Bullock Texas State History Museum

Bullock Texas State History Museum

Bullock Texas State History Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Bullock Texas State History Museum is the state's official history museum and features three floors of exhibition galleries, IMAX® Theatre, Texas Spirit Theater, Story of Texas Cafe, and Bullock Museum Store.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • JRM
    Penetanguishene, Canada102 contributions
    Interesting and Informative
    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.
    Visited November 2022
    Written December 15, 2022
  • JaniO
    393 contributions
    IMAX Theatre inside
    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
    Visited July 2022
    Written February 12, 2023
  • Kelly F
    2 contributions
    Fantastic Museum
    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.
    Visited January 2023
    Written February 12, 2023
  • Annelise L
    7 contributions
    Beautiful museum
    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
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 20, 2023
  • Emily L
    5 contributions
    Nice overview of Texas history
    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
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 3, 2023
  • Joan C
    2 contributions
    Very interesting but understaffed
    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.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 18, 2023
  • burghughes
    Greendale, Wisconsin1,002 contributions
    Well worth the visit
    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.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled on business
    Written July 23, 2023
  • scott r
    Silver Spring, Maryland697 contributions
    Everythig's bigger in Texas
    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.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written September 8, 2023
  • Lynn Berg
    Naples, Florida902 contributions
    A must do when in Austin!!!!
    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.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 15, 2023
  • j m
    7 contributions
    This is a 'don't miss'
    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
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 6, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Gregory
Bastrop, TX1 contribution
Feb 2020
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.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

acidelijah
Austin, TX3 contributions
Jan 2021 • Couples
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.
Written February 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

R W
1 contribution
Oct 2021
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!
Written October 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

judy v
Hertford, North Carolina, United States56 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
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!
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jbushman2017
Nipomo, CA483 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
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.
Written September 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David_Cominole
Boca Raton, FL13 contributions
Dec 2019
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.
Written February 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Asta365
Kent, TX548 contributions
Dec 2020 • Solo
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.

Written December 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jusuggs
Greenville, SC31 contributions
Feb 2020
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.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dale943
Allentown, PA78 contributions
Mar 2020
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.
Written March 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VKB
Montreal, Canada140 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
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.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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