The National Museum of Funeral History showcases how other cultures recognize death.[/caption]Although people regularly encounter death through entertainment and media, mortality can be a taboo subject. The National Museum of Funeral History in Spring provides the community an educational environment in which such discussions are encouraged and the history of the funeral industry is preserved.
“We have always been exposed to death, but [how we perceive it is] all about the manner in which we have been taught,” said Genevieve Keeney, the museum’s president and chief operating officer. “This [museum presents] a very realistic manner in which death occurs within our lives, and it’s done so in a way that’s very respectful and obviously historical.”
The museum allows visitors to explore death and funeral history through exhibits that feature a broad spectrum of cultures and time periods.
Featured exhibits explain the history of the embalming process in the U.S. and its ancient Egyptian predecessor; offer extensive collections of hearses; and provide a rotating selection of programs from the funerals of prominent actors, athletes and politicians, such as Whitney Houston and Bob Hope.
Visitors can learn about the assassinations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln in the presidential funerals exhibit. The exhibit showcases an authentic bill from President George Washington’s funeral, the original eternal flame from Kennedy’s gravesite and a replica of the hearse that carried Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan during their funeral processions.
“Death is the biggest equalizer,” Keeney said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a pope or a president or a pop star or an inventor or just an average person in life. Death is going to affect every single one of us.”
The museum also includes international exhibits highlighting the funeral and new selection processes following the death of a pope as well as a section explaining the Mexican celebration Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and an area dedicated to traditional Japanese funerals.
In addition to long-term exhibits, NMFH hosts occasional and seasonal events. The venue held a tribute event for actor and comedian Robin Williams in August to recognize the one-year anniversary of his death. A Dia de los Muertos community altar also opened in mid-August that allows visitors to leave items that are symbolic of dead relatives, Keeney said.
The venue showcases a temporary haunted house that will be available until Nov. 3.
Founder Robert L. Waltrip opened the museum in 1992, realizing the need to preserve funeral relics either rotting in landfills or collecting dust in the attics of previous embalmers, Keeney said.
She said the museum opened with only a collection of hearses, but it has since grown to include several exhibits and artifacts that extend back to the 19th century. An expansion in 2007 gave the museum more space for its international sections.
“I think the museum just really gets you thinking about life,” Keeney said. “This really is a family-friendly type museum, and people don’t realize it.”
The evolution of the hearse
The National Museum of Funeral History features artifacts and antiques from funerals throughout history, including a wide array of hearses spanning nearly two centuries.
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415 Barren Springs Drive, Houston
281-876-3063 • www.nmfh.org
Hours: Mon-Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m.
