Austin Museum Day 2026

Austin Museum Day returns on Sunday, September 20, for its 29th year, opening more than 30 museums and historic sites across greater Austin to the public for the day. Admission is free at all participating venues, and the whole thing is built around art, culture, history, music, nature and science. It's a citywide event, so you can spend the day hopping from one spot to another rather than sticking to a single neighborhood.

The Bullock Texas State History Museum is one of the main stops, open from 10 AM to 5 PM. On top of the usual galleries, the MathHappens Foundation will be on site with hands-on math models and a make-and-take activity. Across the city, the day is filled with special programming for all ages: craft projects, guided and self-guided exhibition tours, gallery talks and live demonstrations. The day is supported in part by an Elevate Grant from Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.

The range of participating venues is pretty wide. The Blanton Museum of Art holds Central Texas' largest public collection, around 19,000 objects. The Harry Ransom Center on the UT campus is home to the Gutenberg Bible and the Niépce Heliograph. The Neill-Cochran House Museum, built in 1855, is one of the city's oldest residences. The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, an outdoor sculpture park, is teaming up with the Elisabet Ney Museum on a nature-and-art activity by Austin artist Virginia L. Montgomery, part of the Ney's 'Breaking the Mold' program.

If you're planning your day, keep in mind that the Bullock is open 10 AM to 5 PM and admission is free across the board. With more than 30 sites involved, you can make a morning of it at one end of town and an afternoon at the other.