Bullock Texas State History Museum Reviews

Definitely worth the visit to learn more about different events in Texas history. I opted for a self-guided tour but I believe guided tours were also available.

Do yourself a favour and pay this museum a visit, well worth the time. Very interesting and a great deal of history to cover and learn.

Well-crafted museum about the history of Texas, with only a short discussion about the native american cultures in the area before deep dives into early European exploration and settlements. Eventually it gets to the Texas revolution, music of Texas, and oil exploration. the IMAX theater is a nice addition.

It's not the most exciting museum, but I bet it's better than Oklahoma's State History Museum.

I love this very history things. I love how it has the history. I love the star. I would highly recommend this place to anyone.

I went to the museum to kill some time before my flight took off and it was an absolutely wonderful experience and I wish I had had more time to wander and learn. There were some wonderful artifacts and great information on the history of Texas. The cafeteria also had some pretty good food. I would definitely go again with more time to spend there

Texas is brimming with history and you can learn about much of it here. The IMAX is a bonus. Plan on spending at least a few hours.

This museum tells Texas history, warts and all, particularly in its temporary exhibits. Well worth a visit by non-Texans too.

Could only stay for a short bit but it was a spectacular place that I could get lost in! What a marvelous experience.

It is fundamental to visit it in order to know abour the history of Texas from the very beginning up to our days. I also recommend its cafeteria

I have been living in Texas since 2005.I thought that I needed to learn more about Texas.Here is a great museum to learn Texas.Everything is all about Texas history.Please visit here!

If you want to learn about Texas history this place is a must!! You will be amassed as to the history of TEXAS

I was really impressed by the Bullock State History Museum. I learnt so much about Texas history in a way which was really easy to take in and digest. There's lots of narrative to guide you round the museum and to give context to the artifacts you see. There's a lot there, but not so much that you can't see it all in a few hours. I'd recommend spending a morning there, and it certainly should be on an Austin to-do list. I enjoyed learning about State history in the first couple of days of my visit to Austin to contextualise what I saw later on. I visited with my husband but I think kids would enjoy it too.

This place is a good destination to take the kids for a day. Especially if it is hot outside. Lots of things to look at and to learn.

I love the layout of this museum and the detail of the exhibits. Gift shop is also well designed with quality offers. There is also an Imax theatre with snacks for purchase.

Great experience, not too crowded and Imax Theatre made the experience well worth it. Staff is very friendly and helpful.

When friends have friends visiting Austin - I'l always asked about places to take them... and the Bullock is always on my short list. Cool Texas history exhibitions and an IMAX theater. Plus it puts you on the UT campus and close to the Blanton Museum. You can find lots of details on their website.

Great museum with three stories full of Texas History. Very interesting with several videos and an IMAX Theatre.

Fantastic place of Texas history. The best museum we have ever been to. Alot of reading inter action with exhibits. Would highly recommend to any history buff.

This was actually quite good, particularly the part about the Texas' formation and its 19th century development as a part of Mexico, an independent republic, and a US state. It really did significantly enhance my understanding of Texas history.

The Bullock museum is the place to go see Texas History. You are guaranteed to learn new things about our great state by seeing great exhibits. It’s well worth the time to see this well organized museum.

I am not a huge museum person but this one was unique to texas so I had to check it out. Three large floors with a few movies to sit and watch. Plenty to read. We spent probably 1.5-2 hours. Parking is $15 which is not bad. Probably would not go back but glad we checked it out while in Austin

The museum was an excellent place to visit for several reasons.

It does a first class job displaying the 300-year old French ship La Belle. The lighting, display and touch screens make it an interactive viewing experience.

The museum does a good job explaining how the battles to separate from Mexico shaped the Texans view that were unique and independent from the rest of the United States.

The museum does a surprisingly good job showing how Jim Crow and overt racism have played an important part in the states history.

it does a good job showing the important role that Texas oil, gas and agriculture has had on the rest of the US.

The museum shore is one of the best museum stores I have seen- filled with a wide range of interesting stuff - not just books

The museum still has plenty of room to continue the Texas story - here are the areas that could use more education-
- important contributions of the states native and Mexican American heritage
-Texas popular culture - in music and film
-Texas lead in climate change- Texas is the US leader in wind power

I have always been intrigued with Texan culture, so whilst in Austin, took the opportunity to visit this fantastic museum which was 10 minutes walking distance.
Absolutely fascinating with no expense spared.
Layout is superb and gives a complete history of Texas.
The shipwreck and artefacts displayed were brilliant.
Takes you right up to (near) present day with virtually everything covered from pre-The Alamo to post Stevie Ray Vaughan with everything inbetween.
Gift shop was excellent too.
Well worth the entrance fee.
Highly recommended.

This is a well laid out and interesting museum with a nice cafe for lunch or a snack. It is wheelchair and family friendly. The exhibits are to overwhelming and there are films and interactive exhibits for all ages.

Enjoyed learning about the early history - all the Indian tribes, the early settlers, the state’s heroes . And that’s just the first floor!
Layout of the museum’s displays had me going in circles sometimes, swimming upstream against the kids to move to other exhibits.
Ate at the cafe. Hot food ends at 2, but after that there are plenty of prepackaged salads and sandwiches on offer.

it was raining and we were looking to do something inside. it was a great museum ! beautiful. we spent over 2 hours looking at all the exhibits.

A very nice building filled with the history of Texas beginning well before there was a Texas. It tries to include all the various groups that have contributed to making Texas the great state it is today.

There are lots of details at this modern museum. From a shipwreck to the civil war, this museum has just about everything you ever wanted to know about Texas. Great for the whole family for a few hours.

Put this on your MUST see if you are in Austin! Our family spent the day there! So much to do and see!

This was on our must see list when we planned the trip and we were not disappointed.
Easy to find behind the Capital Building although a slight detour was required to avoid a construction site.
The museum is big and covers the history of Texas. I knew about the Alamo but I didn’t know why it happened. I do now. The exhibits are excellent and laid out in a chronological order giving the viewer an immersive experience.
On the roof hangs a Texan a WW2 trainer known in the UK as the Harvard.
The museum has been well thought out and has something to interest for most people, certainly the parents and children walking around seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The oil exhibition was very interesting.
Definitely worth putting this on your list to visit when you arrive in wonderful Austin

What an unexpactadly amazing museum! It was extremely informative about EVERYTHING in Texas. I wish I had more time for it as it includes a lot of reading. I went in the morning during the week and it was fairly quiet. Be prepared to spend at least good 2 hours, they do have some chairs if you need to rest. There's also water fountains to stay hydrated!

The museum has a good exhibit of TX history - easy to traverse even for kids. The IMAX theatre features a variety of shows - mostly nature oriented. We saw a magnificent 3D show called Flight of the Butterflies. It’s the story of monarch butterflies and the two scientists who discovered their once mysterious migration - best for children over 3 and adults like us!

Recently visited Austin and took a walk from my hotel to this museum . Excellent and informative exhibits. The restoration of the the ship LaBelle is so fascinating and so well done .You can easily spend 2-3+ hours in this museum.Friendly staff

Nice little museum of Texas history on 3 floors, with a mix of media and exhibits. We attended on a free night.

This is a large, beautiful, well-done museum with so many neat artifacts and interesting historical details displayed on easy to read plaques. The adults in our group really enjoyed reading all of the fantastic information and looking at the exhibit pieces. You could really spend 5+ hours here (we were there 3 hrs), especially when you factor in the short films that are included in the museum tour (the optional films that cost extra would add to your time allotment).

However, I had my four kids ages 8-16 yo with me and they became rather bored pretty quickly. I was glad they were able to see the exhibits and read some of the info, but convincing young kids to stand and read is a tough task these days. We talked about the exhibits and what happened and how things are different now, and they did enjoy the few interactive exhibits. If the museum added a few more technology-based or otherwise interactive stations to further enhance the information and experience, I think children would be more apt to enjoy learning the history.

I appreciate a well-designed museum of any type, able to grab and hold the visitor's interest. The Bullock is one such place. Very well done. Clean, well-lighted. Three floors of displays from ancient to modern. Learned alot of Texas/Mexican history. Worth a visit, for sure.

I took my 12-year-old grandson to the museum in preparation of his 7th grade history course on Texas History. I feel it went a long way in preparing him for the 7th grade!

In any event, this certainly is for a state history museum - though half the enourmous building is given over ti iMax theatres and other function spaces. The museum itself is essentially 3 floors of chronologically laid out history of TX from neolithic humans to present. Clearly a big budget item, and well curated with good explanatory signs and enough large format displays to keep the kids intersted if you're doing that sort of tour. Enough history for the readers too. All in all a nice job and it probably ranks in 85-90th percentile as these go. Dinged a star because game day parking was set at $25! I mean, really. Drove around and found street parking with a reasonably short walk for free.

The Bob Bullock Museum is Amazing! Recently, we went to see Avengers Endgame 3D at the IMAX here and it is way better than any other one I’ve been to. The picture is so clear and the screen is much bigger. We left a few hours early before our movie to explore the museum and had a great time doing so. Loved the gift shop!

I was in Texas visiting my friend and stoped by here. It was ok... interesting to those wanting to know more about history... I'm more about the present and the life I'm creating!! 🙏🏼

This museum was of the charts amazing. We spent 3 hours there and could have spent 3 days. The exhibits, movies, and overall presentation of the museum was excellent. The only drawback was the museum cost 13.00 a person and parking was 10.00.

This museum takes youth through the story of Texas. It’s well done and there are a lot of interesting artifacts, like a shipwrecked boat, an Alamo exhibit, and some special exhibits.

This museum is very nice! You can walk through everything in two or three hours. They have a nice gift shop and a theatre as well. I enjoyed the one exhibit about a photographer who photographed all the different areas in Texas!

This is a year by year history of the birth of Texas and the renaissance. All students should attend. Also parents. Many artifacts are on display.

Mostly text with a few pieces of bric-a-brac. Read a history book instead. We managed to get through it in about an hour.

Amazing museum for family and school groups. No tour guide, but Reagan gave our school group instructions prior to letting us loose.
There were many decades of history. A plane that excited the kids to no end. There were even hands on things that the kids could touch and a few short movies to watch.

We came here with the family during summer with the family. We had a great trip with the kids. Learned a lot about Texas

“The Bullock Texas State History Museum is named for the state's 38th Lieutenant Governor, Bob Bullock, who championed the preservation and exhibition of Texas history and worked to establish the museum that opened in 2001.”

Be prepared and wear comfy shoes. There are so many captivating, intriguing historically organized items on display in the multi level museum complete with bookstore, cafe, and IMAX theatre. It’s perfect as a solo, date, or family visit. Paid garage parking.

Went there on a rainy day. Wonderful exhibits. Extremely informative and interesting exhibits about Texas throughout its entire history. We ran out of time when they closed. Exhibits were riveting. Highly recommended for ages probably 8 and up.

Being from the midwest and not from Texas, this museum was quite interesting as it's a whole other piece of history of the USA that often gets glazed over in history class as so much gets focused on colonization of the east coast. The museum was quite thorough. We learned a lot as we toured through it.

My wife and I spent ~3 hours here, including a 3D movie, and (as Canadians) really enjoyed learning more about the history of Texas. The museum is very well done.

I didn’t get to view the last floor because they were closing & kicked me out. I asked a security guard if they can at least accommodate me for another day and accept my current tickets so I can finish the museum & he said of course. Just to double check me & my partner asked the people at the front desk to where they said no and that it was “tough luck” & I would have to simply pay again to see the last floor... They also went on to mention that if I had picked a earlier time that they wouldn’t have kicked me out which was no help. Besides that the museum had some pretty cool stuff & was enjoyable up until the point they kicked me and my partner out. I didn’t really get the full experience I paid for. They could’ve at least let us finish the museum rather than making us walk all the way that we had came from. A museum that big shouldn’t even really have a minimum of an hour to view the whole place as it would honestly take longer than one hour to view. Pretty inconsiderate.

This was a great museum filled with Texas history. It was absolutely worth the money. It was so chock full of information and history that I felt exhausted by the time I got to the top floor. This is not really a negative; I much prefer being overwhelmed vs. paying to enter a museum that takes an hour to go through. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys history or is not familiar with Texas history. I learned and re-learned quite a bit, as this was my first trip back to Texas in 25 years.

Don’t go during the week!!! The entire museum was full of young students on field trips. They were running around and yelling. It was so loud in the big open building that we couldn’t even read a display and comprehend what it was saying. After about 20 minutes of being in there, we decided that we couldn’t stand it any longer. We asked for our money back. The manager told us that they have a “no refund” policy and she refused to return our money. We traveled from Ohio and really wanted to experience this museum. What a huge disappointment!!!

We visited at the last minute. It was nice to see all of the interesting facts, photos, and displays. The building is clean and the employees are friendly. It's a nice visit if you're in the area. We all enjoyed it. We hope you do too.

Great way to get a snapshot of Texas history. Would have loved to see a little more on the Alamo and NASA.

There is a lot to see here! Allow yourself at least 2 hours. three would be better. $10 to park in the subterranean garage. Well worth it. Parking is tough in Austin.Something for everyone and good for kids.

This museum had a great overview of Texas history. I definitely came to Texas with limited knowledge on its creation and left this museum with a whole appreciation for it. The museum itself is nicely spread out with a variety of exhibits. It’s not the *best* museum I’ve ever been to, but I recommend visiting at least once to better understand the state you’re in!

Not being from Texas, the information provided was very informative. The IMAX theater was great. The entire layout did justice to Texas. The WWI special exhibit itself was worth the price of admission.

This is a great museum, with the colorful history of Texas laid out very nicely. Lots of items, including recovered ship remains, on display, but also lots of often surprising facts about how Texas came to be.

I went to an evening event and afterwards they open the museum for us to go thru. It was one of the best pertaining to Texas history.

My husband and I had the opportunity to visit the Bullock Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8th, 2019. We have visited the Bullock multiple times in the past and have always found it to be very enjoyable, interesting, informative and educational. We have been quite impressed with its vast collection of objects, very well done special exhibits, and its excellent and comprehensive view of various aspects of Texas history. This time we really enjoyed the special exhibits on ‘War World I America’ and ‘Texas from Above’ as well as the new ‘Becoming Texas’ exhibit. All the exhibits in this museum were nicely curated and had detailed write-ups describing them that were well done.

Our visit this time took about two hours. However, we definitely did not have the opportunity to see everything in the museum during this time, due to lack of time, and estimate that it would take between four to six hours to really see and absorb it all. There was a lot to see in this museum, much more than what I mention below in my highlights and we highly recommend it and would continue to go back again. We hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy it as much as we did.

However, there were two drawbacks to this museum that I would like to note, before going into more detail about the exhibits:

1). We visited on a Monday at 10 am and at that time there were many school children touring the museum. Some of these children (not all of them) were really misbehaving, especially when they arrived in the World War I exhibit, making it very hard for us to concentrate on the great information presented in this exhibit, as well as other exhibits, which was quite unfortunate for us as well as for others.

2). The $10 parking fee in the museum parking garage was quite expensive. It would be nice if there was validated parking as the Blanton has for the Brazos Garage for $4.

The Special Exhibit ‘World War I America’ (First Floor): :

We started our visit this time with this exhibit which was a very comprehensive view of America’s experience in this very transformational war, both here and abroad from 1914 - 1919. This exhibit addressed many different subjects starting with America and the War in Europe from 1914 – 1917; The subjects included, in the order which I have them in my notes: the Panama-Pacific International Expedition; War Against War - Debating Preparedness and staying out of conflict; Immigrants coming to America from 1900 – 1920 and closing the doors in 1917; Working on the Home front; the Lusitania U-Boat Disaster; the Zimmerman Telegram; the Mexican Border Conflict in 1916; and the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural south to the urban north; among many other subjects.

The Exhibits then went into subjects related to America at War from 1917 – 1919, This included many subjects, such as :the role of the Committee on Public Information to stir up patriotism and minimize opposition to the war; the impact on modern war technology, including poisonous gases;, the Hello Girl switchboards; the National Draft Selective Act of 1917 with its rigorous physical examinations and IQ Tests; Making Doughboys with US soldiers going to war, including their artifacts and stories; America's All, with many immigrant soldiers; war resistance and slackers who did not register for the draft; rapid changes in American consumer culture with higher wages and increased demand for goods; the Western Front and European trenches, including the role of the American Red Cross; many stories from the front; fashion and apparel during wartime; .Prohibition as a war measure; the Espionage and Sedition Acts that suppressed dissent and free speech for National Security; and the struggle for woman suffrage and the1918 Suffrage Act allowing woman to vote, among many other subjects.

The post war issues that occurred after the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918, were then addressed. This included: the work force impact with labor unrest and many strikes due to no work; Radicalism and the Red Scare with Galleanists, anarchists and radical ideas and bombings; the red summer with violence and unemployment in the cities; the peak Influenza outbreak in 1919; and disabled Veterans, among other subjects.

Remaking the World after the war through lengthy treaty negotiations in Paris that resulted in the creation of the League of Nations and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles with Germany were addressed with the US Senate refusing to sign onto the league and refusing to ratify the treaty leading to the eventual outbreak of war in September of 1939.

The World War I Legacies extending across cultures, politics and society, that resulted from a war fought and won were addressed. These included America rising as a leading global superpower; the transformation of world economies; the end of an empire and the rise of nation states as well as the emergence of Communism and disastrous realignments in the Middle East and Africa and more,

This exhibit was definitely well done, very educational, informative and worth seeing. We highly recommend this exhibit.

The New ‘Becoming Texas’ Exhibit: (First Floor):

We then went to this new exhibit which nicely incorporated the reconstructed, well preserved, historic La Belle ship into it. The exhibit was quite impressive and nicely illustrated more than 16,000 years of Texas history prior to Mexican Independence in 1821.

The exhibit began with the first people who inhabited Texas. It then went into French Explorer La Salle’s voyage in 1682 where he named lands that he found “Louisiana”. It went into details about LaSalle’s Expedition in search of Spanish Treasure and his failed attempt to colonize off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in 1684. The dangerous journey of the small La Belle ship, which got shipwrecked off the Texas coast, was described. The exhibit had many artifacts from the cargo of the La Belle on display, as well as the actual La Belle ship.

The exhibit then went into details about life beyond the frontier with Spanish Catholic missions, military forts and settlements and information on ranchers, settlers, contested sovereignty as well as the spread of smallpox.

The very diverse cultures of the people who inhabited the Texas lands were addressed along with their traditions, in addition to exhibits that showed the importance of Bison to early Texas and how Indian Artists have passed on their culture’s traditions to future generations. A film on the different Texas landscapes and languages was also being shown. In addition, the World Events that shifted power and influenced the growth of early Texas and Stephen F. Austin’s settlement in Texas were also addressed, among many more subjects,

This definitely was an excellent exhibit, covering a timeline of many years with a tremendous amount of information!! I only provided some details in this write-up on parts of this timeline. This exhibit was definitely worth seeing!!

The Remaining Parts of the Museum:

We then went upstairs to the second floor to view ‘Building the Lone Star Identity’ in the Texas History exhibits. There were some changes to these exhibits from past visits. The exhibits in these galleries in the museum which illustrated the history of Texas from 1821 – 1936, were well done with excellent supporting detailed write-ups explaining them.

The exhibits reflected the shared heritage of the Texas people. The different views of Texas were portrayed, including Mexico’s View of Insurrection in Texas, Texas’s View of a Separate Identity, and American’s View of Debate over Annexation. There were exhibits on the major events and associated timelines for the Texas Revolution for Independence and the beginnings of the Texas Republic and Statehood. These included the Rebellion (1835), San Jacinto (1836), Statehood (1845), the war between Mexico and settling the border (1846 – 1848), the American Indian cultural impact (1846 – 1861), Texans during the Civil War and the role of cotton as Texas’s lifeline of the Confederacy (1861 – 1865), reshaping the government and rebuilding the economy after the Civil War with reconstruction (1865 – 1875), and the transition to reshape Texas’s identity (1876 – 1934) as well as many more events that helped shape Texas to be what it is today...We also went through the collector’s gallery on the second floor with maps, documents, artifacts and other works of art,

We then went up to the third floor with exhibits on Texas ranching (a Spanish legacy), the science of transportation with railroads to roadways, traditions of Texas’s past, the Texas Theater, WWII, Austin City Limits, music and sports with respect to Texas, the history and development of the oil industry, Texas disasters and recoveries, areas of medicine and technology in which Texans were pioneers, the space achievements with respect to Houston, such as the Apollo 8 mission, and the Texan AT-6 airplane, and much more..

There were multiple films throughout the galleries in the museum reflecting different aspects of Texas’s history, these were quite entertaining, informative and definitely worth seeing if you have the time. This time we really enjoyed the film on ‘Movie Cowboys - Hollywood’s Texas Cowboy’, which provided a nice perspective on the cowboy in Texas. In the past we liked seeing the films on ‘The Alamo’, ‘the World Comes to Texas’ as well as ‘Austin’s City Limits’.

Special Exhibit on ‘Texas from Above: The Photographs by Jay B. Sauceda’ (Third Floor):

This was a beautiful exhibit showing the diversity of geography of 3,822 miles of Texas border land and waters from an aerial perspective: The exhibit included scenes shot based on traveling between Marfa and Alpine, the Guadalupe Mountains, Big Bend – Marfa to Marfa, Marfa to Mustang Island and Victoria to Mustang Island, among many other locations, This was a great way to document Texas and was definitely worth seeing!! The exhibit nicely demonstrated the color contrast and uniqueness of a topography that changes drastically from one region to the next in Texas!!

Again, we highly recommend this museum. As you could see it has a real lot to offer and is definitely worth a visit if you are in Austin.
 

We were visiting Austin from out of state and learned a lot about the history of Texas in a short period of time, very informative. Also really enjoyed the LaSalle exhibit, amazing artifacts. Also found it convenient to just leave our rental car in their garage ($10 all day) and walk to the Capitol building after we were done in the museum.

This was our 2nd stop in Austin and well worth the visit. We only did the main exhibits, and we enjoyed ourselves for about 3 hours. There's an immense amount of knowledge at this museum about Austin & Texas in general. If you're one that likes to be informed & appreciate history, we highly recommend stopping by.

Loved the way the museum was laid out. The only regret we had was that we didn’t have enough time to see and experience everything. I’ll be back for sure. Made me proud to be a Texan!

We were visiting Austin with our 10 year old grandson and decided to stop by this Museum. We’re so glad we did! It is a beautifully arranged museum that is very kid friendly with interactive exhibits that chronicle the history, development, and uniqueness of the Lone Star State. We did not do the movies, but there are several to choose from. The cafe offers excellent food at reasonable prices. This museum is definitely worth the stop—enjoy!

They do a good job of showing the history of Texas, going back to the native Americans. Worth a visit.

Great museum, with many interesting, well-presented exhibits. There are several good movies that add to the experience, and are well worth seeing. We enjoyed our visit to this museum!

The Bullock Texas State History Museum is dedicated to telling and interpreting the continually unfolding "Story of Texas" to the broadest possible audience through meaningful educational experiences. Located at 1800 Congress Avenue in Austin, a few blocks north of the Texas State Capitol, the building features three floors of exhibitions, an IMAX with laser theater, a 4D special effects theater, a cafe and a museum store. It features artifacts spanning more than 16,000 years of Texas history. Open from 10 to 5 Tuesday through Sunday, visitors are encouraged to start by viewing a 15-minute presentation "Spirit of Texas" and continue to explore stories about famous Texans and towns from Eldorado to Plano and events that shaped the history of Texas. The museum is named after the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Bob Bullock, who championed the preservation and exhibition of Texas history and worked to establish its creation. He was the guest of honor at the museum's groundbreaking ceremony in 1999 but died before it was completed in 2001. Start your visit in the first floor gallery with the Becoming Texas exhibition, a journey through Texas' earliest history beginning with one of the earliest known objects created by humans in the Americas, a projectile point discovered at the Gault archaeological site 40 miles north of Austin. In the second floor gallery, see the life-size statues of Sam Houston and the 16-foot Goddess of Liberty that originally sat atop the Texas State Capitol. Also examine the personal stories of the people, places and events that shaped Texas history from 1821 to 1936. The third floor gallery captures the excitement of Texas' emergence onto the national state in the 20th century. One don't-miss exhibit documents the history of the oil boom and the first major oil strike at Spindletop in 1901 and tells how the oil and natural gas industry in Texas impacts the country and the world. There also are sections dedicated to Texas ranching, civil rights, science and space exploration, sports and music.

We really enjoyed our visit here, it was great for getting out of the heat for an afternoon. This is a well designed museum and it was very enjoyable to learn more about the history of Texas. We also enjoyed one of the films in the IMAX theater.

I really enjoyed my time at the Texas State Museum- there’s so much to see so give yourself at least 2-3 hours. The gift shop is great for getting souvenirs and the staff is very very friendly /helpful

This is a newish museum that covers the history of Texas from its earliest route. There is a lot of multi media and video in the museum; it’s in beautiful condition.

It’s a bit pricey so if you were on a budget, make sure to check the website for costs before you come.

We really enjoyed our time in the museum, very interesting history of Mexico and Texas, very interactive and very nice for kids. I highly recommend it if you are interested in learning history.

The museum presents a good summary of the history of Texas. Be sure to watch the movie, The Star of Destiny. The film was very fun!

As many times as we have visited Austin we have missed this gem of a museum. Highly recommend this lovely building and displays. It is just big enough to give the history of Texas but it is not overwhelming. The gift shop is lovely as is the cafe.

We make a point of visiting museums when on holiday but somehow seem slow to get around to all the museums in the city we reside in. We made a list of the best and set about correcting this oversight. Bullock was one of the first we visited. It was well worth the trip into town. There is a parking garage, a plus in a town where parking is a problem. Staff were kind and helpful. We spent hours at Bullock and could quite easily have spent a few more hours there, if it weren't for the fact that we had another stop planned for the day.

Our scout troop visited the museum. We had a great time. This is a great place to learn about the history of Texas.

We thoroughly enjoyed our 3-hour visit at this interesting, informative, and immersive museum all about the history of Texas. It has a lot of neat exhibits including the original Capitol statute which we had just heard about on our capitol building tour.

This place is exceptional. Something for everyone. Lots of hands on things for kids to do. The IMAX movies are wonderful. The 'Star of Destiny', about early Texas history and 'Shipwrecked' are excellent. Very interesting and exciting. We took a fourth grader and a sixth grader and it was hard to get them to leave! The exhibits are first rate. The have the remnants of La Belle ship and thousands of items recovered from it on display.
I can't recommend this enough! Well worth the time

If you are from Texas, walking thru this museum will give you a lot of deja vu moment from Texas History class. Interesting artifacts but its pretty good if you can relate on Texas knowledge. Three stories high and from the grown is past to present.

I would recommend the IMAX, I did not do the IMAX this Dec-18 but a couple of years ago during a visit, I did the IMAX only and it still remains with me.

If you like museum, this is not one to miss.

The Bullock Museum was on my list because I had read about La Belle shipwreck that the museum houses. The shipwreck exhibit was laid out extremely well and definitely feels like a modern museum. There are a lot of artifacts to see, and the ship itself was really cool.

The museum is set up in a very chronological history. There are some areas that are a little older (you can tell by the font styles and some of the wording), but you can really tell they've been working to update it. It tells a very thorough history of how Texas was under six flags, and has many great artifacts. We spend a few hours here, but could have stayed longer if we weren't on a schedule.

The map exhibit might be temporary, but the collection was amazing. The maps tell stories of exploration and show how the Americas were first "explored." Some of them are incredibly old. But they are so detailed you could spend a long time looking at them.

The COVID protocols were good... masks were required and social distancing was encouraged. But one of the security guards at the front desk sat there without a mask on, and there were a few people in the museum who decided that no one was around so they could take off their mask. I would love to see a staff member walking around and enforcing the mask policy (like other museums do). It was not very crowded, fortunately, so distancing was easy.

Would definitely recommend this museum to anyone who wants to learn more about Texas or who wants to see a really old shipwreck.

If you’re interested in Texas History, Bob Bullock State History Museum is the place to go. We often take visiting friends and family. It is geared towards all ages. The exhibits are beautifully done and the interactive activities for children are stimulating and educational. The IMAX theater gives you that added element of entertainment. We typically spend a full day when we go.

We spent at least three hours in this museum viewing historical exhibits on three floors. We paid extra to see a film called Star of Destiny which focuses on Texas history. The extra cost was well worth it because of some special effects in the theater. (It rains!) We also ate lunch in the museum's Cafe. A big selection of choices are available. Our salads were fresh and reasonably priced. Our only regret was that we visited just a day before the special dinosaur opened. Oh well, I still highly recommend you visit.

As an out of state visitor, I gained an immense knowledge of the formation of Texas and left with a better appreciate of the State of Texas.

This place is a treasure with its rotating exhibits and films. Watch for free Sundays which are sponsored by HEB. Still may have to pay for parking. The gift shop also has very reasonable and special items. Do check out the film times in advance. I worked for Bob Bullock and this museum was a wonderful gift.

We enjoyed our trip to the Texas State History Museum. We learned so much about the state’s history that we didn’t know before.

The main part of the museum is dedicated to the remnants and artifacts of the La Belle and I spent quite a while exploring that exhibit. From there wander through the history of the region/state/country/state again and everything that happened there. The highlight of my visit was sitting in the small auditorium and watching Austin City Limits fr/ the first episode and seeing the history of music as expressed in this PBS series.
Being Texas there were several displays of battles for Texas independence. They were well done but some were a bit "over the top".
Plan to spend a while meandering the place and enjoying the history of all things Texas.

A day at the Bullock Museum provides something for everyone. Spend time learning the history of the great state of Texas and the numerous people involved in the settling and governing of the state. Learn about the musical history of the state....all portrayed in great exhibits and movies. Enjoy the IMAX theater presentations. A great cafe for a lunch stop or coffee break and a wonderful gift shop. A MUST SEE IN AUSTIN!

Fantastic space for a conference dinner. The museum was closed which was too bad - especially for out of towners.

Food was a bit hit and miss. Served steaks without steak knives!

The first time I visited this museum (pre-COVID), it was amazing, and I loved it! However, this time, it was very disappointing.

My husband and I stopped here around 1:30pm on a Friday. Lots of the exhibits were closed or weren't there at all. Okay, fair enough but don't charge full price for only half a museum!

We also purchased tickets for an IMAX show. We weren't told that there would be a huge field trip group of junior high kids until we went to the IMAX place and gave them our ticket. To be fair, the lady there did tell us which rows to sit in if we didn't want to be that close to them. The film was supposed to start at 2 but because the kids were late, we had to wait on them. They finally arrived about 8 minutes later, and the movie was 10 minutes late in starting. I felt like they should have started at 2 on the dot and told the field trip group they'd have to attend another showing.

Overall, it was just not worth the time or money this time. The staff is all really nice, but the museum is just not that fun. I don't know if it's because of COVID or what, but I wish I would have known that half the museum was missing or closed before I bought my full price ticket. =/

Planned very well and will teach you many, many things. Big state, big museum, and one will be impressed.

Very, very well done on the history and evolution of Texas from it's people to culture to the economic drivers. A must see in Austin.

Coming from California I was very interested in coming here to learn about Texas History and the museum did not disappoint. Because of COVID, several films and video displays were not open, but the museum still had many very nice displays that chronicled Texas history from its native origins up through the civil war. From the Civil War on, the museum took a thematic approach and profiled the key industries that led to the state of Texas we know today (ranching, development of petroleum industry, aerospace).

There is a lot of information that is in both English and Spanish and while many of the video was not working, the written displays provided plenty of information. A key highlight of the museum is a Spanish resupply ship that sank with all its cargo but was excavated and put on display in the museum. It is unusual to see the entire cargo of a ship from 300 years ago and see what kinds of things the Spanish were bringing to America both to defend themselves and trade with the natives. I spent 2.5 hours here.

Always a good visit here. Parking garage is only $10 for the day. Walking distance from other downtown attractions. Be aware the cafe is closed for now.

Beautiful museum presenting the history of Texas. Well designed and organized, with the early history starting as you work your way around the first, then the second, and finally the third floor.

Parking under the museum, and deli on the second floor for a quick lunch.

Really cool experience if your headed to Austin! They have free tours! check out their websites for hours. My family really enjoyed learning the History of Texas!

Nice overview of Texas history. The number of names and dates can overwhelm at times , and clearer “direction of the visit” would have helped. Sadly the imax features seem unconnected to the museum content.
The PBS music room about Texas connected music was fun although it seemed that the only connection to Texas was that the performances were in Texas? Leonard Cohen is I recall from Montreal. Fun if a bit mysteriously relevant.

I thought I knew something about Texas, but I was truly surprised by the wealth of information displayed in this large museum in downtown Austin. The Bullock Museum has displays and artifacts from the aboriginal era to the state's participation in the space program and beyond. This is a family-friendly educational treasure and will take awhile to savor. Make sure you reserve the better part of an afternoon to linger on the several floors of exhibits. You will glad you made the trip.

Really enjoyed my visit. The exhibits are varied and feature many different styles of exhibit from film to sets to written information. I would definitely recommend!

The fashion forward exhibition was very well done! I really enjoyed seeing original pieces from Chanel, Valentino, and many other iconic designers.

It was really a surprise stop. I expected it to be good but was very surprised at how good and interesting it was. Everyone enjoyed it.

Spent about 2.5 hours, including a cafe lunch and a 45 min IMAX film. Easy historical flow from floor to floor. Good elevators. Had tons of fun learning about the past.

You follow clear timeline paths from native Americans to the 1930s with relatively little whitewashing, except for the civil war section. Labels are clear and informative. Currently they have a space exhibit as well.

We visited on Texas Independence Day and there were special programs going on. The standard exhibits are superb and the museum is beautifully designed. Well worth a visit.

Really enjoyed my visit here. Texas history pre 1821 to the present. Also, an IMAX theater,a cafe, special exhibits and a special exhibit gallery. Very nice.

This is an excellent museum of Texas history. The best way to go about this would be to see aside three to four hours and take a break in the cafe in the middle. We did not see IMAX but they would require adding more time. This could easily be a full day activity.

The museum is very informative. It has great displays and an IMAX. During the spring and summer, it hosts outdoor events, music, etc. A must-do.

This museum was amazing - interactive, interesting, informative and well laid out. We learned so much about Texas history and Texans. I'd say it's absolutely unmissable!

Very interesting with a lot of displays and set up to progress through time. Quite a few artifacts for a French ship that capsized in the Gulf. Nice display explaining the different indigenous people of Texas.

Lots to see and do. You do have to pay for parking. Not much for toddlers buts lots of things to look at. Nice and quiet for nap time!

I grew up in Texas but have lived in California for thirty years and and am constantly frustrated by the over-simplification of Texas history held by most non-Texans. My Californian husband and I were in Austin seeing friends and had some free time, so I convinced him to visit the Bullock Texas State History with me, and we had no regrets! Not only did the AC work great (a big selling point since we live in San Francisco and perish when it gets hotter than 68), but also the exhibits were thoughtful, informational, and enthralling. We went on a shopping spree in the gift shop on our way out so we can keep reliving the experience.

The café on the second floor asked 10 fourth graders to leave because they brought brown bag lunches and the café "doesn't allow outside food". We drove from out of town and were there for a field trip and I was one of the chaparones. It was wet and very cold outside and we were told by the lady in the café that we could walk across the street to eat at another café. Couldn't make an exception for 10 kids on their field trip... not a place I want to visit again. A young girl working in ticket office said the café was contracted separately but that's no excuse. It's located within the museum and promoted by the museum so it's actions are a reflection of the museum. The exhibits the museum had was decent but not enough to want to go back.

There was a lot of history ranging from late 1860's to the 1950's . I learned about a French exploer that I never heard of. It is a pleasant atmosphere and well kept facility. Wide open and airy lobby. Congenial staff.

Very informative on history of the state. Lots of reading. Imax was fun addition. Construction in area makes finding the parking a challenge.

Really large crowds for the labor day Sunday...thank you HEB, for the free admission! A great place to learn Texas history.
There is a parking garage under the museum for $10. Well worth the price in the Texas summer heat and construction in the area.! Follow P signs to enter at the SE corner of the building.

Excellent exhibits which I loved, but there wasn’t much interactive or accessible for our 6 year old (never mind the toddler). Shame because he loves history but the amount of reading required was a bit overwhelming for him.

Okay, so as museums go -- I'd have to say this is average because it's set up a little oddly. Maybe it was me -- but the exhibits didn't seem to naturally flow. Still, it's a beautiful place, taking each exhibit individually, it's a nice intro to Texas -- the theater is a bonus and it's a super place for picture taking.

Recommended time to visit is 3 hours minimum if you want to engage in all displays. The themes are land, opportunity, and identity. We found a lot to like, you will also.

We spent nearly 3 hours at the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are 3 floors that lead you through Texas history starting with the first settlements and going through the modern era. There are a number of 10-15 minute films throughout that help tell the story if you stop to watch them. I watched films about the Texas revolution against Mexico, how Texas cowboys have been featured in film, a great Gil on the Texas Centennial Fair and Austin City Limits on PBS.

Every person we dealt with was extremely friendly. Souvenirs in the gift shop were not terribly expensive.

The only criticism I have is that sometimes it was not clear which direction you should go when arriving on a new floor….so I wound up doing the second floor backwards (newest to oldest). Overall, a really interesting museum.

We recomand this museum if you want to learn or improve your knowledge about the history and heritage of the South. Great also for teenagers

Superb telling of the story of Texas from the Ice Age to the Space Age. Stunning and informative displays kept us enthralled for over 4 hours.

Interesting museum with a diverse display of Texas history. Courteous and professional staff. Affordable for families.

Visiting from the UK and took in the museum to learn more about the fascinating history of Texas. Well worth a visit with interesting exhibits set in a magnificent building.

Fabulous museum! Well curated and packed with information…without being overwhelming. A view of Texas chronologically presented from the early colonial days, to the war with Mexico, days as an independent republic, statehood, secession Ro present. A special bonus was the very impressive exhibit of Youth Art. We spent about 2 1/2 hours, but could have spent the whole afternoon. There are a few movies at an additional price which we sadly were not able to see (check times in advance and leave time). Don’t miss it!

A really good introduction to the history of Texas

In reality the occupied volume inside is such that is didn't contain as much as you would think. Stuff isn't crammed in.
Like the way it is organised in an easy to follow chronological order. Acceptable level of accompanying narrative

We really enjoyed learning about Texas' history. This museum has excellent exhibits and shows compelling stories being told from its heroes' perspectives. Left feeling even more proud to be Texans!

it was the worst experience I have ever had. It is as if you aren't a White male you are not worthy of being invited to the table. I am a Mexican American female and I was shamed for being what I was born as.

There is no recognition of what Mexican Americans have contributed to this state. We are a minority majority state but still oppress people who are not White males. Save your money and visit the rest of the city that is more inclusive!

We enjoy bring the kids here once a year. There is also the iMax theater, so you can visit the museum and watch an interesting flick on the big screen.

I highly recommend going to the museum. The exhibits are great, but you get a real sense of disorganization, particularly on the top floor. The mosaic on the first floor is absolutely stunning. Be sure to look at it from higher floors. The cafe was very pleasant and reasonably priced.

Exhibits were well laid out, clean, and somewhat interactive. My daughter wasn't very interested, but I thought it was good.

We visited this museum for the first time yesterday. Our main purpose was to see the ship La Belle. We also saw the movie about the ship. The movie was quite good and the sound, movement, and mist during the part of the movie that portrays the storm is not to be missed. The ship restoration is amazing, as is the display of the artifacts found in the wreck. However, the ship itself had no signs to explain the parts of the ship. Without such signs, we were left to wonder which parts of the ship were which.
Also--when we went upstairs to some of the Texas history displays, we nearly tripped and fell down. The floor was uneven--apparently to simulate dirt that had been trampled by people and horses. Not a safe situation--especially for seniors.

Pros: excellent presentation of Texas history. Very enjoyable and impressive. The displays were well lit and the signs readable.
Cons: almost no mention of Texas geography, --its seven distinctive regions.
Most nice museums like the Bullock have cafes where you can get an enjoyable lunch. The Bullock's cafe is really minimal.

The first floor alone is worth the visit. An excellent, comprehensive examination of the origins of Texas. The second floor is fascinating as well but seems to be a work in progress. I didn't make it to the third floor as I had spent over three hours on the first two. All in all a magnificent museum experience.

After touring the Capitol grounds yesterday we decided to visit the Bullock museum. We took an AO tour from the visitors center, you get a pink tag and the Bullock offers discount admission with showing the tag, fyi.

This museum is chock full of Texas history, I especially enjoyed the lower level with the remains of the French ship LaBelle, but there were many interesting parts, even for a non Texan like myself

It has the history of Texas and some of the US historical events that lead to the formation of Texas then US

The imposing design of the museum exudes the grandness of Texas. You walk into the rotunda and you understand what big in Texas means. The individual exhibitions builds on the history of how Texas came to be. As you go up the levels of the museum, the greatness is explained. The making of the Texas Republic into it's own nation is told in movies, interactive presentations and standalone exhibits.
At the end, you know why Texans are so proud of being from Texas.

One of the most underrated museums in the United States, the State History Museum is outstanding! From prehistoric times to modern history this place is a great resource and reminder of what it means to be a Texan. The highlight is the “La Belle”, Robert La Salle’s ship which was discovered in 1996 in Matagorda Bay. The story is basically France’s failed attempt to claim the western regions of America. The display is testament to the resolve and grit of early explorers.

Enjoyed the museum over spring break with my three kids 10;13; and 15. All three enjoyed the museum. Really fantastic World War One exhibit right now and the movies that are available for viewing are well made. Very nice cafe and beautiful little gift shop inside the museum as well. Great way to spend several hours.

If you are new to Texas, this is a must stop. Not expensive at all at $13 for an adult entry. A few floors to get through, but nicely laid out in a chronologic order. A great experience.

This is a must do stop when you are in Austin. We all came away learning so much about the history of Texas that we never knew. It is set up in an easy to manage manner. I realized that I really never knew very much about the Lone Star State.

Visually appealing and well organised museum in a nice building. It's not particularly in-depth but a good intro to Texan history with the museum winding through the decades and historical milestones.

There are not that many actual artefacts (though it does contain the remnants of La Belle) and instead the museum relies heavily on written narrative and also multimedia. At the time there were a couple of exhibitions including one on space exploration.

I was intrigued by the Texas Spirit Theater but sadly missed a showing. There is sn IMAX, too.

I found the exhibitions on the history of the state and city both easy to digest for key events and historical highlights whilst providing an opportunity to explore further detail of you wanted it.

The layout and flow of the interior was easy to navigate and felt effortless.

The building both interior and exterior are worth the visit alone.

A superbly informative and interesting way to spend 2-3 hours of our trip.

I have visited many history museums in our travels, but this is one of the best. In a fairly condensed space, the displays were beautifully done, and the explanations of the history were succinct and thorough. We could’ve spent much more time than we had , But still felt that we learned a great deal about Texas history. We thoroughly enjoyed the IMAX experience about turtles. A great way to spend an afternoon in Austin.

Unexpected Great morning at the museum; well laid out, informative and enlightening. If you have half a morning I highly recommend you come over and spend the time learning about Texan history.... fascinating!

Spent a lot longer here than we thought we would. It is a fascinating visual history. We started at the top and worked our way down, probably should have done it from the ground up. Make time to see all the videos, doesn't take long, up to 5 minutes each, but well worth it.

Fascinating story of the origins of the state and founding fathers. Highly recommended stop in Austin!

I visited this museum multiple times whenever family or friends are in town and I don't seem to get tired of it. Review by Gabriel Culiat

Full of interesting history and exhibits, not much for little kids to do as most exhibits require some reading of plaques, etc, but overall we found it enjoyable as we love Texas and this gave us even more insight in to it.

We only saw the exhibits on Texas. The guitar exhibit didn’t interest us and none of the movies were scheduled at a time that was convenient for us or didn’t interest us. The exhibits are well done.

This is a pretty fabulous museum. The building interior is gorgeous. The displays in the museum great with informative information about each of them. The museum is three floors with lots of artifacts on the first and second floor. More recent historical information isn't as robustly available. They have a cafe but the cafe wasn't open due to covid. The gift store is pretty large. Worth a look if you are at all interested in history. The length of time you spend here is determined by how much you want to read. If you aren't interested in history I would pass on seeing it.

Picture this: A hot July day, an extended family of 9 people, driving 2 cars and parking for free on UT campus ( near AT&T Hotel and Conference Center ), walking into the museum without paying admission tickets since it's the first Sunday of the month, spending 2 hours there witnessing the history of Texas from pre-colonial times to modern days, and taking pictures in front of the big Lone Star.

Cut!

Fun, isn't it?

A very nice museum with lots of historical information about the state of Texas. Lots of artifacts and information for you to view. You won’t be disappointed.

We’ll set out and organised museum. With very helpful staff. Very informative and recommended to do early in any visit to Austin especially if you have never been to Texas before. Good little Cafe on the second floor to recharge with coffee and selection of sandwiches, tacos and various delights. A nice little gift shop captures your left over cash on the way out. Very enjoyable.

Visited for the first time back in July 2022 to watch Superpower Dogs and Wings Over Water in the IMAX theatre. Both are really good documentaries. Recently watched Serengeti and Dinosaurs of Antarctica.

Seating is first-come, first-serve. I was able to get a good seat since I went during the day. Concessions was closed when I visited.

Since seating is first come, first serve, arrive early to get a good seat if you get tickets for a blockbuster film

We spent a few hours here learning about some great Texas history. A few interactive pieces but not too many. The location was great; right next to UTexas.

It's a fascinating place, three stories worth of how Texas came to be what it is and its import to the U.S. experience. There are exhibits and films and more. We really enjoyed the special civil rights exhibit, photographs taking during the 1964 Freedom Summer in the south by four famous photographers -- very moving. Go there!

We learned a lot and it was the right size. Not to much and not to little. We enjoyed the movies as well as all the details on the sign. Even my 11 and 14 year old enjoyed it.

This is a great museum - large, bright, wonderful exhibits. There are at least 3 floors. Lots of children activities. We really enjoyed our visit.

We were very impressed with the Bullock museum. The exhibits were interesting and informative. The volunteer history interpreters were excellent. Most impressive, the museum did not try to whitewash Texas history. The facts were presented openly and honestly. You could take pride in Texas history but also understand the role that slavery, prejudice, bigotry and Jim Crow played in making Texas the place it is today. Well done, Bullock!

We visited the museum on our first day in the city and it took our breath away. The story of Texas is wonderfully presented with detail and interaction that so many European museums seem unable to do.

I’ve been to the Alamo and lived briefly in Texas, but this museum gave me the best background to the entire History of the Texas going back to the late 1680’s until now.

Very big museum with all the history of texas. Interesting and offers a balanced and fair perspective

Informative and well-designed overview of Texas history with unique artifacts and interesting touches that appeal to young and old.

Great place to learn more about the history of Texas. Enjoyed the information and seeing the "La Belle". Unfortunately we visited on a day that was for homeschoolers. And there were little kids everywhere - children who were too small to care about history, and parents who didn't believe in controlling the behavior of their children. Parking was $15.00 and price of admission was $22.00 for 2 seniors.

Very interesting display, with an XVI C ship ( one would think you could see such only in Netherlands or Scandinavia).

Very interesting and usefull to know and learn a lot about Texas history, and local territory, natives, animals and vegetation.

Learned a lot about Texas and understand Texas more after the visit.
Really interesting about the Indigenous peoples of Texas, this part was done well.

I love history and this museum was recommended to us while in Austin for a medical conference. We had a few hours between sessions to visit this museum, however I could have spent all day here. Overall, it was excellent! Learned so much about the history and people of Texas. They also have a special exhibit on WWI (I used to live in Kansas City a love the WWI museum there, this was a great supplement to my WWI knowledge). They also have a great little cafe if you need a snack and an imax for additional educational/entertainment opportunities. If you only have one stop in Austin and want a well rounded, educational experience highly recommend the Texas State History Museum!

Tons of information and exhibits over 3 floors. The layout is easy to follow, from earliest civilizations to present day.

Plan ahead for this one as it took almost 4 hours to go through the entire museum. Well worth the time and learned so much about the history of Texas.

I visited the Bullock Texas State History Museum with my husband, our two boys (ages 4 and 15), and my in-laws on a Wednesday morning. It wasn't that busy when we arrived.

Parking for the museum was right next to the actual museum and didn't cost very much. It's in a parking garage.

All the staff was very friendly. It's a little pricey for admission and for the shows in the Spirit Theater. We didn't use the Imax. However, the price is worth it.

There is so much to see at this museum. It is huge!!! My favorite exhibit was on the Alamo and Texas Independence. There was so much to see and learn. I especially loved the video about the Alamo from Sequin's point of view.

I loved the Spirit Theater. It's an semi-interactive type experience. My 4 year old enjoyed the video about Texas history. He loved the lightning and thunder effects the most. We all loved it though. I also enjoyed the film about the young boy who knew LaSalle.

The gift shop was really nice and priced fairly decently as well. We ate at the cafe in the museum. The staff there was friendly, but it was very overpriced for what you get. A basic salad was $9! The food was just average tasting.

The whole museum was very clean and laid out nicely.

I would definitely recommend this museum and will definitely go back when I'm in the area again.

Very disappointing. As a native Texan I was very disappointed that our state museum is so scarce with relics, artifacts and historical items. As a history buff I enjoyed reading some of the exhibits; however, there really is not that much to see. I would not recommend taking children to the museum to learn about Texas. It is not a children-friendly venue. I saw several children (ages 6-10) in the massive exhibit hall. They were obviously bored and starting to run around due to lack of items that they could relate to. As for the adults visiting the museum, it was a Wednesday; however, I counted 18 adults in the museum. You can look on their faces and tell that they were not-engaged with the exhibits. They seemed to be searching for things of interest to read.

The Pros to the museum:
Very nicely built building.
Great Gift shop
Great restrooms
Open spaces

The Cons to the museum:
....really too many to list

I would recommend that the curators visit other museums (Houston National History) and look at what the visitors are attracted to see. They want to see items of substance...including uniforms, animals, armory items, ...and interactive exhibits. Our state museum has lots of space that can hold so many items that represents the greatness of the State. Instead, we have a gorgeous building with a few items.
Very sad!

I learned so much about Texas during my visit! The museum has everything Texas from ancient history, the arrival of Europeans, independence, the Civil War, Reconstruction, oil exploration, space, pop culture, and so much more. I read almost everything and it took about 2 hours. I recommend this museum while in Austin!

There is so much to see and read about here that you can easily spend an entire day. Only open W-Sun but don't let it stop you. The third floor is all modern history and oil/gas related. The first and second floors have the most expansive information regarding ancient and modern history, colonialization and Civil War/Reconstruction.

My husband and I recently moved to Austin and we were trying to piece together the history of Texas by drawing upon our limited prior knowledge... we took a visit to the Texas State History Museum to fill in the blanks... WOW... were there some missing pieces!! We learned so much while we were here. The exhibits are very well thought out and are designed in a way that you 'walk through' the history. Particularly impressive was the reconstructed ship 'La Belle' and the salvaged cargo on display. We will definitely put this on our list to show any of our visitors that have an interest in history.

The most boring museum I’ve ever been to. At least it was an HEB free day. Cant imagine paying for this. Theres not much to do or see

It had been years since I've been to this museum but still great as I remembered. Again, I brought my seven year old grandson here and my husband for the first time. There are three floors of exhibits and short movies to see. The movie, Spirit - Star of Destiny, is a short movie with sound and animated effects to enjoy. I think if you are going to come here repeatedly, it makes sense to join as a member. Parking is available for $10 and we stayed most of the afternoon in the area going to the Capitol Building and enjoyed lunch. This area has lots of street construction going on and it's a bit hard to get around with the one ways, blocked streets and construction. Bring along patience!

The Bob Bullock Museum is a must see when in ATX. I was pleasantly impressed by the 3 level structure. I spent approximately 3 hours on my visit. Each floor is well layed out and followed a great timeline for Texas history. The gift shop was equally great and offered nice souvenirs. I am a college student and really enjoyed this stop on my journey in Austin. I believe this museum would appeal to all ages.

We love this museum.
It’s a fantastic trip through the history of Texas from the oil boom and the moon walk, to shipwrecks and the Indian people that lived here. It has fun scenes you can walk into, interactive events, films, artifacts...I have brought my children here since they were toddlers and they still love it and they are teens now. If you have time, take in a movie on the gigantic movie screen. So much fun.

Clean, well organized museum. So great to see the story of TX laid out from beginning to end. Would definitely recommend visiting!

Short visit this time. We only had time for the world war one exhibit. Especially enjoyed the music store and musicians.

Pretty well done. Probably reflects a bit more Texas chauvinism than will appeal to non-Texans. But tries to be inclusive and responsible. The film is worth seeing -- the special effects are pretty WILD. Worth the trip.

It was a great museum telling the history of texas. The one thing i would recommend is do the museum then the special exhibit. When i was there the e ibit was mars, i would have rather done the history of texas and finished with that

The Bullock Museum is well worth the visit for adults and children. The main exhibit is organized well and the artifacts are fascinating. I enjoyed relearning about Texas' past and present.

This is one of the best museums I have visited. It has plenty of space unlike a lot of museums. It is very well laid out. It has a great diversity of exhibits eg from Space to the remains of a 17th C ship to Texan history. There is an ordinary cinema and an IMAX The food in the Café was also very good. I tend to get a bored in museums but we spent over four hours here. Catch the Apollo 11 film in IMAX before it goes. I know we all know the story by now but there was a lot of unseen film footage.

Fabulous place to brush up on Texan history. From the entrance, with the massive 'Loan Star' outside to the ancient weapons, jewellery, uniforms and methods of transport. Great information on the independance of Texas and the North v South civil war. Everything is well set out and kept in a good condition. This is a good day out for everyone oh and there is also a great gift shop. Well worth a visit, seniors (over 65 ) get a discount.

My husband and I really enjoyed our visit! We started our day with the multimedia "Star of Destiny" film presentation, which was a great introduction to the museum, and a wonderful experience. We then spent several hours strolling the galleries and exhibits. There was a lot to see, and some pretty amazing artifacts. I love how the museum includes hands-on and multimedia pieces throughout. It's not just a bunch of old stuff in cases! We ate a quick lunch in the cafe (note that the grill closes at 2 PM), and we stayed and browsed the gift shop until almost closing time. I highly recommend this museum to any visitor who wants to learn more about Texas!

We learned so much about Texas history. The exhibits were incredibly informative. The museum is.a must if you are visiting Austin.

We enjoy the Bullock. There's lots to see and do beyond the museum itself. There are lectures, photography exhibits, a cafe and the IMAX. On a crappy winter day it's a shelter from the cold, on a hot summer day BN it's a cool respite. You should visit, you'll learn something new.

I'm sure most of my experience was shaped by the many, many school tour groups there at the same time I was. The problem is the museum is set up chronologically so even when I would try to run ahead of them, they would catch up eventually. It was very distracting. The museum is clearly newly renovated and all the displays are very nice, but it was tough to enjoy. I did learn a lot about the history of Texas though and the sunken ship was cool to see.

Learn all of things Texas and what makes Texas , Texas , The exhibits are world class with so much to learn and absorb. The docents or interpretive guides were fantastic. If you like Texas and like museums this is a place to visit, spend and hour or three you won’t be disappointed.

Amazing museum! The exhibits are incredible. I was able to spend a few hours going through everything. I really enjoyed it.

The only reason I am not giving 5 stars was the amount of school groups that came through within my 3-hour visit. While I understand the behavior of children aren't within the control of the museum, limiting school trips or offering tours for schools, would really help the visitor experience. I had six different classes of young children running and screaming in the museum within the 3 hours I spent there. I was almost knocked over, bumped, and had to consistently reread things due to the noise. Being more strategic with how school trips come through the museum would really be beneficial.

A great source of historical information on the state of Texas. The video loops were great. Huge volume of info and will take the day or more if you want to review it all.

Get your steps inside a cool atmosphere. The history of Texas was displayed in an easy-to-follow chronology. The displays were attractive and well-written.

We enjoyed this museum a great deal. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to fit this into our itinerary, but we had a couple extra hours on our first day. So glad that it worked out.

We moved through the exhibits faster than I would have liked because my kids were tired, but we had enough time there to get a good overview of the Texas timeline through history. Exhibits are all engaging. We especially enjoyed the video of Texas gaining its independence from Mexico.

Fun for kids to learn fun facts about Texas History. As a teacher great field trip location. Enjoy the interactive seating and museum features. Surro

New exhibits since last visit 2yrs ago. Lots of great Texas items & easy way to learn about the state. Have to watch the FEE movie! Take a plane ride around the state. There is an I-MAX Theatre in the building. Sounds trivial but the attached parking garage is a huge plus when you are downtown.

Gives a very complete tour of Texas from the first discoveries, the colonizers to the modern period, several documentaries consider about 3 hours

The museum is interesting especially if you are not familiar with the history of Texas, it will give you the basis to better understand this state with different history and yet having resemblances to that of the 13 colonies
The museum presented what nice pieces of interesting and well made films especially on the history of its independence but remains quite small and little provided. However, the Award is consistent, it cost me $13 for an adult.
Beware, however, of the part on oil and gas which is a little misleading from a technical point of view or which mentions the most positive points without discussing the negative points which are nevertheless important in this industry. However, it remains very interesting to discover the Texas vision on these issues.

Excellent experience. Beautiful building, amazing tile in the entry. This museum is laid out in an easy flow manner. Lots of great historical items, great reading material. I especially loved the historical pictures. So cool!

This is such an amazing pleace for our young children to learn the history of Texas and many other useful information. My daughter had a great time and was amaze about all the information she learn and history as well there is so much to learn and see. Such a great place to visit.

We only had time for an afternoon visit to the museum. We saw the WWI exhibit and the aerial view of the Texas border. They were both excellent.

Due to covid very few people were in the museum. It was good learning about Texas history. Right outside they are building so your picture of the big star will have construction background. Picture showing it looks nice when its down, straight walk to the campus looks like it.

A fun and interesting museum - not just for us Texans. Stop and learn some of our history. It's in a very busy area by the University but well worth it. Don't miss a visit when in Austin.

Good medium-sized museum with on site parking for $15. So if you take advantage of the HEB Free admission on the 1st Sunday of the Month, this is a good deal. Very informative for a museum you can go through in a few hours

A great museum. We discovered more of the history of the State of Texas, today. Yesterday the Visitors center at the Capitol then the Capitol tour. Today Bullock. I recommend that rotation to more fully understand it all.

An awesome museum whose variety of interpretive displays provide you with the background of this unique state.

Kids and adults can both enjoy this museum. We stumbled in on a Sunday and it turns out to be a free Sunday (first of each month).

Me and my wife had an awesome time visiting this museum! We are not huge history fans but we really enjoyed this. I recommend this for all couples and families!

The museum itself is great but the north Congress area is under construction, and will likely be under construction until doomsday. The dust, the noise...absolutely awful. Dangerous surrounding streets, if they are open at all.

I will return in my next life and hopefully, have a better visit.

Visited for the first time while in Austin visiting my daughter and son-in-law, neither of which had been there either.

It covers, in detail, many of the important events of Texas that I was only vaguely familiar with.

Lots of detailed displays in a clean and airy setting. I'll be back again in the future.

Fantastic space and would like to return to explore the museum in more detail. It was a closing dinner for a conference and the setting was quite lovely.

This is a must-see attraction, especially for those who did not attend school in Texas or have forgotten some or all of their Texas History. It begins in the 1600's and follows the progress and development of the Lone Star State. The Shipwreck is fascinating, do not skip ahead, read every panel and watch the video.

The architecture is superb, the presentation modern and the Admission Award soft, but:
t
if you do not understand either English or Spanish, there are many signs

the objects presented are not really exceptional, especially all that evokes the past

Three floors of Texas history done extremely well. You start your journey beginning with the early arrival of Europeans and continue forward in time learning all about the development of the “Lone Star” State. We spent about 3 hours taking in the many excellent exhibits and could have stayed longer!

As a non-Texan, I really enjoyed my visit to the museum. Yes, it's all about the history of Texas. I knew some of it before but not really so it was good to see a detailed account with artifacts about the history of the state.

Really enjoyed my visit here. Texad history pre 1821 to the present. Also, an IMAX theater,a cafe, special exhibits and a special exhibit gallery. Very nice.

Enjoyable informative museum about the history of Texas which has some interesting exhibits. Particularly enjoyed the mini cinema exhibit which showed how cowboys have been portrayed in the movies. Good shop. Parking underneath. Recommended

This is a remarkably beautiful and comprehensive state museum. The people of Texas are fortunate to have it. The museum has numerous interesting exhibits and a encompass a comprehensive historical timeline. The museum also includes several movie theaters, including an IMAX theater - but be aware the movies cost extra.

This place does have a lot of exhibits covering a wide range of aspects of Texas history. Felt some are a bit old and some definitely need refreshing to meet modern standards of correctness. Well worth visiting though,

Great way to learn about Texas history. We spent 3 hours at this museum and could have spent another hour or two. Great history lesson.

My husband and I are newly retired and took our 8 year old grand twins to Austin to see the sights and spend the night. They love museums and had a good time. The videos and short films were very well researched and executed. It was great having lots of interactive things for them to touch and explore. The exhibits were well arranged and flowed nicely from one tine period or topic to another. We spent an hour on each floor. Then we decided to have lunch in the cafe. It was well lit, spacious and clean. But severely understaffed. They were out of nearly everything on the menu. There were two food preparers only that moved like they were underwater. The cashier did her best to help out and keep things moving and she was so frustrated. When you can’t go outside and walk nearby to other options or move your car from the parking garage, you’re pretty much stuck. I was surprised that the museum store seemed to have plenty of help. The other surprise was that there appeared to be no docents. The man running one of the paid movies checked tickets and ran the movie. Again, for the price paid you’d think they could hire more help.

This impressive building houses an equally impressive and well presented story of Texas with beautiful artifacts and informative displays. There seemed too be too much extra room at times, but it was a cool, comfortable way to spend a couple of hours. The gift shop was lots of good choices that aren't too touristy. Even the cafe was situated with a nice view and decent selections.

We love museums and have very high expectations. This was great! Friendly staff, very well curated. Fun for curious kids. Representational of all cultures and covered everything from cowboys to Indians to the oil business and even the Alamo. Highly recommended for those interested in real history. Bravo!

Excellent for kids (and many school tours noted) but also a pretty unflattering accurate account of what early 1600's to 21st century Texas has been and is becoming. Still a great State and the museum reveals many fascinating aspects.

Want a crash course in Texas history presented in a way that isn't overwhelming and stuffy? Then check out the Bullock Museum!

We spent four hours in this museum and can’t say enough of the thorough and complete explanation of the history of Texas stretching from the 1500s to the present day. It was just absolutely amazing and very well presented. We recommend viewing the 15-min presentation (added cost): “Spirit of Texas” of Texas. Highly recommended for school children of all ages.

This museum was amazing. There are some interactive items for kids or anyone who might want to touch items. Each floor was packed with different aspects of amazing Texas history. We would definitely recommend visiting this museum.

This is another must-see if you're visiting the Austin area or staycationing in your own city if you're a resident here. Give yourself plenty of time as this place is massive! Some of the exhibits would be more fun with kids (or friends who act like kids) but overall there are plenty of interesting parts of the museum with a range of topics.

What a treasure! We had no idea what the Bullock Museum was like, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Arrived at opening time and were able to spend time studying exhibits before groups of school children arrived. Could easily be an extended visit. Loved it!

There is a lot of construction around this museum making it a little difficult to get to. We parked at the capitol and walked to the museum. The museum itself is very pretty. The cost is $13 per person and does not include the
imax theater which costs extra. There were a lot of exhibits to see and even some hands-on exhibits that kids would enjoy.

This was a great museum. You did have to pay to park at it and then an entrance fee also but a great way to soak in all the history of Texas. Plan to spend at least 1-2 hours there.

Lovely layout - the exhibits are chronologically arranged and provide a very good view of the history of the state of Texas from its origins till present day. On the top floor there is a technology and science section that has actual video games that you can play - old DOS games, arcade games and ipad games! My son loved it!

Really liked the museum. Lovely cafe too with a nice outside area. Allow a couple of hours to do it justice. Good insights into Texas history.

Very interning and enjoyable. Highly recommend the Star of destiny movie. Great exhibits and knowledgeable and friendly staff

When we were touring the LBJ library we learned of the Bullock Museum. Our guide, Matt Alspaugh, of Austin Detours also suggested the Bullock. With these tips we made plans to tour the Bullock attraction the next day. Boy am I happy we decided to add the Bullock to our plans.

We knew we were in the right place and in Texas when we arrived at the Bullock and saw the three-story Texas Star. What a signpost.

The Bullock Museum is organized so that you start at the beginning of Texas on the first floor and work your way up to higher floors and more recent history.

TIP: watch the video at the web site on the shipwreck. Amazing

The Bullock is an example of architecture overwhelming the contents in a museum. The building is massive, with vast wasted interior spaces and dark display areas where objects on view are overwhelmed by the surrounding building elements. Even the elevator interiors have carved stone and wood judge’s paneling. The building shouts its importance at the expense of the history it was designed to display. A major disappointment.

We went on Tuesday. Too bad it is not open on Tuesday! Be sure and check the days it is open. We came back on Wed and enjoyed our visit.

Beautiful building inside. I would encourage you to visit. Lots of Texas history in one spot. We could have stayed longer, but on a time schedule.

The museum does a great job introduing you to Texa history. The displays are eye catching and the info boards are very informative.

More than you think!! Great overview of all things Texas. Plenty of things that are surprising and unexpected. Good review of Texas history.

Great for 8 yo grandson...loved the movie multi sensory experience. Also fascinating story of recovered shipwreck.

This museum is awesome. We scheduled their short “Star” film for 11 and IMAX of American Journey for 2 pm, all in the same building. Together with a Noon stop at the cafe, made for a great day. The museum is beautifully laid out with artifacts galore. Lots of small films and activities in each section. We arrived about 9:30 which was perfect. Recommend start on floor one (oldest history). Progress to floor 2, finish on floor 3 (most recent events).

Recommended to us by a couple from Austin while we were eating at the Riverwalk in San Antonio. Exceeded our expectations. So much history so well presented. Allow 2-3 hours. The early history and the artifacts from 16,000 years of Texas history were fascinating. The museum also has excellent presentations on civil rights, space exploration, sports, and culture. We especially enjoyed the Austin City Limits looping video program with clips from countless bands and performers who have graced that stage over the years.

This a great way to understand more of Texas History beyond what is told else where. There is different levels and great for bring your family as it also has changing exhibit with lot of info, staff is friendly and helpful. Really easy lay out to follow and worth a stop.

The Bullock provides a balanced look into Texas’ rich history. I say balanced because it doesn’t ignore some of the harder topics such as racism.

I’ve been to the Bullock a few times. Special exhibits, the IMAX, and the high quality of the museum keep bringing me back.

If all you know about Texas is that it used to belong to Mexico and then became its own republic you need to go to this museum. From the native Americans to Spanish influence and French explorers to the Civil War and more. Engaging interactive exhibits such as how did people use the parts of a buffalo and how to build a ship. Movie re-creation of a first hand diary of a soldier during the revolution

Good visit over to the museum. Morning was not to busy for parking downtown.
We were pleasantly surprised at all this museum has to offer.
Great for all ages.

Interesting galleries on the varied and exciting history of Texas including the indigenous, Spanish, Mexican and white American eras. It portrays the state's key industries, main ethnic groups and something about the traditions and how they developed. I was able to enjoy an exciting IMAX film about railroad transportation.

You need about 2 hours to learn about 500 years of Texas history. We really enjoyed the items which were found in the shipwreck.

This museum has many items to view starting with the Native Americans who first settled there through the Spanish and French occupations to the creation of independent Texas and ultimately admission to the union.
The well-preserved French ship, La Belle, is on display as are many of its artifacts. There are also several film clips worth watching. A great take!

This unique historical adventure is an amazing learning experience for young and old. But I must say that the IMAX theatre is quite an experience for your favorite action adventure movie or a visual flight across the great State of Texas

This place is absolutely awesome .There is so much to see and do .There Imax movies are awesome as well.

As part of a weekend getaway to Austin, we made it a point to visit the Bullock Texas State History Museum, the vision of the dedicated and legendary public servant Bob Bullock. This museum, which we had not visited in a couple of years, does a remarkable job of communicating the history of the Lone Star State. In addition to the regular exhibits, we visited a special exhibition - This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement. This remarkable museum has a wonderful gift shop and a cafe. Persons interested in learning about the history of Texas would do well to spend a couple of hours in the Bullock Museum.

We spent about 2 1/2 hours and still could have used about another 1 1/2 hour to take in all the films and information. This is a comprehensive look at the discovery of this republic, the ancient history, the rise of the republic of Texas and it's evolution into the state of Texas and it's current day. Well worth the time and the admission charge!

The museum is very interesting. The price of the tickets are very reasonable. Also if you are a teacher, you get to go in for free.

There’s people sitting at the entrance of each (museum) entrance to help you and you can also ask questions about each section. There’s three stories of things to look at. You can also take pictures.

There is a theater for you to watch, but we skipped out on it. There’s also a cafe to purchase food. The gift shop is reasonable so we purchase some things to remind us of Austin.

I felt like the museum was a light overview of Texas History with some parts being outstanding. The ship is such a miracle and the exhibit is top notch. Texas history is so fascinating and the story of La Salle and what happened to the survivors seems to not get a lot of coverage. This ship brought it to life and there are so many artifacts. The ship is definitely the highlight of the museum. I thought the Alamo display and movie was well done. The cowboy exhibit could have mentioned the black cowboys. The Canary Island exhibit with the carnival costume was another great piece. Overall I was very happy with my visit. The museum is so clean and in a great location. The La Salle ship is a must see.

Nicely curated overview of Texas history. The entire museum takes you on a chronological journey over all three floors. Very fascinating and kept our entire family engaged (two adults and one elementary aged child). Texas teachers get in free (nice perk)! Parking on-site for $15 and it is easy to access other local attractions by walking. We took the short walk down to the capital and had a great time

Not only does this museum tell you so accurately and beautifully the history of Texas (with much pride of course), but also they have an amazing IMAX experience in it.
It took us about 2 and half hours to go through the whole museum, and still there was more tl see (beautiful honestly!!).
Then we went downstairs because they were showing the movie “Frozen 2” on the IMAX and that was QUITE an experience!! Man what a sound and screen. I bet that any of their historical movies must be amazing too, some of them have the 3-D experience and that must feel amazing.

My only CON about the place was the prices. For the museum it was over $10 dlls for adults, I am military so I only got $1 dollar off of regular price which is not much of a discount to be honest. Children was maybe 2-3 dollars from the adults.
For the IMAX it was $13 per adult, $11 military, $9 for kids. Popcorn was $10 dlls!!! The biggest bucket and it was not too big (no jalapeños nor flavors for it). Careful $4 dollar candy!!! (Not worth it, you can get that for less than a dollar at any gas station).

Its a must do visit if you have the money for it!!!

Spend an hour at the Bullock Museum while in Austin. It's a very well done display of mostly Texas history. The most interesting displays are related to a French ship which sunk off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico. The original shipworks and artifacts are nicely displayed. take time to see the movie about the wreck.
The cost of the museum is $15.00 plun 6 for the movie. Great place to spend a few hours.

Such a well organized museum. Start on the ground floor and be immersed in 16th century Texas. As you work your way up, you move up in time as part of Mexico, the Texas Revolution, Civil War, all the way to the present era. The docents are friendly, well informed, helpful, and many of them in full costume. You can spend hours, as the exhibits are interactive and there are also many videos to enjoy. Not to mention there are 2 theaters including an IMAX. Best place to visit to understand Texas.

Stopped for a short visit with a family with two 8-year-olds and we all enjoyed it. Beautifully organized museum.

Who knew that Mr. Bullock coined the phrase “God bless Texas”? I do now. It’s history at its finest. Great big museum with imax and everything. They have the boat the Labelle which was recently excavated...amazing. Not much for kids, lots of walking and reading. It was a good 3 hours, and we love every second.

We saw the Texas Star movie and walked through all the exhibits. There wasn't as much information about the space program as we expected (guess it's all in Houston). We did find the oil displays interesting.

You will be impressed as soon as you walk into the beautiful and majestic building! The floor is a huge mosaic of Texas history and is beautiful! The colors are so vivid. Seeing it at floor level then from fourth floor gives you different perspective. Walking through each floor takes you through early years to more current. Hull of Spanish boat is awesome. All is so well done. Fourth floor is more current times and fun! Don’t miss Austin City Limits theater for clips of performances by artists that performed there since 1974 starting with Willie Nelson!

Great exhibits (especially the shipwreck). Excellent way to learn Texas History. We spent about 1 1/2 hours. My max in one day - would have returned if we were in Austin longer. Now we will have to go back!

Excellent museum! Spent a couple hours here and could only make it through the first and second floor (civil war). Tremendous amount of information regarding the complex history of Texas.

Was at the Bullock Museum on the first Sunday in April. Although admission was free that day, the place was not overcrowded. At the time, there was a good special exhibit on World War I. The museum gives an terrific overview of the history of the state from prehistoric times into the 20th century. Highly recommended.

If you are touristing through Austin and want a great and general story of Texas, the Bullock is a must. The exhibits are first-class.

Well laid out museum covering Texas history from the earliest human occupation through the space age.

The Bullock Museum is very well organized and very informative. Displays are, for the most part, well done and you get a good overall picture of the history of Texas.

My knowledge of Texas history is made up of foggy memories from school, Disney movies and popular culture. This was a good place for me to visit. It really covers Texas history well with modern exhibits and it is well maintained. I think if you are visiting Austin you definitely need to go here. Pretty important history to our country.

The museum offers various different types of exhibition among which, cinema dynamic that is a lot of fun for kids as well as adults. It is a fluid visit meandering from room to room with an amazing collection of incredible pieces.

Covering archaeological, anthropological, popular, national and local history, this is a gem of a museum. Americans know how to do history as well as any Europeans!! The unapologetically proud narrative focused upon Texas fighting for its freedom from the yoke of Mexican tyranny was for me a highlight. However, the detailed treatment of Texas as a land of early French exploration and settlement was even more captivating an informative. Set aside at least three hours.

This is a very well organized and informative museum, including the history of the United States. I loved the artifacts, written descriptions, displays, and videos. They are really interesting and grab your attention. You literally could spend all day here.

They do a fantastic job of moving you through Texas history. I enjoyed the last floor of the the exhibits the most but all were engaging. My favorite exhibit was the restored ship hull of the 17th century french ship, La Belle. The display and views allowed you to get up close to observe the craftsmanship of early to be a fantastic exhibit. Set up perfectly to get the best viewing angles.

With a total of four floors there are plenty of exhibits to keep you occupied for 2-4 hours.

Very emotional museum about Texas history and and around the world. I went there the first time with the Scouts, then this last time with my 4th grader in a field trip from school. Very helpful employees. You have to pay for entrance $12 and if you want to watch a movie another $12. $10 dlls for parking for the day. Cafeteria, souvenirs shop, bathrooms, elevators, very well organize place.

Nice museum - could easily spend 2 - 4 hours. Enjoyed the archeology and all the objects recovered from the excavate ship.

No matter your age, the Bob Bullock is a great time. They do a terrific job with their exhibits, from information to artistry. And with exhibits ranging from serious to light-hearted, you leave feeling as though you’ve learned and been entertained at the same time. It’s a beautiful building too, and the gift shop and cafe are both well worth checking out. Oh, and they have IMAX!

This is a must visit
Excelent museum and exhibits
Focusing on Texas history, geography and culture
Various floors with tons of information and artifcats
Imax theatre also on site
Don't miss this museum not far from state Capitol

Good museum. Cool history theater. Star theater I think it is called. Kind of interactive with lightening, mist, vibrating seats and stuff.
The museum is cool, informative and well put together. 3 levels with elevator. Good for all ages.

Given that I am from Australia, I did not have a lot of insight into the history of Texas. The Bullock Texas State History Museum was a great place to spend 3 hours learning about the formation of the state, from the American Indians, Spanish, Tejanos to the Texas Rebellion, through to present day Texas.

Great lay out and interesting exhibits - must visit if in Austin for 3 days.

This is a wonderful place with exhibits from all eras of Texas history. I'm new to Austin so lots of it was new to me, probably school children already know some of it. No doubt worth the time, very reasonable price including senior discount.

This is a large and fine museum. The history of Texas is complex and truly interesting, and it is presented well at the Bullock. Allow 2 hours for your visit.

Really glad to have spent some time at the Bullock Texas State Museum. The exhibitions are well-curated and varied. Go to learn in detail about how Texas came to be, and its evolution throughout various eras (the American Civil War, Civil Rights movement, etc.), or become familiar with how different natural disasters impacted the state, or see how Texan fashion evolved over time. Better yet, check all of these out, and more!

Excellent museum to know the history of Texas, the cost is reasonable, I recommend buying your ticket in advance on the official museum page, consists of 3 floors in which you detail relevant information. Also on the outside it is perfect to take pictures, it is in front of the Blanton Museum, of this I could not get tickets.

The Bob Bullock History Museum has an updated first floor gallery called "Becoming Texas: Our Story Begins". It has interactive displays and one of the failed exploration ships La Belle, as a feature. Really informative and although the displays on the upper floors are all in English, the new exhibit has both English and Spanish translations.
Great place to take out of town guests.

I took my 10-year old neighbor M as she is studying Texas history in school. We enjoyed the perspective from ancient through the modern era! She was excited to see the very places & persons that she is studying represented in the many interactive displays. These interactive displays are appropriate for many ages. The underground garage will be fabulous during the hot Austin summers too! This is a must-see for Texans and visitors from all over!

The Texas State History Museum goes the extra distance to recognize the contributions of many forgotten women and non-Anglo persons who helped to make the state great. None of this is “revisionist” in nature and I sensed no disrespect to any of our founding stories. I especially enjoyed the temporal progression of displays, spotlights on little known stories, and the expansion of well known events. Within the museum there are multiple architectural details that really enhance a visit - textured flooring, recreations of a small town cinema, and a mission facade.

Ensure you get a ticket in advance on the museum’s website.

My kids and I went to the Bullock Museum on our tour of Austin. The kids loved the Star of Destiney movie as well!

It's on 3 floors but it's actually less daunting than that sounds, because things are not crowded in. I feel I learned a lot, things that I thought I more or less knew but found out I hadn't fully understood previously. The original statue from the state Capitol building is here too. Fun "cowboys in space" exhibit on top floor (not sure it's permanent though). Lots of construction going on outside so it's easy to get lost getting there or away from there.

You could easily spend the day here. There is so much to do and see, this place is huge. I took my aunt and cousin and wished we had longer to spend. There are plenty of interactive exhibits, and lots of fun for all ages. Watch during the year for “free museum day” I hear it gets pretty crowded, but it is free select dates and if you go early may not be bad

I visited this museum on 3/25/19. It is really outstanding, very well laid out and very informative. Don't miss the very well done short movie, Shipwreck. It adds great context to the La Belle exhibit. I learned a ton about the history of Texas. I especially liked the colonial and Republic period exhibits and the history of wildcatting. If you are a music lover, don't miss the Austin City Limits film on the 3rd floor. Highly recommended if you are a history person.

We spent most of a chilly rainy day here. It's an impressive state museum with so much to see. We took in a movie at their IMAX theater. Even if it is not raining it is worth a trip for both adults and kids. Highly recommend.

It was really cool to see the history of Texas. I learned a lot of what happened to Texas and the people that live in it.

My husband and I enjoyed learning about the history of Texas in this very well done museum. Well worth the time to visit!

We went to this museum on a trip to Austin. It was interesting and enjoyable. Nothing overly noteworthy but worth a stop if you are in the area.

My daughters Wedding Reception was held in the Bullock Museum of Texas History. The magnificence of the venue may have only been surpassed by the pleasant experience of the Event Coordination staff.

We utilized the Rotunda for the cocktail hour and the main floor (Ballroom) for the dinner and dance. The facility provided the perfect structural atmosphere for the event, framing the elegance of the set-up (tables, floral arrangements, etc.) within the powerful walls and large spanned high ceiling. The ever-apparent Texas architecture, motif, and history provided the perfect background for the celebration of the union of a native son and daughter.



The Staff was great to work with from our initial inquiry to / through the event itself. They were very professional, helpful, informative, and responsive. They were open to new layout ideas and concepts. They were a large part of the event’s success.

We browsed the museum and the gift shop, both are very good. And also saw the Dog Heros show at IMAX which was great. Unfortunately the concession stand wasn't open when we went and we hadn't eaten breakfast and promised popcorn to hold us over til lunch (hangry kids), but we arrived early enough they directed us to the cafe and we were able to get sandwiches. The lady in the cafe was very nice and helpful and panini pressed our sandwiches, and they were actually quite good.

Oh my…. This historical museum blew my mind. Very well laid out. Start on first floor with the history of the formation of Texas and then up to floors 2 and 3 as the guest walks through more Texas history chronologically. I loved the videos sprinkled throughout the displays. I learned soooo much.

We did the IMAX butterfly 3D movie which was beautiful and educational. We also viewed the movie about the sunken ship. Again, very educational. These are both additional costs but if you buy them with the museum entrance you get a $4.00 discount. Worth it!

The museum has a wonderful gift shop on first floor.

Lots of restrooms throughout. Elevators are easily accessible.

Great cafe on second floor. Sandwiches, salads, chips, beverages, etc.

Park at the museum parking lot which is attached to the museum. $15.

Allow yourself 3-4 hours. Wander slowly. Absorb Texas history.

This museum truly was the highlight of our trip! You won’t be disappointed

Note: this is not, in my mind, a museum to bring small children to.