Feb 10 2010
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas
They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and when we saw the huge lone star out front, we knew the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum would be no exception. This museum, located just a few blocks from the state capitol, showcases Texas history in a big way, from its first exploration to the present day.
Our admission to the museum was free as part of the Time Travelers reciprocal program that comes with our Minnesota Historical Society membership. We paid extra to see Texas: The Big Picture in the IMAX theatre, and it was a hit with the whole family to learn about Texas on the big screen.
The three stories of galleries are laid out chronologically so that visitors can walk through Texas history. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a docent who quickly pulled out some props to use with the kids as he explained the first-floor exploration exhibits to us. From there, we moved through the museum–and through time–to displays about Texas’ fight for independence and the Alamo. When Texas became more industrialized, we learned about the oil boom and brought back childhood memories seeing a Speak & Spell made by none other than Texas Instruments.
Throughout the museum, small theaters are set up, each with an repeating short film. We found this to be not only informational, but a nice setup for kids who didn’t read all the displays. Our kids would walk ahead to the next film area and watch the movies while they waited for us parents to catch up. There are several interactive exhibits as well. From our third-grader reading the chart about the change in population from farm to city, to the little ones sitting on oil-can stools, these kids from Minnesota learned a lot about Texas history in the museum.
We arrived when the museum opened at 9 a.m. and were there long enough that we had to try the Story of Texas Cafe for lunch. With fair prices and good food, it was a convenient place to have lunch before seeing the rest of the museum.
From top to bottom, we enjoyed the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. It was an interesting way to learn about Texas for both the adults and the children in our family.
[...] (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children. Her kids liked the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum as much as she did. AKPC_IDS += [...]