Houston Maritime Museum (doing business as Houston Maritime Center & Museum)

Founded from the collection and vision of James “Jim” L. Manzolillo, the Houston Maritime Museum (now operating as the Houston Maritime Center & Museum) preserves and interprets maritime history for the Houston region through exhibits, models, artifacts, lectures and K–12 programming. Its collection includes more than 150 ship models and displays that trace maritime technology from the Age of Exploration through the modern merchant marine, with a strong local focus on the Houston Ship Channel and Gulf Coast industry. In recent years the organization relocated and expanded into a new East River facility (rebranded as Houston Maritime Center & Museum) and opened the larger public space in August 2025, adding a learning center, maritime history theater, interactive children’s exhibits and expanded community programming. The museum operates year-round, offers group and school tours, lecture series, and STEAM-oriented education for students and families, and continued to report active fundraising and contribution support in its most recent tax filings.