Visit

Imagine you are in your grandmother’s attic. You discover an old trunk full of carefully preserved treasures that you never knew existed. Tiffany glassware, ivory tusks with scrimshaw designs, arrowheads and Native American art, antique music boxes, Sand Mountain pottery worthy of the Smithsonian Institution …. and some mysterious pieces that defy explanation.

Welcome to the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts!

These treasures were originally stored in a barn, lovingly assembled by one woman, who single-handedly collected an extraordinary assortment of artifacts able to tell stories in exquisite detail about life from the Victorian Era through the Depression Era. Museum visitors and children in our local schools learn about face jug pottery created by enslaved African-Americans, the Tennessee “nanny cradle” made from hickory , and vases that glow-in-the-dark from minerals used in making colored glass. Whether novice or knowledgeable, our visitors take a step back in time to learn about history, science and art from this one-of-a kind boutique museum.

Renowned by experts, the Houston Museum showcases just a portion of the amazing, rare and often priceless antiques and collectibles that were gifted to the people of Chattanooga by Anna Safley Houston, who defied all expectations of her day.

During the renovations of our 1890s house museum, we will be operating a ‘Pop Up’ museum at a temporary location at 412 East 2nd Street, 1/2 a block from our original location. Visit us inside the former Back Inn Cafe next time you are in the Bluff View Art District.

“Chattanooga has a treasure in the Houston Museum. No part of the Museum disappoints – including the Gift Shop which carries whimsical and beautiful keepsakes arranged in a way that encourages the visitor to splurge!”

— — Anne Madarasz, Museum Division Director and Director of the Western PA Sports Museum, Sen. John Heinz History Center