Huge

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum

Austin


Big, glitzy and bursting with high-tech interactive exhibits, this showcase museum celebrates the story of the Lone Star State, from its earliest inhabitants, via the era when it formed part of Mexico, up to the present day. The highlight is on the 1st floor, where you can see the hull of La Belle, a French ship that sank off the Gulf Coast in 1686, along with artifacts recovered from the wreck. Allow a few hours for your visit.

Upstairs, galleries trace the revolutionary years of the Republic of Texas, its rise to statehood and its economic expansion into oil drilling and space exploration. Special features cover John Wayne’s 1960 movie The Alamo, and home-grown music from Bob Wills to Buddy Holly.

The museum also houses an IMAX theater (check website for listings; adult/child four to 17 years $9/7), and the Texas Spirit Theater (adult/child four to 17 years $6/5), which shows The Star of Destiny, a ‘multi-sensory’ 15-minute film that's simultaneously high-tech and hokey fun.

Museum parking costs $10.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Austin attractions

1. Blanton Museum of Art

0.1 MILES

A big university with a big endowment is bound to have a big art collection, and now, finally, it has a suitable building to show it off properly. With…

2. Hi, How Are You Mural

0.31 MILES

Created by songwriter and artist Daniel Johnston, this iconic bug-eyed frog greets passersby near the University of Texas. Also known as Jeremiah the…

3. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

0.31 MILES

The fascinating Ransom Center is a major repository of historic manuscripts, photography, books, film, TV, music and more. Highlights include a complete…

4. University of Texas at Austin

0.37 MILES

Whatever you do, don't call it 'Texas University' – them's fightin' words, usually used derisively by Texas A&M students to take their rivals down a notch…

5. Texas State Capitol

0.39 MILES

Completed in 1888 using sunset-red granite, Texas’ state capitol is the largest in the US, backing up the familiar claim that everything’s bigger…

6. Texas Memorial Museum

0.61 MILES

We all know how kids feel about dinosaurs, and this natural history museum is the perfect place for them to indulge their fascination. Look up to see the…

8. Contemporary Austin

0.79 MILES

This museum operates two separate sites. The Jones Center, downtown, features rotating exhibits representing new artists, spreading through two gallery…