Vintage analog photo booths, photo strip keychains, a few surprises, and free admission for the grand opening — Photomatica’s Photo Booth Museum opens June 4 in Houston’s Fifth Ward. First come, first served.
There is something about a photo booth strip that a phone camera will never replicate. The anticipation of waiting for the chemical process to finish. The strip coming out warm in your hands. The slightly imperfect, completely authentic four frames of your actual face in an actual moment. No filter. No retakes saved to a camera roll. Just you, right now, on paper.
Houston’s Fifth Ward is about to get more of that feeling than anywhere else in Texas. Photomatica is opening its third Photo Booth Museum in Houston in early June near Meow Wolf Houston — its largest location yet, with more chances for photo strips than either its Los Angeles or San Francisco locations.
The grand opening celebration is Thursday, June 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. at 2103 Lyons Ave. Admission is free for the opening night. RSVP does not guarantee entry — it is first come, first served.
What Is Photomatica?
Photomatica was created in 2011 after founder Doug Ellington built his first photo booth because he couldn’t find a vintage analog photo booth for his own wedding. He enlisted his friend and Houston native Matt Dewalt to start a business. What started as a passion project — restoring and operating vintage analog photo booths that most people assumed were extinct — became one of the most distinctive photo and experience companies in the country.
Photomatica now operates photo booths across bars, venues, and events in Houston and beyond, and has built dedicated Photo Booth Museum locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Houston is their third and biggest.
What You’ll Find Inside
Step inside their biggest Photo Booth Museum yet — explore a collection of vintage analog photo booths, make your own photo strip keychains, and experience a few surprises along the way.
The museum is a fully interactive destination where you can step inside real vintage photo booths, snap authentic photo strips, and explore decades of pop culture history. Visitors of all ages walk away with a tangible keepsake and a smile — no filter required. Cedarparkchamber
These are not digital replicas or Instagram installations with a vintage veneer. The analog photo booths at Photomatica act like a dark room in a box — chemically developing black-and-white photo strips inside the machine in just a few minutes. The process is real. The chemistry is real. The strip in your hand is the actual negative, developed on the spot.
A Perfect Neighbor to Meow Wolf
The Photo Booth Museum opens inside the same Fifth Ward complex as Meow Wolf Houston’s Radio Tave — the immersive interdimensional art installation that opened in October 2024 in the redeveloped Moncrief-Lenoir warehouse district on Lyons Avenue. The two experiences complement each other in a way that makes the whole block worth an afternoon — immersive art at Meow Wolf, tangible analog memories at the Photo Booth Museum.
Grand Opening Details
Event: Photo Booth Museum Houston Grand Opening Presented by: Photomatica Date: Thursday, June 4, 2026 Time: 6 – 10 p.m. Location: 2103 Lyons Ave., Houston, TX 77020 Admission: Free for grand opening night Entry: First come, first served — RSVP does not guarantee entry
Regular museum hours and admission pricing: photomatica.com/photo-booth-museum Instagram: @thephotoboothmuseum / @photomatica Locations: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Houston
