Austin Museum Day
September 21, 2025
Explore Austin-area museums for free!
The 28th Annual Austin Museum Day is a free celebration of art, culture, history, music, nature, and science. Over thirty museums in the greater Austin area will welcome visitors with special programming including guided and self-guided exhibition tours, activities, and more for visitors of all ages.
Art by Strawberry Milkweed
Keep checking back here or our Facebook page for more info as it comes in! Grab a copy of the Austin Chronicle for an in depth look at all the museums, or visit the Headquarters Tent on the plaza of the Bullock Texas State History Museum to ask questions or get advice on where to head next.
Participating Organizations
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2pm – 5pm
Come visit our newly relocated collections and reading room and experience our latest exhibit exploring what archives are, how they work, and why they matter to the community.
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10am – 5pm
Join museum staff to hear about Austin's historic music scene and see the art created to support that cultural artform. From 1943 to present day, AusPop has examples of rare and beautiful work that illustrates a unique culture.
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10am – 5pm
Discover the fascinating, little-known history of Bastrop County this Austin Museum Day! Come face-to-face with Texas Revolution heroes, Freedom Colonies, a WWII prison camp, a Texas governor—even a Baron—right here in our museum. Enjoy a fun, free day filled with scavenger hunts, hands-on activities, and surprises for all ages!
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10am – 5pm
We are thrilled to be one of dozens of Austin area museums offering free entry in this annual celebration of art, culture, history, music, nature, science, and play!
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10am – 4pm
Explore our nation’s past through exhibits drawn from the archives of American history at the Briscoe Center. "History and Fate: The Goodwins and the 1960s" reveals JFK, LBJ, and RFK through the collections of historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and speechwriter Richard N. Goodwin. Other exhibits on view showcase new acquisitions in documentary photography and Texas history.
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12pm – 5pm
Stop by on Austin Museum Day to create beeswax candles, decorate your own journal, and learn about pioneer skills and tools. Then, stick around and explore the museums to learn about the many lives of the Susanna Dickinson House throughout the decades and the short-story writer O. Henry.
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10am – 5pm
Visit the Bullock Texas State History Museum for Austin Museum Day, a day to visit dozens of Austin-area museums for free in a celebration of art, culture, history, music, nature, science, and play! Enjoy FREE admission for all three floors of Texas history from 10am-5pm, and enjoy the sounds of Native American style flutes from The Lone Star Flute Circle as you explore the galleries from 10am to 2pm.
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12pm-5pm
Come join us for a VIP guided tour, held hourly from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., relating the history of the building and the uses of land in Texas. Various activity sheets will be available for families.
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1pm – 4pm
Step inside Austin’s very own castle and explore the historic 1874 Chateau Bellevue. Enjoy a fun scavenger hunt with fascinating facts, color your own stained glass window, and listen to live piano music in the parlor. Discover the legacy of the Austin Woman’s Club and experience a day of history, beauty, and hands-on fun!
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1pm – 4pm
When you visit the historic Hezikiah Haskell House, built by Charles Clark, the formerly enslaved man who established the early Texas Freedom Colony of Clarksville, you'll learn about the history of the House and the people who lived there and about life in early Clarksville, which is located in the Clarksville National Register District. You can also enjoy the music of the inimitable Soul Man Sam and his band from 2-3, enjoy light refreshments and play yard games.
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Jones Center & Laguna Gloria: 12pm – 3pm
Join The Contemporary Austin from 12–3 PM at both the Jones Center and Laguna Gloria for special Austin Museum Day programming. Enjoy hands-on artmaking activities inspired by our current exhibitions: "The Canvas Can Do Miracles," "Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art," and "HOST: Raul De Lara."
At Laguna Gloria, design your own dye-it-yourself bandana. Plus, twist, stretch, and play through a sculpture-inspired yoga journey led by Amber Byfield of Wisdom at Play. At the Jones Center, get handy with woodworking and collage a postcard for your pen pal. -
12pm – 4pm
Celebrate Austin Museum Day at the Dougherty Arts Center with "Somnium" by MetaCaustics, a multimedia installation featuring digital works, projections, paintings, and 3D prints, and "Tuklasan: Discovering Traditions of the Cordilleras" by Beverly Schulze, a photography exhibition highlighting cultural traditions of the Philippines. These two exhibits offer immersive and thought-provoking experiences across visual media. Visitors of all ages are invited to participate in a free hands-on art activity during the event.
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12pm– 5pm
Join the the Elisabet Ney Museum for an art activation at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden! Visitors will explore a variety of sculpting activities that include plaster casting, soap carving and clay portraiture. All of the projects are part of the Ney's brand new program, Breaking the Mold: Mobile Hands-On Art Crates!
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10am – 3pm
Visitors are invited to step inside the historic Smoot home and wander the Flower Hill grounds on self-guided tours. Enjoy light bites and punch on the side porch, then join an all-ages collage workshop in the restored Carriage House led by Carlie Arts.
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12pm – 5pm
We are excited to welcome Museum Day visitors to explore our new exhibition, Live From New York: The Lorne Michaels Collection. Interactive gallery tours and printing press demonstrations will be available throughout the day. Visitors can take home freshly printed Saturday Night Live-themed postcards as a souvenir!
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11am – 3pm
Landmarks (UT’s public art program) will participate in the Campus Crawl showcasing museums across the Forty Acres. Visit Tony Smith’s Amaryllis or Michael Ray Charles’ (Forever Free) Ideas, Languages and Conversations to get your stamp and participate in hands-on art activities. Prefer to explore at your own pace? Visit Landmarks’ app for a variety of self-guided tour options.
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9am – 4pm
On Sunday, September 21, 2025, visitors to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library will enjoy free admission and a day filled with activities that exemplify the beauty of Hispanic cultures. Enjoy arts and crafts for all ages, story time and lotería for kids, and a lively morning on the Plaza with café, conchas, and music by Sofrito y Su Melao. The celebration continues into the afternoon with more crafts, games, and opportunities for cultural exploration. Join us at the LBJ Library as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
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11pm-2pm
The Mexic-Arte Museum invites you to participate in the Annual Austin Museum Day, where visitors will get to create papel picado for the community Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead exhibition "En lo más negro del verano/In the Darkest Domain of Summer". This workshop will be led by one of the exhibition's participating artists.
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10am – 4pm
Tour of one of the most historic buildings still in use in Downtown Austin which served as as Austin's first true opera house, hosted a session of Texas legislature and the first graduation ceremonies of University of Texas. Today it is host to the beautiful and equally historic Austin Club. Beverages and sweets will be available for guests and visitors.
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10am – 6pm
Tours all day, with Benini Q and Q session scheduled for 2:00pm.
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11am – 4pm
Join us for live music, fresh squeezed lemonade, homemade ice cream, and living historic actors! The Museum will be open for self-guided tours and scavenger hunts. Be sure to check out our special art exhibit Colorscapes before you leave!
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10am – 2pm
Visit a 149 year-old where Elvis Presley once sang gospel hymns, two-step through a Texas dance hall where the legendary Bob Wills once performed or see anew exhibit on Texas women in the nineteenth century. Come see, smell and experience real Lone Star history at Central Texas' premier living history museum and park. Plus shopping, longhorn cattle and farm animals and restored history sites to take you from 1844 to 1899.
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Texas leads the nation in rural hospital closures. Find out why in this new exhibit that explores Texas medical history, with a deep dive into a quandary that could shape the state's future for decades.
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1pm – 5pm
Discover your place in the natural world at Texas Science & Natural History Museum! Learn about life in Texas millions of years ago, walk beneath a tyrannosaur and the 33-foot wingspan of a pterosaur, touch a meteorite and more. New this year, explore the science of paleontology in the new hands-on Discovery Center, designed especially for families and upper elementary-age learners!
Learn more on the Texas Science & Natural History Museum’s website
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12pm – 5pm
Join us to learn more about the history of the Texas Capitol and its place in Texas History. Visitors can interact with historic artifacts relating to the building. Families can stamp the State Seal and enjoy activity sheets.
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8am – 5pm
The Texas State Cemetery will be offering tours of the Visitor’s Gallery, every hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Staff will be on hand to provide maps of the grounds. Families can enjoy activity sheets during their visit.
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10am – 5pm
Thinkery is where Austin’s children and their families come to enjoy play-based, inquiry-rich, hands-on learning experiences.
We believe that innovative, play-based, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning experiences are a powerful way for children to develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and curiosity about the world around them. -
11am – 4pm
Austin Museum Day is a free celebration of art, culture, history, music, nature, and science. Austin Museum Day at the UMLAUF features our indoor exhibition featuring works of Sedrick Huckaby and our permanent outdoor collection. We'll also feature dozens of booths from Texas Society of Sculptors practicing artists who will offer live demonstrations and discussion of their work.
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1pm – 4pm
The Williamson Museum invites families and nature lovers of all ages to join us for Wings of Wonder to learn more about bats, butterflies, and birds of Williamson County! This free, family-friendly event will feature a variety of hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, and creative crafts exploring the fascinating worlds of these winged creatures. Discover how these winged wonders help our environment, learn cool facts, and create your own take-home art inspired by nature!
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12pm – 5pm
Type Setting Workshop
Session #1: 1pm – 2:30pm
Session #2: 3pm – 4:30pm
The Visual Arts Center welcomes guests on Austin Museum Day, Sunday, September 21, for a type setting workshop (Session #1: 1-2:30 PM Session #2: 3-4:30 PM) and preview of the exhibition, Hundred Points: Contemporary Graphic Design from Austin, São Paulo, Cairo, and Helsinki. Led by UT Art lecturer and design lab technician Henry Smith, visitors will use equipment from the Rob Roy Kelly Wood Type Collection to make unique artworks. After the workshop, guests will get a sneak peek of the Hundred Points exhibition which explores how geography, history, and community inform graphic design through the work 16 international design studios.
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12pm – 5pm
Women & Their Work is a visual and performing arts organization that serves as a catalyst for new ideas in contemporary art created by women living and working in Texas and beyond. During this year's Museum Day, visitors will get the chance to explore artwork from our Red Dot Art Spree, which includes over 100 artists. Guests of all ages can also participate in our scavenger hunt, a fun interactive activity that encourages a unique perspective in navigating the exhibition.
UT Campus Crawl
Create, examine, and explore with some of Austin’s finest museums and galleries during the Campus Crawl! Grab a postcard from any of our seven participating museums and galleries, and journey through various art and history exhibitions on UT Austin’s campus. Visit four sites and win a prize!
Choose from the Blanton Museum of Art, Briscoe Center for American History, Harry Ransom Center, Landmarks, LBJ Presidential Library, Texas Science & Natural History Museum, and Visual Arts Center.
Explore every corner of campus and get your card stamped at four institutions. Upload a picture of your postcard and tag @austinmuseums on Instagram for a chance to take home a bag of museum goodies!.
CapMetro free bus pass
CapMetro is providing free bus passes on Austin Museum Day so everyone can explore Austin’s museums with ease.
The pass is redeemable September 20–21 and is valid for 24 hours after first use.
How to Redeem the Free Ride Code:
Download the UMO Mobility App (iOS or Android)
Create an account
Tap the menu (☰)
Select “Redeem Code”
Enter code: CM-3FIF-5HUC
Museum Day in the News
Still not sure about Museum Day? Check out what our Board Members and Event Planners are up to and get pumped for Museum Day!
Culture Map Austin | 10 places to visit for free tours and family fun on Austin Museum Day
Community Impact | Austin Museum Day highlights local resources across over 35 museums
Visit Austin | Austin Museum Day
The Anderson | Celebrate Austin Museum Day 2025: Free Art, Culture and Fun
CBS Austin | Explore art, history, and more with free cultural experiences on Austin Museum Day
City of Austin | Austin Museum Day 2025
KXAN Austin | The 28th Annual Austin Museum Day
KXAN | ‘Gift to the Austin community’: 33 museums have free entry, special events on Sunday
