The Antiquarium - Houston's Finest Custom Picture Framing, Rare Maps and Prints

We took 2 custom paintings into the shop for framing, and we are so happy with the results! The team helped to provide various frame options to consider based on our style. Seamless interaction and highly recommend the shop for any framing needs. They also have a lot of interesting maps for sale -- always fun to browse the store while you design your custom frame!

I recently found a WW2 era map of the European theater that belonged to my grandfather's folded in a box in storage. He was a navigator on a B-17 bomber during the war and made notes on the map from each of his 25 missions and kept it after the war. I immediately saw the need to preserve this personal artifact. After an extensive search and several phone calls I came across Jeff at The Antiquarium. Best move I ever made. They did a wonderful job restoring, preserving and framing this treasured piece. They even added a restored photo of my Grandfather with his flight crew to the piece, for additional personal touch. Now this piece of history will be preserved and able to be passed down to future generations. Thanks again Antiquarium.

We don’t live in the Houston metro area but it was well worth the drive. The service was stellar and our antique map will be hung in a place of pride. Jeff helped us find the right matte and frame to suit both the piece and our other decor. Will definitely bring any other high end pieces here.

I wanted to create a gift from a really special heirloom photo- the framing job needed to have a timeless, classic, yet modern vibe. Jeff selected the most beautiful mat and frame that were perfect! My client LOVED the gift!

This place has exceptional quality and rare finds. I found exactly what I sought, two large and lovely botanical prints from the late 1800s. We bought them unframed, but I had them do the framing. The breadth of framing options is second to none. They are not inexpensive but the quality is superlative. All in all I found a wonderful product and outstanding customer service.

The coolest place to be in Houston. 10/10. The antique art and maps here are unmatched and beautiful. The customer service is also top notch.

I've used the Antiquarium for the majority of my framing and reframing for the last 25+ years. I've bought unframed prints from them and had prints I inherited reframed. They do absolutely beautiful work. Framing can be insanely expensive but they have always been willing to work with me to come up with satisfying alternatives that are in line with the value of what is being framed. I can't imagine going elsewhere for prints or framing.

The Antiquarium is by far and away the best place to go in Houston for antique maps and top-end custom framing. I collect very old maps and would not trust anyone else to handle or frame them for me. They use only the best, safest materials and handling practices. They can also do restoration work. Roswitha is the head curator and is quite a powerhouse of knowledge and design. Hand her any antique document and she will give you several great framing options that will leave you very satisfied and impressed. The Antiquarium is also quite accommodating and patient even with the most persnickety of customers (I am guilty of being a bit demanding). I’ve never felt anything but totally taken care of at this establishment. See below a map from 1511 that I had framed by Antiquarium at their museum level of conservation framing. Beautiful results!!

Do you like old maps? This is the place for you. Although they have a variety of antique prints, the majority of their offerings are maps. It's far from cheap although they have different price points. That being said, I wouldn't call it overpriced merchandise. I was stunned at some of the items they offered. Centuries-old maps in beautiful condition? You expect to find that sort of thing in a museum. The price tag makes sense. I was also surprised at how large their selection was -- you could find maps from a variety of regions and epochs. Staff was friendly and didn't seem to mind us just geeking out over some super old Russian maps. PARKING: Shared with multiple businesses (strip mall). Can be hard to snag during peak times.

Great service and the work never fails to impress me. They have framed two pieces for me and the guidance, service, follow-thru, and end results were fantastic. Their rare maps, prints, and picture frames are top quality and the service one receives is exceptional. It isn't cheap but the quality workmanship is worth every dollar spent.

Not to be confused with the Antique Aryan, which is a really old German dude that was once a member of the National Socialist Party in the 30s. Definitely a lovely quaint little antique studio for you to browse, and while I'm not into this kind of thing, Barbie definitely found it interesting and fun. She said she'd come again, and we probably will, and I think if it were just a little bit cheaper we would probably give it a 5-star rating.

I haven't given them a project yet but I was in the shop for the first time recently and they will my future business! I asked a lot of questions to get an idea of what they can do. The answer to every question was an emphatic "yes". They have the best selection of frame profiles I have ever seen and a very generous range of fillets so you stack up your profile to be exactly what you want. They also can do any sort of French matting, including applying gorgeous decorative marble papers as trim around a picture. And they have loads of prints to choose from if you are looking to buy the art first. They have some very high quality elephant folio size reproductions of Audubon bird prints. Btw. I'll definitely be heading back there soon.

This place is not cheap, but you absolutely get what you pay for, and I'm SO happy we found them. We had an incident with another framing shop and came here after seeing some great reviews. We found a perfect frame for a very special picture. Throughout the entire process, we never felt rushed. I also never felt pushed into a higher price point. I always felt they were very honest about what my options were and the pros and cons. I would trust them with any project. We got our photo back framed in a couple of weeks, and it's perfect. It doesn't even look like there's glass on it! For absolutely any special project, this place is for you. I plan to bring my diploma here, and I'd recommend them to anyone.

"Do it right or do it twice." "Buy once, cry once." Theses are the aphorisms that come to mind when I explain why I have been coming to the Antiquarium for ten years. Put simply, they do excellent, uncompromising work. I take all my rare maps and antique prints here for framing and the results are nothing short of stunning every single time. The service is impeccable and extremely accommodating. Roswitha is the head curator and is a powerhouse of knowledge and design. Bret is also a delight to work with and has a sharp eye. I've never been steered wrong in all my years coming to this establishment. Framing isn't cheap here but you get what you pay for. I took a valuable 507 year old map to Antiquarium for framing and was quite impressed with the understated yet dramatic results. I am also at ease knowing it is safe and sound inside this frame. See for yourself.

Very friendly staff, tons of old maps and posters. Didn't know Houston had such a store. Definitely worth a visit.

Wonderful, personal service. Quality work. The staff is very knowledgeable. A pleasure to shop here.

I have been to The Antiquarium several times and have found something special for myself or a gift for someone else every time. The staff is attentive and extremely helpful while also giving us room to browse and think. My son and I consider it one of our favorite places in the city.

One of my most favorite places to shop... gifts for those I love and if course myself! I have purchased numerous pieces from here and have never been disappointed. The staff can help you find just about whatever you want. If you want a unique gift, look no further.

Be very careful with what you buy here if you are buying vintage. I was gifted a piece that was over $1000 unframed. I wanted to resell it a couple of years later and called them to get a possible buy-back price. They brushed me off and did not even want to give me a number - telling me that the market was saturated with items like this. ?????????

Took my beautiful antique map to be framed. The Antiquarium did a lovely job and patiently helped me pick the absolutely perfect frame. I know my map will be beautifully protected and displayed for years to come. Very happy with my experience. It was ready when they promised and I was well taken care of. Thank you

I had the best experience with everyone at The Antiquarium! I went there to get an antique poster that has a very special meaning to me framed and not only were Bret Harmeyer and the rest of the team super nice but Bret also put the perfect frame together. Thanks a lot for everything! Great job and I highly recommend you check them out as well.

I brought my phd diploma to frame here. Very nice works. Staffs are very friendly. They helped out and suggested about the frame. The owner is very nice. I really appreciate all their helps and arrange my pick up frame. Definitely come back in the future.

While this may not be my cup of tea as far as decorating goes, this is most definitely a cool place to check out. The hubby loves old maps, so we stopped in one day to check it out. Very impressive. This store has so many old prints, paintings, lithos, documents, etc that you could spend hours in here easily. The maps where what we came in for and they were pretty impressive. I especially loved the older ones that showed how cartographers envisioned what the world looked like back then. (Be aware that there is quite the price tag that goes with these goodies!) My favorite part was the back section with all of the old documents. You can see slave documents, old currency, letters from numerous wars, etc. It was amazing to see so much history all at your fingertips. The majority of the store actually had a bunch of art that revolved around birds and flowers. Definitely not what I'm into, but the extreme detail was interesting to look at. What really impressed me was the depth of knowledge from the employees. They really care about their work and it is evident in their explanations. There was one man who was giving basically a history lesson to a little 9 year old doing a history project. Cute! If you have the bucks and want to splurge on a cool piece of history, this is a nice place to check out. When I was in there, they were preparing for Valentine's Day so they had old valentine's sitting there in frames raning from $150-200.

We have all been, at one time or another, in the front office of some prestigious or large outfit that sees fit to festoon the walls with old prints of engravings of animals, ships, old maps, and other subject matters. I have found the place from whence these engravings come, and it's now one of my favorites places in all Houston. When my friends and I got done eating at the House of Pies on Kirby this past Sunday, we had some time to kill before we had to be back at Palmer Episcopal for our choir's concert later that afternoon. We decided the Borders on Kirby @ Alabama would be a good place for that. But when we got there, my friends were quickly distracted: the Antiquarium awaited with its treasure trove of Texana, Houstana, Eurocana, and even a bit of Americana to boot. I quickly saw why. Established in 1990 and in its latest digs since 2000, the Antiquarium bills itself as Houston's largest purveyor of fine antique prints from Europe (mainly) and from the States (some). The place also has a number of one-of-a-kind historical items, all of which are suitable for framing as the store deals almost exclusively with paper items, the few exceptions being old globes, an 1880s spyglass, and an authentic Comanche bow. The place has more than its share of Texas and Houston-related items including a map of Houston the owner is currently offering for $200,000. If you're looking for a history lesson as well as for something to put on your wall, the Antiquarium is your place. Greg, the owner, could not be nicer and more accommodating to questions and inquiries, and he seems perfectly fine with people coming in to just browse. I was only too sorry I was too poor to buy something - so many beautiful things, and the place will do the framing for you as well from a wide selection of frames in its frame shop. The engravings and all are mounted on archival mats and wrapped in plastic wrap. Hence, one may go to the store and handle the items without care as to touching the old paper itself. I could happily spend hours and hours and hours here "just browsing". Best museum value in town, and you don't even need a ticket or membership to walk in the door...

Store is amazing, the only thing better than the items for sale is the service. Very knowledgeable staff that really give first class customer service to its patrons. Always look forward to dropping in!

Well this place lives up to the hype. Gorgeous pieces. I could spend the whole day here. Don't think you can't afford it. I was looking at original art other places and yes it is expensive here but no much more than anywhere else. No where around matches the selection or customer service.

This place is amazing. They have an impressive collection of old maps, prints, postcards, etc. The employees are all friendly and very knowledgeable about the prints and their origin. They also can tell you about the particular cartographers. I have purchased one map and several prints from this store over the past few years. I have been very impressed by the unique selection and by the quality of the framing. They have everything ranging from more inexpensive prints to true one of a kind collector's items. The framing is museum quality. I recently purchased two postcards. The Antiquarium was having them framed for me. I assumed it would take at least a week to have the postcards framed. I was pretty surprised when I was told it would only take a few days. In fact, I kind of doubted this estimate and thought it was likely that it would take a bit longer. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised and a bit shocked when I received a call the very same day telling me that the postcards were ready. That is great customer service! What a wonderful place!

Cool store with beautiful old prints and maps. It's fun to go in and just browse. I found a beautiful old map of Charleston, SC that I loved. But it was out of my price range--many items can be in excess of five figures. Intense. The staff is quite helpful and patient. I was novice searching for a gift. The staff made the process simple and enjoyable. They also do framing. I will stop in again next time I am over in the area to sort through the stacks of images from bygone times.

Beautiful prints and maps, aggressive and off-putting service. I took three steps into the store and a sales lady beelined to me asking me what I needed, if I had been here before, how did I find the store,...give me a chance to take a look around! There were three other white people, casually dressed just like me milling about unattended. Was it because I was a person of color?

If you want to explore a quaint little shop with exquisite pieces of history, come here! It's less like a shop and more like a museum that just so happens to be selling their items. It is Houston's largest dealer of antique prints and objects of historical significance. They take their collections very seriously and are passionate about every piece. Browse through maps and photographs while spinning through an antique globe. The prices range from low to high, so anyone can come and get a special gift for a loved one or a unique treasure for themselves. I'm the proud owner of two of Audubon's Birds of America Field Museum giclée prints, and can attest to their excellent condition. There is abundant care taken when framing all pieces, which is museum quality, including the highly recommended UV-protective glass. Come check this place out and get lost in history - where the old becomes the new!

I stopped in to get some quotes on frames. The team was amazing. They helped me get an idea for how to preserve/frame my very old/damaged items. Very thorough, detailed and professional. When I get my treasures framed/preserved I'm definitely going here. It's also fun to look around at all the items they have for sale. It's a very fun, unique spot for a visit. It's also a great spot to find a very special/unique treasure for someone who's hard to shop for.

If you want a memorable, creative, generally awesome gift -- this is where you can find it! A great selection of maps, bird prints, egg prints, architectural renderings, etc. The prices on the framed pieces are thousands, but they will help you find something within your price range. I came in looking for a map of China for a gift, and left with a beautiful 1850's handcolored and engraved map for just over $150. There are neat, smaller prints for as low as $20. Definitely come take a look! It's like being at a lovely museum.

I brought in some art for framing that I bought on a recent trip to Japan. I explained that I was on a tight budget, and we worked together to find just the right look for the best price. I was so happy with the customer service and the quality of the product that I brought in more items I needed framing the following week. I got the same amazing service with attention to detail. They take their picture framing skills to a level of art in and of itself. They are friendly and welcoming.

Working with Roswitha at The Antiquarium to frame a document signed by Stephen F. Austin was so much fun! She was a lot of help listening to what I wanted, making suggestions, and helping pick out just the right mat, glass and custom frame. The results were beautiful! They did a gorgeous job framing the document. It is now definitely museum-worthy. I won't use anyone else to frame important historical documents or antique prints. Thank you, thank you, The Antiquarium!!

I have popped into this shop a few times over the years and have always been impressed by the number of things they carry. Its really amazing to step over a 200 year old $2000 map that's on the floor. There is stuff everywhere (in agood way)! I recently purchased a Christmas gift for my wife from them. I appreciate that the owner took the time to greet me and talk with me despite the fact that what I spent is small relative to many of their items. He clearly is passionate about what he sells. Great experience! :-)

I lust after the maps in this store. The staff is super helpful and they can show you multiple items if you tell them what you are looking for. They have maps of various prices but it is still a very expensive store. I have gotten multiple high quality maps from here and love all the background that they can give you about each piece. I wish they were less expensive but the quality is unbeatable. If you are interested in maps or fine prints this is the place to go.

Katie at The Antiquarium handled a set of 18th century prints damaged during Hurricane Harvey with care and sent them out to their conservateur for mold remediation and restoration. As soon as they are back she will frame them as similarly as possible to the previous. I purchased from The Antiquarium several times in the past and consider it my "go to" store for antique prints, lithographs and maps. Take an afternoon off to peruse their inventory - it is prodigious.

This is absolutely the only place to go in Houston, or in Texas for that matter, if you want something special framed. They have quality framing products, provide you with special attention from staff knowledgeable on not only framing but in art in general. In addition they can make recommendations on restoration of art to repair staining, holes and other comparable damage. This does not even address all of the special prints and maps for sale. You certainly get value for the end product. On top of all of the above, the people there are very nice.

The collection of historical prints is outstanding, carefully sourced from premier dealers and auctioneers from across the globe. The staff are all exceptionally knowledgeable in the each individual piece, its origin, significance and creation. There is a genuine passion and love for their product and that is delivered from the moment you walk in to the moment to the you leave. I can also testify that their framing service is outstanding. I have had several pieces purchased and framed by the team at the Antiquarian. The prints themselves were already incredible, but their ability to frame the pieces in a way that enhanced the pieces so beautifully was excellent. I couldn't be more happy!