Austin has a booming art scene and several nationally recognized museums. With Austin Museum Day on September 20, 2026, visitors should expect nothing but the best. This year, more than 30 museums and historic sites around greater Austin will welcome visitors with free admission and special programming — think craft projects, guided tours, gallery talks, live demonstrations and more, for every age.
Be sure to check out Museum Day's website for the latest news about participating locations, but remember, these gems are available year-round for visitors and locals alike!
Courtesy Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria.
Participating Museums
A must-see is The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, an outdoor sculpture park and museum open 9 AM–3 PM on Museum Day. This year, the museum is teaming up with the Elisabet Ney Museum on a nature-and-art activity designed by Austin artist Virginia L. Montgomery, part of the Ney's Breaking the Mold program, plus a debut of a new self-guided tour app exploring the site's history and ecology. The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center, open 12–6 PM, lets visitors be among the first to see newly opened exhibitions by artists Laura Lit and Moki Cherry.
On the University of Texas campus, visit the Blanton Museum of Art, home to Central Texas' largest public collection with around 19,000 objects. On Museum Day (10 AM–4:30 PM), admission is free and visitors are welcome to bring a picnic to the lawn while joining the UT campus crawl.
UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum is a perfect blend of all things Austin: amazing local art casually set in a lush garden of native Texas plants. Open 11 AM–4 PM for Museum Day, UMLAUF features its rotating indoor exhibition alongside its permanent outdoor collection, plus live demonstrations from dozens of Texas Society of Sculptors artists, an interactive activity from Museo Benini, and beverages from Puro Coffee.
The Bullock Texas State History Museum, open 10 AM–5 PM, welcomes visitors for a full day of exploring its exhibits on Texas history — and the MathHappens Foundation will have a table on site with hands-on math models and a make-and-take activity.
LBJ Library. Credit to Lauren Gerson.
The LBJ Presidential Library, open 9 AM–5 PM, offers free admission and a day of programming celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, including arts and crafts, games, refreshments and live performances.
The Thinkery, open 10 AM–5 PM, is Austin's premier children's museum, with 40,000 square feet of interactive exhibits at its Meredith Learning Lab designed to spark curiosity for kids of all ages.
The Harry Ransom Center, open 12–5 PM, is a free library and archive on the UT campus where you can view the Gutenberg Bible and the Niépce Heliograph year-round. For Museum Day, catch the newest exhibition, Houdini's Library, plus interactive gallery tours and printing press demonstrations.
Featuring nearly 900 native plant species and miles of trails, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, open 9 AM–5 PM, offers free tours, educational experiences, games and crafts for a full day outdoors.
The Texas State Capitol, open 9 AM–8 PM, offers free tours of the 1888 building periodically between 12 and 4:15 PM — one of Austin's most iconic, and easiest, free stops.
A rare surviving example of Austin's earliest history, the Neill-Cochran House Museum, was built in 1855. On Museum Day (11 AM–4 PM), enjoy seek-and-finds, lawn games, crafts, homemade lemonade and ice cream before touring one of Austin's oldest residences for free.
Also Participating This Year
More than 20 additional museums, galleries and historic sites are joining in with their own free programming. Hours and activities below.
Art & Galleries
- Women & Their Work (10 AM–6 PM) — Red Dot scavenger hunt through work from 125+ contemporary artists.
- Visual Arts Center (VAC) (11 AM–4 PM) — Free limited-edition posters plus two fall exhibitions.
- Mexic-Arte Museum (12–5 PM) — Screenprinting activity for Hispanic Heritage Month.
- Dougherty Arts Center (12–4 PM) — Three gallery exhibitions plus an all-ages art activity.
Family & Science
- Texas Science & Natural History Museum (1–5 PM) — Paleontology exhibit and a bat-focused exhibition.
- Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms (10 AM–2 PM) — 90-acre living history museum with hands-on demonstrations.
History & Heritage
- Austin History Center (12–5 PM) — In Circulation, marking 100 years of the Austin Public Library.
- The Briscoe Center for American History (11 AM–2 PM) — New exhibit on American symbols through history.
- Texas Military Forces Museum (10 AM–4 PM) — Tanks, aircraft, uniforms and battle dioramas.
- The Austin Club (11 AM–2 PM) — Guided tours of the historic Millett Opera House.
- Capitol Visitors Center (12–5 PM) — Free guided tours on the hour, 12–4 PM.
- Texas State Cemetery (8 AM–5 PM) — Final resting place of notable Texans; free guided tours.
Multicultural & Community
- Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (1–5 PM) — Newly renovated facility tour, three galleries, coloring activities.
- CCDC/Hezikiah Haskell House (1–4 PM) — Clarksville history, live blues from Soul Man Sam at 2 PM.
- Brush Square Museums (12–5 PM) — Beeswax candle making and journal collaging at the O. Henry and Susanna Dickinson homes.
Music
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Texas Music Museum (12–4 PM) — Guided tours and exhibits on Austin's music history.
Check out Austin's museums and galleries year-round. For discounted, bundled access to multiple area museums, learn more about our Austin Insider Pass.
