TOUR DESCRIPTION

Bayou Bend is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the nearby big city. Nestled on 14 rolling, wooded acres in the posh River Oaks area, this former home of local philanthropist Ima Hogg now serves as the decorative arts wing of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Architect John Staub built Hogg’s pink stucco dream home with the idea of “. . . adding pleasure to living.” His innovative design is carried through into the nine surrounding gardens. Gracious and beautiful, Hogg intended that they be used as outdoor “rooms” for living and entertaining. The Diana Garden which features “walls” of evergreen yaupon hedges is the best example of this concept. Hogg was concerned with preserving the natural beauty of the lot, as well. With Buffalo Bayou meandering gently around three sides of the house and native trees and shrubs growing in abundance, Bayou Bend’s beauty and tranquility are maximized in the untamed Bayou Woodlands garden.

The interior of the house borrows heavily from Northern architectural traditions. An ideal setting for Hogg’s extensive collection of art and antiques, 28 room settings depict the changes in America’s taste, style and customs from Colonial times to the Victorian era.

Miss Ima passed away in 1975 after generously bequeathing her home and estate to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Art historians rank the Hogg collection of American silver, ceramics, furniture, paintings and works on paper, glass and textiles, among the nation’s finest. A visit to Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is like stepping through a doorway to our past.