Austin Museum Day returns on Sunday, September 20, 2026, with free admission at more than 30 museums, galleries, historic sites and cultural organizations across Austin and nearby communities. The main event runs from noon to 5 PM, but opening hours vary widely, so it is worth checking each venue before leaving home. The official Austin Museum Partnership guide also includes current schedules, exhibitions, activities, accessibility details and a free CapMetro pass code.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Austin and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
For a central Austin route, start with the Bullock Texas State History Museum, which opens at 10 AM and will have MathHappens models, mathematical magic and hands-on activities. Nearby, the Capitol Visitors Center offers hourly tours from noon through 4 PM, while the Texas State Capitol has tours scheduled between noon and 4:15 PM. The Austin History Center will present “Circulation: A Century of the Austin Public Library,” with arts and crafts, and the Brush Square Museums will add beeswax candle-making, newspaper collage and an O. Henry birthday celebration. The Harry Ransom Center is another strong downtown stop, open noon–5 PM with “Houdini’s Library,” the Gutenberg Bible, printing demonstrations and interactive tours. Its current exhibitions include “Houdini’s Library,” on view through January 24, 2027, and “The Worlds of Gertrude Stein,” on view through January 11, 2027.
The University of Texas area offers its own mini-itinerary. The Blanton Museum of Art is open 10 AM–4:30 PM and is part of the UT Campus Crawl, where visitors can collect stamps at four participating institutions. Its “Art in Every Corner: The Works Progress Administration (1935–1943)” exhibition continues through September 27. The Texas Science & Natural History Museum, open 1–5 PM, will feature fossils in “Epic Encounters” and bats in “Masters of the Night”; capacity limits may mean waiting outside. Visitors can also upload a photo of their Campus Crawl postcard to Instagram, tag @austinmuseums and enter to win gift bags.
Families have several options, including Thinkery, open 10 AM–5 PM with free admission and hands-on STEAM exhibits such as Currents, Light Lab, Fresh! Farmers’ Market and Our Backyard. The museum is wheelchair accessible, and a limited number of wheelchairs and sound-reducing earmuffs are available at the Admissions desk. At UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum, open 11 AM–4 PM, visitors can explore outdoor sculpture, watch Texas Society of Sculptors demonstrations and take part in family activities. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is open 9 AM–5 PM with tours, games and crafts, while Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms offers living-history demonstrations and animals from 10 AM–2 PM.
Other stops spread across the city include The Contemporary Austin—Laguna Gloria, open 9 AM–3 PM with a self-guided tour app and a nature-and-art activity; Mexic-Arte Museum, open noon–5 PM with stickers and mini screen-printed bags; Women & Their Work, open 10 AM–6 PM with a “Red Dot” scavenger hunt; and the Visual Arts Center, open 11 AM–4 PM with “How to Grow the Cowpea” and “Experimental Seeing.” Outside Austin, the Williamson Museum in Georgetown, Bastrop County Museum and Science Mill in Johnson City are also participating.
Because popular family venues may reach capacity, plan around the hours that matter most and allow time for parking. CapMetro is offering free bus passes through the UMO app with code CM-26KB-HRWF. Download the app, create an account, open the menu and enter the code. Before Sunday, confirm schedules, reservations, accessibility and special programming at AustinMuseums.org and with individual venues.
Published Date
17 September 2026
More information
