It’s getting easier to succumb to the rising Texas heat by staying inside. However, as someone who enjoys being indoors during breaks, sitting in a hallway or my room doesn’t stimulate my brain.
Luckily, there are buildings that offer air conditioning and brain refreshment. On-campus museums, such as the Blanton Museum of Art, Harry Ransom Center and Texas Science and Natural History Museum, give students the opportunity to cool down with a vitalizing experience.
Many students or young adults do not take advantage of the learning opportunities that the museum curators work towards.
“We get a lot of families but also young adults too,” said Liam Norris, the Texas Science and Natural History Museum’s exhibits and outreach associate. “It’s a group that we want to see more of, bit of a shameless plug here, but a lot of UT students don’t even know we exist.”
He hopes adults will see the work that the staffers put into the museum.
“Our Discovery Center is all about that, and it’s interactive,” Norris said. “The amount of adults that I see just walk through and they don’t read anything, they don’t interact with anything. I wish I could say, ‘No, read it, because there’s really good stuff here.’”
While people may think that museums are hubs for artifacts, so much learning can be done without it being overwhelming. Students can connect the science, art or history in museums to lessons they learn in class, making the subject matter easier to understand.
“We want to make that as easy for people as possible so that it feels like it’s a space for students,” said Anne Terrill, the head of education and public engagement at the Harry Ransom Center. “Whether that’s to learn, to be creative, we have a space in the current exhibitions.”
At the Harry Ransom Center, there is an ongoing exhibition called “Words and Wonder: Rediscovering Children’s Literature,” which allows visitors to create their own story using famous children’s stories.
I have visited this exhibit before, and it was a truly wonderful experience. It helped me tap into my inner child while learning about the history behind the authors who created these tales.
“It inspires, I hope, a sense of creativity and history,” Terrill said. “Learning about the objects that we have on view can (be) a portal to the past but it’s also a portal to the future where you can learn from it and be inspired by it and create because you’ve seen objects that we have in exhibitions.”
The Blanton Museum of Art hosted over 27,726 UT students in 2024, but they would love to see more students appreciate the space.
“Come in, be as you are and experience it how you want to,” said Katie Bruton, the Blanton public relations and media manager. “Maybe a museum can feel intimidating for a lot of people, and we try to break that expectation.”
Norris, Terrill and Bruton share a piece of information about their museums that all students should know: the museums on campus are free for students with proof of a valid UT ID.
In this Texas heat, it is important to stay fresh, not only in body but in mind. Next time that you have a gap in your schedule, check out the museums on campus. You will not be disappointed by the amazing fossils, ancient texts and art they have on display.
Estrella is an English junior from Corpus Christi, Texas.
