

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toy story

Houston Toy Museum will shutter in the Heights after 4 years

Luke Skywalker action figure Houston Toy Museum

Photos via Houston Toy Museum

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Childhood whimsy took a mortal blow this week as the Houston Toy Museum announced it would be closing its storefront on 19th Street at the end of August.

"The truth is, we fell in love with the idea of being in a space that already held so much history and nostalgia for so many," wrote founders Matt and Sara Broussard in an Instagram post on Wednesday, July 22. "So we dreamed big, took a leap, and in some ways bit off more than we could chew. Even so, we are deeply proud of what we have built and have no regrets!"

The couple cited rising rent prices as the primary reason for the closure. The Greater Houston Partnership reports that gross office rent prices in the second quarter of 2026 had jumped to $31/square foot, up from a $28/square foot a year ago. For a 4,932 square foot building like the Houston Toy Museum at 321 W. 19th, such increases can compound into an untenable amount.

The Broussards assured their fans and supporters that the Houston Toy Museum was not disappearing completely. They plan to continue hosting events around the city, including pop-ups and LEGO builds. Their Instagram post ended with a hopeful promise that they will find another storefront location sometime in the future.

When the Houston Toy Museum first opened in 2022, it quickly became a one-of-a-kind hub of pop culture in the city. Built from donated toys and the Broussards' large personal collection, it housed an impressive array of everything from century-old dolls to the immense G.I. Joe playset the U.S.S . Flagg (which is 7.5 feet long) to modern video game systems. The museum hosted film screenings, community talks, and more on the history and importance of play. It also sold a lot of toys in the gift shop.

All of those items are headed to storage, but the Broussards remained upbeat and thankful for the four years they were able to entertain and delight Houston.

"What started as a daydream became a space filled with joy, nostalgia, creativity, connection, and community," said the statement. "We watched families make memories here, saw people reconnect with pieces of their childhood, hosted incredible events, and felt an outpouring of support that we will never forget.We owe so much to you, our community. You showed up for us again and again, and we cannot thank you enough for believing in what we created. Heights residents, and beyond, you helped spread the word about our little museum. Many of you have been our biggest cheerleaders from day one and we are forever grateful for that."

museums houston toy museum closings the-heights