10 Best Museums in Austin

The largest art collection in Central Texas is on display at the impressive Blanton Museum of Art, which hosts regular visiting exhibitions as well as a comprehensive permanent collection. A major draw for art lovers visiting Austin, the strikingly modern museum is owned by the University of Texas at Austin and sits on the university campus, opposite Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

The permanent collection features some 21,000 pieces ranging from ancient Greek pottery and Renaissance paintings to contemporary Latin American art. Visiting exhibitions include thought-provoking installations and interactive displays from emerging and established artists, and there’s a pleasant cafe where you can gather your thoughts over tacos, a glass of wine, or some of Austin’s best fries.

Packed with interactive exhibits for newborns, toddlers, and early teens, Thinkery (formerly Austin Children’s Museum) is one of Austin’s top attractions for families. A series of themed sensory rooms with indoor and outdoor activities introduce young visitors to the principles of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths), but kids here are typically too busy having fun and getting messy to realise they’re actually studying.

Adults can join in or just watch the kids enjoy the farmyard, play kitchen, and hands-on science experiments (there’s water-based fun and games, so bring spare clothing for kids as they will get wet), and the location next to Mueller Lake and a few steps away from Licks Honest Ice Creams means families can really make a day of it here.

There’s retro fun galore at Texas Toy Museum, and this quirky city centre museum on Congress Avenue holds as much appeal for adults as it does for kids. With over 20,000 exhibits, grown-ups can get a blast of nostalgia admiring the vast collection of toys and film memorabilia, most of which dates back to the ‘golden age’ of the 1980s.

Entrance fees include free play on the vintage arcade games and games consoles, and regular scavenger hunts (check the website for dates) are popular with visitors of all ages. If all that walking down memory lane leaves you thirsty, you can grab a beer, wine, or soft drink at the museum’s laid-back on-site bar.

Take a deep dive into the life and times of 36th US President Lyndon Baines Johnson (‘LBJ’) at the engaging LBJ Presidential Library. Located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, the popular attraction whisks visitors back to the 1960s through a range of exhibits including a replica of LBJ’s Oval Office, complete with vintage electronics and a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Visitors can also learn about the environmental work of Lady Bird Johnson and visit the fully furnished office (right down to the notebooks, retro chairs, and framed photos) where the First Lady worked on her campaigns. Other permanent exhibitions include an enormous glass wall of artefacts and archives at the Great Hall, and there are regular visiting exhibitions, too.

Located in the leafy Zilker area, Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum (or simply Umlauf, to Austinites) is an any-weather attraction showcasing the life and works of Austin-based sculptor Charles Umlauf. Right next to Zilker Park, the compact and well-maintained gardens are home to many of the sculptor’s bronze and stone artworks, set amid the shade of Texan plants.

The gardens are open for self-guided strolls, and make a scenic setting for regular yoga classes, guided tours, evening garden parties, and story-telling sessions for children, as well as self-guided strolls. Indoors, the museum showcases art and artefacts relating to Umlauf, as well as touring exhibitions from new and established artists.

With sense-stimulating interactive exhibits, later-than-average opening hours, and a contemporary bar, Wonderspaces Austin is as popular for date nights as it is for family days out. The 28,000-square-foot space in the northeast of the city hosts an ever-changing series of immersive, interactive exhibits and art installations, all of which are aimed at engaging the senses and sparking conversation.

With music, lights, virtual reality, and special effects, there’s plenty to capture the attention of toddlers and teens as well as fully-fledged arts enthusiasts. Visitors with an eye for the art of cocktail making should be sure to visit the full bar, where signature drinks include a delicious Blood Orange Mezcal Margarita, which combines mezcal with lime, Cointreau, and blood orange cordial.

One of the very few Mexican art museums in the United States, the Mexic-Arte Museum in city centre Austin began life as the setting for Day of the Dead celebrations in 1984. It gradually expanded its cultural offerings and found a permanent home at Congress Avenue in 1988.

Today, it’s held in high regard by locals as well as visitors, who flock here to admire permanent and visiting exhibitions from individual artists as well as community projects. Many of the artworks at this compact and colourful museum and gallery are available to buy, and it’s worth setting aside a little time (and money) to visit the well-stocked gift shop.

Named in honour of agricultural scientist George Washington Carver, the Carver Museum in east Austin showcases African American culture, arts, and aesthetics. Permanent exhibits at the illuminating museum include a children’s space dedicated to African American scientists and inventors, and galleries highlighting the African American families who helped to shape the city.

With a theatre, dance studio, and darkroom, as well as a conference room and classroom, the museum, which sits next to the Carver branch of Austin Library, provides both a performance and exhibition space for emerging talent and the facilities to hone those skills. Entrance to the museum is free, although donations are welcomed.

Austin has something of a reputation as one of the world’s kookier cities, and this off-beat city centre attraction celebrates all that is curious, mysterious, and downright creepy. From truly weird waxworks and unusual film monsters to shrunken heads and a chance to pose with Bigfoot, the museum on 6th Street is a treasure trove for anybody who likes their tourist attractions to come with an extra dose of bizarre.

Tours are self-guided, with videos and placards explaining the oddities on display (although some truly defy explanation) and staff at the entrance are on hand to give you a briefing on what to expect. There’s enough here to keep you busy for an hour or 2, and a gift shop at the exit is a good opportunity to take a piece of Austin weirdness home with you.

If there’s one museum that could only ever be found in Austin, it’s the Museum of Natural & Artificial Ephemerata. Dedicated to flights of fancy, fleeting pleasures, and the art of collecting, it’s one of the last remaining museums in America that is family-run, from a family home. There are 5 separate exhibition spaces, whose themes might change on a whim but might be dedicated to such diversities as celebrities, ‘urban phantasmagoria,’ and snow globes.

Opening hours are somewhat sporadic, and the exhibits on display at the ‘impermanent exhibition’ are subject to change without prior warning, but the carefully curated exhibitions and guided tours are a real labour of love for the curators, who usually operate guided tours once a week. Call in advance to book a place (and to check when it’s open).