Bayou Bend, the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg, now houses the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's early American decorative arts and painting collection. Considered one of the premier collections in the country, the rare and beautiful objects dating from approximately 1620 to 1876, are installed throughout the 1920s mansion in 28 period room settings.

Will Hogg, who donated land to the City of Houston to create Memorial Park and developed River Oaks, and his siblings Mike and Ima, commissioned architect John F. Staub to build Bayou Bend, a home for the Hoggs. Ima Hogg worked closely with Staub using the term "Latin Colonial" to describe the architectural style of the home. In 1920 Miss Hogg had begun assembling an important collection of American decorative arts. To provide suitable settings for these extraordinary antiques, Staub designed simple but stately interiors. Miss Hogg donated Bayou Bend to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 1957, but continued living at the estate until 1965. She oversaw the transformation of her home into a house museum, which opened to the public in 1966.