Austin Museum Day

Austin Museum Day returns on Sunday, September 20, with more than 30 museums and historic sites across the greater Austin area opening their doors for free. It's a citywide celebration of art, culture, history, music, nature, science, and play, and it's now in its 29th year. The day is coordinated by the Austin Museum Partnership, which has been running it since 1998.

Beyond the free admission, the participating sites are adding special programming for the day. You'll find craft projects, guided and self-guided tours, gallery talks, and live demonstrations, all aimed at visitors of every age. Because the sites range from art galleries to history museums and science centers, you can piece together your own kind of day—hit a few different spots across the city rather than sticking to one neighborhood.

There's a UT campus crawl as part of the day, too, so if you're already near the university, that's an easy way to see a few more things in one go. The whole thing is supported in part by an Elevate Grant from Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.

Admission is free at the participating sites, and CapMetro is providing free bus passes for the day to help you get around. Hours vary by venue, so it's worth checking the specific times for the spots you want to visit before you head out.