The Rice Mansion was built in 1910 for Benjamin Botts Rice, a nephew of William Marsh Rice, one of the original founders of Rice University. Since then, Mr. Mathew Knowles, father of Beyoncé Knowles, purchased the house in 2000. His major renovations this past year have added a modern yet non-intrusive touch to the historical home. And with its rebranding as Music World Entertainment Venues, the mansion and the adjacent buildings open their doors even wider to a mix of GRAMMY award winning artists, festivals, private parties, weddings, quinceaneras, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, rehearsals, and executive seminars. Guests welcome the newly built verandas - hardwood floors and wooden staircase are both original to the mansion - all together, creating the perfect setting for a wedding dress. On the second floor, a conference table made of Egyptian golden wood is accented by Knowles' private collection of masks, tapestries and other worldly finds that line the wall as well as the new addition on the third floor of an intimate bridal suite that has been completed in April. Corporate executives as well as visiting musicians take advantage of the daytime meeting rooms and the available video conferencing technology Knowles has added to the package. The Rice Mansion is a mixture of American history and Music history, and now it's available to the public to experience for themselves!

The Rice Mansion

Then & Now