Cullen Sculpture Garden, Houston

This wonderful – albeit relatively small – sculpture garden is owned and maintained by the Museum of Fine Arts whose buildings are nearby. Free to enter and enjoy, it has a nice mix of art – some modern and some of a more classical style, all clearly identified with small plaques. Most of the work benefits from multiple viewings, with many sculptures looking differently from different angles, seemingly changing as visitors walk around them. Although on a much smaller scale than Chicago's "Bean", the shiny "Cloud Column" here, created by the same Anish Kapoor, is particularly fun to see.

Interestingly enough, the location is not well-known by even the people of Houston, as the maze of streets surrounding Hermann Park can be daunting to navigate. Combine that with the fact that the park is walled in for privacy (and sound insulation) and you have the makings of a hard-to-find place. It is very much worth finding, however, as you can have a great visit with few people competing for space. There are chairs and tables should you like to bring a lunch or to just sit and enjoy the view; plus, with the museum's security guards constantly wandering around, safety is not an issue.