John Archidiacono, president and CEO of The Health Museum and a board member of the Houston Museum District, told the City Council Arts & Culture Committee that the district’s 21 institutions attract about 7,000,000 visits a year and generate substantial economic activity for Houston.

“We are here today to talk to you about the tremendous impact these people and these museums have on the vibrancy of our community, the quality of life here, and how we make the city an amazing city that it is,” Archidiacono said, introducing the district’s presentation.

The presentation, given by Archidiacono with comments from Leila Cartier, executive director of the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and Amy H., managing director of the Houston Museum District, emphasized the district’s size, accessibility and local economic effect. Archidiacono said the 21 institutions are concentrated in roughly a four-square-mile area around Main Street and include large institutions such as Houston Zoo, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Menil and the Children’s Museum of Houston, as well as smaller organizations such as Diverse Works and Lawndale.

“We reach 7,000,000 people,” Archidiacono said. He added that roughly 2,000,000 of those visitors are from out of town. The presentation cited an economic-impact figure of about $617,000,000 to the city, roughly 8,500 employees across the district and about $13,000,000 in tax revenue tied to museum activity.

Cartier told the committee the district’s published numbers are based on 2022–23 data and that the total economic impact is likely higher now as the region continues to recover from the pandemic. “I think it’s safe to assume that economic impact of the Houston Museum District is probably reaching closer toward $1,000,000,000 at this point,” she said.

Committee members asked several operational and access questions. Council member Julian Ramirez asked for a breakdown of the 7 million visits by institution; Archidiacono said some institutions—specifically the zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science—exceed 1,000,000 visits annually and the zoo “tops 2,000,000” in some years. The presenters said other institutions range down from there and that they maintain more detailed attendance data.

Committee members and district representatives discussed transportation, parking and walkability. Archidiacono and Cartier said the district is served by three rail stations and bus lines but that most visitors arrive by car. Presenters and public commenters urged more promotion of transit use and suggested partnerships with METRO to market special routes or fares for museum events.

Public comment and committee discussion highlighted on-the-ground safety and walkability concerns. Leila Cartier said the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is “impacted almost daily by the public health and security issues that are along Main Street, especially under the overpass of I‑59,” sometimes reporting property damage and harassment of visitors. Kathleen O’Reilly, representing the Youth Museum Park Super Neighborhood, told the committee that the area’s sidewalks and utilities need rebuilding and praised pilot “bulb-out” pedestrian treatments at Caroline and Rosedale for eliminating serious accidents at that intersection.

Council members said addressing homelessness is part of improving transit perception and pedestrian comfort. Council member Sally Alcorn and others said they want to protect hotel occupancy tax (HOT) funds that help support cultural organizations and explore additional revenue or marketing partnerships with Houston First and other agencies to amplify the district’s reach.

The presenters also noted accessibility efforts: more than half of the district’s museums offer free admission all the time, and many offer free hours or coordinated “Free Family Thursday” programming. Archidiacono said the district produced roughly 150 free events last summer and that outreach programs extend museum access to people who cannot visit on site.

The committee did not take legislative action on the presentation. Chair (Arts & Culture Committee) closed the meeting after public comment and a motion to adjourn was recorded.

The district asked the committee to help protect existing HOT funds, to explore joint marketing and transit partnerships, and to support continued infrastructure and safety improvements in Museum Park and along Main Street.