Organized by the Austin Museum Partnership, 34 museums and galleries will participate in Austin Museum Day on Sept. 21. All participating organizations will be free to the public and have special programming, including live performances, workshops and behind-the-scenes experiences. The Daily Texan compiled a list of 5 museums to visit this Austin Museum Day.
Bullock Texas State History Museum- 1800 Congress Ave.
The Bullock State History Museum features stories from Native American cultures and early settlers to modern political and cultural shifts. Bullock exhibits combine artifacts, films and immersive installations describing how people shaped, and have been shaped by, Texas. On Sept. 21, the Lone Star Flute Circle will perform traditional Native American Flute music from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the galleries.
Neill-Cochran House Museum- 2310 San Gabriel St.
Built in 1856 and located less than a mile from campus, this historic home displays the lives of Austinites from the 19th century. Participating in Austin Museum Day, guests can meet Buffalo Soldiers and Victorian ladies, visit vendors selling locally made goods and join a watercolor painting activity to celebrate their new Colorscapes art exhibit.
Mexic-Arte Museum- 419 Congress Ave.
Devoted to Mexican, Mexican-American and Latino art and heritage, the Mexic-Arte Museum offers an accessible way to explore identity, migration and community through powerful visual storytelling. Visitors will get to create papel picado, traditional Mexican banners made by cutting elaborate designs into colored tissue paper, to be displayed in the community Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibition: “En lo más negro del verano/ In the Darkest Domain of Summer”.
The Contemporary Austin- 3809 W 35th St.
The Contemporary Austin blends art with the environment, exhibiting cutting-edge installations downtown at the Jones Center and outdoor sculptures in nature at Laguna Gloria. The museum emphasizes art as a lived experience, inviting visitors to interact. On Museum Day, The Contemporary will provide hands-on activities with woodworking, bandana dying and yoga.
Texas Science & Natural History Museum- 2400 Trinity St.
Recently reopened, the Texas Science & Natural History Museum highlights Texas’ rich natural past through fossils and exhibits on biodiversity. Connecting human stories to the land, the museum shows how people and ecosystems evolved simultaneously. Visitors can get a first look at the new Paleontology Gallery while partaking in interactive, family-friendly science activities.
