Maritime Museum Readies Re-Launch at East River

HOUSTON – (By Cynthia Lescalleet, Realty News Report – Another element in what appears to be an emerging maritime hub at East River is under way.

Buildout has started on Houston Maritime Center & Museum’s new home on the second floor of “Building F” at 2940 Riverby Road, within the first phase of the 150-acre East River mixed use development by Midway.

The five-story mixed-tenant office property has also attracted marine construction firm Orion Group Holding’s global headquarters, 63,000 SF, and joins the presence of Suderman and Young, a tugboat company. On an adjacent site, Port of Houston continues its 96,000-SF headquarters project.

HMC&M’s project, funded by a $1.5 million capital campaign, will provide the organization with exhibition space once more. Houston Endowment is a lead grantor.

The 501(c)3 organization’s office and storage functions will remain in a nearby Clinton Drive industrial property. At the moment, a warren of rooms in that space houses archives plus more than 3,000 models and other artifacts that were previously displayed at HCM&M’s five-year location on Canal Street.

While the museum’s collection has not been accessible to the public since shuttering the Canal Street venue in 2023 prior to its interim move, the organization’s community engagement programs, educational outreach initiatives and partnership development have continued, said Brian Cosgrove, interim executive director.

FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL, THEN AND NOW

At 6,200 square feet, the new space is about the same as at the Canal Street venue, a retrofit school property slated for demolition, hence HMC&M’s departure.

A new venue means fresh space for fresh exhibition ideas, and for “growing” elements that previously proved effective, Cosgrove said. He cited less static displays and higher-tech components as examples.

Plans call for an interactive and immersive experience awaiting visitors, he said. Exhibition “zones” spotlight specific aspects of the maritime industry, from local to global.

One design challenge has been “how to get it not to feel like a warehouse,” said Reagan Cameron of Revere Design, the studio behind the buildout plan.

Another is managing the effects of natural light on the collection, which is still gaining art and artifacts.

To set the center’s new tone, a large model of the Point Bolivar lighthouse in the entry guides visitors into the museum beyond. One wall contains a ship’s hull and there’s talk of a hands-on navigation station.

The collection itself showcases the maritime industry and sea exploration from its origins to modernization. There’s an understandable focus on Houston’s global role as a major port city, Cosgrove said, starting with Buffalo Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel.

The current project also includes a small theater for screening videos, a hands-on learning center for classes, conferences and corporate meetings, and docent support space.

Since HMC&M routinely hosts programs, lectures and maritime-relevant events, the new layout delivers flexibility in floorplan use. Display elements on rollers can be moved around to accommodate functions or “pop-up” exhibitions.

Slated to reopen in June 2025, HMC&M’s new venue will double its open hours to six days a week. Projected annual attendance is about 50,000 either in person or virtually, museum materials said. Docent-led tours are also poised for significant growth.

It has been nearly 25 years since museum founder James “Jim” Manzolillo curated his extensive personal collection of artifacts and ship models into a small museum. It was initially located in former home-turned restaurant space near Texas Medical Center. Cosgrove said the founder’s role in what has become HMC&M will be featured amid the collection.

Image: Revere Design

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