The Orange Show and Smither Park: A Houston Folk Art Guide

At a glance

• Where: Smither Park: 2441 Munger St, Houston 77023 • Orange Show Monument: 2401 Munger St (same block) • Beer Can House: 222 Malone St, Houston 77007
• Hours: Smither Park: daily, dawn to dusk. Orange Show Monument interior: closed for restoration; exterior sidewalk viewing only — check orangeshow.org for reopening. Beer Can House: typically Wed–Sun, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Cost: Free at all three sites
• Parking: Street parking on Munger St and adjacent streets; rideshare from downtown takes about 10 minutes
• Time needed: 45–90 minutes for Smither Park; add 15 minutes to view the Orange Show exterior; add 30 minutes for the Beer Can House (separate drive)

The Orange Show and Smither Park are two adjacent folk art sites at 2401–2441 Munger Street in Houston’s East End, both free and both managed by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. The Orange Show Monument is currently closed for restoration and is not expected to reopen until early 2027; you can view the exterior from the sidewalk at no charge. Smither Park next door is open every day from dawn to dusk. The same organization manages the Beer Can House on Malone Street, about four miles away, open Wednesday through Sunday.

What is the Orange Show Monument?

The Orange Show Monument is a 3,000-square-foot folk art environment built by Jeff Davis McKissack (1902–1980), a Houston mail carrier who worked on it by hand over roughly 25 years, from 1956 to 1979. McKissack believed the orange was the world’s most nutritious food and wanted to build something that would attract millions of visitors to prove it. He hand-placed and hand-painted every piece: decorative tiles, metal buggy wheels shaped to mimic orange segments, hand-cut metal birds, whirligigs, and two performance stages.

McKissack opened the monument to the public in May 1979. He died eight months later, in January 1980 — having never seen the crowds he imagined would come. A small group of Houston artists and supporters who had visited during his lifetime kept the site alive, and the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art was incorporated the following year to preserve it. The monument is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Until the restoration is complete, the interior is closed. You can see the orange-painted exterior fence and portions of the gate structure from the sidewalk along Munger Street. Check orangeshow.org for the reopening announcement.

What to see at Smither Park

Smither Park at 2441 Munger Street was formally dedicated in September 2016 and designed by visionary artist Dan Phillips alongside community organizers. It was built in memory of John H. Smither, a long-time supporter of self-taught art and an Orange Show board member. More than 300 artists have contributed permanent mosaic works using recycled ceramics, shells, keys, tiles, and found objects — and the park continues to grow.

Named features inside the park:

• Memory Wall — a 400-foot curved mosaic structure that forms the park’s spine; walk it end to end before zeroing in on individual panels
• Johnson Marble Tower — a vertical kinetic sculpture with rotating elements that catch the wind
• Lindley Fish Amphitheater — a mosaic-covered performance space used for the monthly events
• Oshman Meditation Garden — a quieter corner with mosaic benches
• Shell Plaza and Walkways — mosaic paving made from shells, glass, and found objects embedded in the ground
• Burguires, Hinton and Mathre Swings — ornate iron-and-mosaic swings that make strong portrait backdrops
• Vinson & Elkins Pavilion — a shaded gathering space

On Saturdays (weather permitting), artists work on new mosaic additions to the park. Arriving on a Saturday means you may watch someone grouting a panel that will still be there in 20 years.

Smither Park Sundays (typically the first Sunday of each month, 1–5 p.m.) bring live music, local vendors, and art demonstrations. Check the Orange Show’s website before you go — these events have been consistent but are subject to weather and scheduling.

Photo tips for the Orange Show and Smither Park

Smither Park is one of the most photographable public spaces in Houston’s East End and it’s free every day of the year.

Best time for photos: Arrive in the first two hours after sunrise for soft, raking light across the mosaic surfaces and no crowds. Late afternoon (roughly two hours before sunset) produces warm light on the Memory Wall’s westward-facing tiles. Overcast days work well here: mosaic colors pop under diffuse light and you avoid hot-spot reflections on glazed tiles and glass fragments.

What to shoot:

• Walk the Memory Wall end to end first, then pick one 10-foot section to photograph in close detail — the scale and craft become clear at both distances
• Shoot the Johnson Marble Tower from below, looking up at the kinetic elements against the sky
• Use the ornate swings as a foreground subject or portrait backdrop
• Get down close to the Shell Plaza walkway — shells, keys, and glass pieces embedded in the surface catch light at almost any angle
• Photograph the Orange Show Monument’s orange-painted exterior gate and fence from the sidewalk (exterior only while restoration continues)

Practical note: The Shell Plaza walkways have uneven mosaic surfaces. Wear shoes with grip, not sandals.

The Art Car Parade connection

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has organized the Houston Art Car Parade since the 1980s. It is one of the world’s largest art car events, held annually on Allen Parkway and through downtown Houston, typically in April. An art car is any vehicle whose owner has modified its appearance to suit their own aesthetic — the only requirement is that it must roll under its own power.

The 40th annual Houston Art Car Parade is scheduled for April 10, 2027. Major sponsors include Saint Arnold Brewing Company. The parade grew from the same impulse as McKissack’s monument: that everyday objects and found materials can become something extraordinary with enough commitment.

If you’re visiting Munger Street, check the current year’s parade date at thehoustonartcarparade.com before you go. Attending Smither Park in the morning and the Art Car Parade in the afternoon on parade day is one of the most distinctly Houston itineraries you can put together.

The Beer Can House

The Orange Show Center also manages the Beer Can House at 222 Malone Street, about four miles from Smither Park in the Washington Avenue Corridor near the Heights. John Milkovisch, a retired Southern Pacific Railroad upholsterer, began covering his home with flattened aluminum beer cans in 1968 and continued for 18 years. According to Ripley’s Believe It or Not, more than 50,000 cans adorn the structure. Milkovisch’s explanation was practical: he “got sick of mowing the grass,” and the beer-can garlands hanging from the eaves lowered the interior temperature.

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, supported in part by Saint Arnold Brewing Company.

Combining Smither Park and the Beer Can House makes a full half-day folk art itinerary. Both are free, both are outdoors, and both reflect the same Houston instinct to build something extraordinary out of what everyone else considers ordinary.

Getting there and parking

Smither Park and Orange Show Monument: 2441 Munger Street, Houston, TX 77023. Both sites are in the East End, about two miles southeast of downtown Houston. Street parking is available on Munger Street and adjacent side streets. Rideshare from downtown takes about ten minutes.

Beer Can House: 222 Malone Street, Houston, TX 77007. Near the Washington Avenue corridor, about a 15-minute drive from Smither Park. Street parking is available on Malone and nearby streets.

Neither location has a dedicated parking lot. The area around Munger Street is residential; parking is typically easy outside of special events.

Food nearby

For food close to Munger Street, the East End and Third Ward area are your closest options. Our Third Ward restaurant guide covers spots within a short drive, and the EaDo restaurant guide adds more options north of the rail corridor.

If you’re ending the day at the Beer Can House, the Heights restaurant guide is the nearest collection for dinner.

Nearby attractions

• The Menil Collection in Montrose — a free art museum about three miles from Smither Park, with a permanent collection ranging from Surrealist paintings to Byzantine art. A logical pairing with a folk art day.
• Rothko Chapel in Montrose — a free contemplative space designed around Mark Rothko’s paintings, about three miles from Smither Park.
• Contemporary Arts Museum Houston in the Museum District — always free, about four miles away.
• Hermann Park and the Museum District are three miles in the other direction if you’re building a broader museum day.

Save this: folk art half-day in Houston

• Morning: Smither Park, 2441 Munger St. Arrive by 8 a.m. for the best light. Walk the Memory Wall end to end first.
• If it’s a Saturday, stay to watch artists at work on new mosaic panels.
• After Smither Park: Walk five minutes to the Orange Show Monument exterior at 2401 Munger St to see the orange-painted fence and gate from the sidewalk.
• Check orangeshow.org for the Monument’s reopening date (expected early 2027). Worth revisiting when it opens.
• Mid-morning: Drive or rideshare to the Beer Can House at 222 Malone St (open Wed–Sun, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
• Lunch: EaDo or Third Ward on the way back.
• In April: Check thehoustonartcarparade.com for the Houston Art Car Parade on Allen Parkway — the same organization, a bigger crowd.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Orange Show in Houston currently open?

The Orange Show Monument at 2401 Munger Street is currently closed for a restoration project and is not expected to reopen until early 2027. You can view the exterior from the sidewalk at no charge. Smither Park next door at 2441 Munger Street is open daily from dawn to dusk and is always free.

Is Smither Park free?

Yes. Smither Park is always free and is open daily from dawn to dusk, with no reservation required.

How long does it take to visit Smither Park?

Most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour at Smither Park. The 400-foot Memory Wall alone takes about 10–15 minutes to walk completely. Plan an extra 30 minutes if you are combining the visit with the Orange Show Monument exterior and another drive to the Beer Can House.

What is the Houston Art Car Parade and how is it connected to the Orange Show?

The Houston Art Car Parade is an annual event organized by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, typically held in April on Allen Parkway in downtown Houston. The 40th annual parade is scheduled for April 10, 2027. The Orange Show Center, which preserves the Orange Show Monument and Smither Park, has produced the parade since the 1980s.

What is the Beer Can House and is it connected to the Orange Show?

The Beer Can House at 222 Malone Street is a home covered in flattened aluminum beer cans by John Milkovisch starting in 1968. It is operated by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and is free to visit Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What is the best time to visit Smither Park for photography?

Arrive within the first two hours after sunrise for soft, raking light across the mosaic surfaces and no crowds. Overcast days are also excellent because mosaic colors pop under diffuse light without hot-spot reflections on the glazed tiles and glass.