So you say you want culture and refinement, but you just don’t have the time to peruse all of Houston’s diverse temples of knowledge? Knock ‘em out speed–dating style — and for free — during Museum District Day. A total of 18 local museums will participate in the annual event from the big guns (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Children’s Museum, Houston Zoo), the historical (Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Holocaust Museum Houston), the arty (The Menil Collection and its sister site the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft) and the really niche (The Czech Center, the Freeman Weather Museum). Many will feature special demonstrations and performances just for the day, several geared toward the kiddies. The crowds will be, well, robust, but you can’t beat the price. And how else can you see a Monet, a rock python and some dinosaur bones all in one day? 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum District. For information, call 713-715-1939 or visit www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org. Free.

Tue., Sept. 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2008

This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2008.

Bob Ruggiero has been writing about music, books, visual arts and entertainment for the Houston Press since 1997, with an emphasis on Classic Rock. He used to have an incredible and luxurious mullet in...