If you are looking for a free way to spend a few hours in downtown Austin this season, the Texas America250 Exhibit is an easy one to slot in. It is currently on view at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building, at 1201 Brazos Street in the Capitol Complex, right next door to the Texas Capitol. The exhibit is on loan from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and is part of the state's celebration of the nation's semiquincentennial — 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
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The exhibit runs through December 31, 2026, so there is no rush to catch it, and it is free to view at the Austin location. The lobby gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The building itself has a bit of history: designed by architect Carleton W. Adams and built between 1959 and 1961, it was renovated in 2009.
What you will find inside is a broad look at Texas icons and their role in the U.S. story, running from cowboys to astronauts and from Beaumont to Big Bend. The objects range from the everyday to the extraordinary: early 20th-century spurs and cowbells sit alongside the State of Texas Medal of Valor, which Governor Preston Smith presented to Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins in 1971. Filling out the rest are historic photographs, artifacts, maps, sheet music, documents, printed volumes, postcards and state records.
The exhibit is part of the Texas America250 Commission, which brings together five state agencies: the Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism; Texas Parks and Wildlife; the State Board of Education; the Bullock Texas State History Museum; and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. TSLAC has also distributed more than 700 free traveling exhibits to libraries, schools and museums across the state, which local public libraries, schools, courts and other community organizations can host at no cost, including shipping and delivery, with no need to return them.
If you want to take the celebration home, TSLAC is running a Texas America250 Reading Challenge throughout 2026. Participants log 2,500 minutes — about 41.6 hours — of reading or service activity, which can include reading books, listening to audiobooks, attending library storytimes, volunteering in the community or visiting a Texas state park. Complete it and you get an official state librarian's medal and a chance at more prizes, plus a special certificate signed by Governor Greg Abbott. For families, there are also free downloads of 21 poster designs, 24 colorful bookmarks, 10 coloring pages and digital graphics for social media. The Texas America250 Commission is an officially recognized State/Territory Partner of America250.org.
Published Date
26 August 2026
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