We’re huge fans of Austin Museum Day!  Every September, local museums open their doors to visitors completely free.  This annual occasion gives us the chance to explore exhibits with plenty of special family-friendly activities throughout the day. Read on for our picks of museum programming that is especially family-focused on Sunday, September 17, 2023!

Where to take the kids on Austin Museum Day

Austin Nature & Science Center, photo by Heidi Okla

Austin Nature & Science Center
Activities from 1 m – 4 pm 
ANSC will have activities for all ages including crafts, planetarium presentations, keeper talks, a Trade Counter with special activities for points, and more!
Read our write-up about the ANSC.


Get a look at life in the 1800s at Pioneer Farms.

Pioneer Farms
Special activities from 11 am – 2 pm
Austin Museum Day at Pioneer Farms will include live music by the acclaimed Austin band, Hot Pickin ’57.  There will also be historical demonstrations, new exhibits, and more.  Get more info here.
Read what we love about Pioneer Farms


 

Chill on the big front lawn. Photo from the Neill-Cochran House Facebook page

Neill-Cochran House Museum
Special activities from 11 am –  4 pm
This year the Neill-Cochran House Museum celebrates Austin Museum Day with a collage self-portrait activity, lawn games and scavenger hunts, an art market, old-fashioned ice cream-making and lemonade-making activities, and more.  Check here for more info and the full schedule.


Photo from the LBJ Library Facebook page

LBJ Presidential Library & Museum
Special activities from 10 am – 3 pm 
At this year’s Austin Museum Day, guests of the LBJ Presidential Library & Museum can explore ways to be a better friend to the world we live in!  From 10 am to 3 pm, kids can use one of the museum’s Fujifilm Instax instant cameras for a scavenger hunt.  On the hunt, explore the museum’s exhibit based on the book The Lorax, step into the Oval Office, see the president’s limousine and so much more. Check here to sign up for a specific time slot.  Children will create memory books with the photos they take, and there will also be free giveaways for adults!


Elisabet Ney Museum; photo by Heidi Okla

Elisabet Ney Museum
Open from 12 – 5 pm
In keeping with the unique spirit of the Ney, local artists and educators will lead visitors in hands-on projects to discover drawing your own path.  Click here to register.


Bullock Museum, photo by Roger Ho

Bullock Museum
Special activities from 10 am – 2 pm
Commemorate Grandparent’s Day at the Bullock Museum for Austin Museum Day! Bond through playing classic games together, and create a historic Cup and Ball game. Enjoy FREE admission for all three floors of Texas History and join drop-in activities for the whole family from 10 am to 2 pm. The day’s special family programs will combine art, activity stations, and in-gallery discovery centers.  Check here for more info and the full schedule.  You can also join for a screening of Encanto enhanced with special effects at 2 pm. Tickets for the screening are $8 for Members and $12 for General Admission. Click here to buy tickets to Encanto.


The Williamson Museum via Yelp

Williamson Museum (in Georgetown, TX)
Open from  1 – 4 pm
The Williamson Museum is celebrating 125 years of Williamson County!  This Austin Museum Day, join The Williamson for hands-on crafts, birthday snacks, and exhibits showing how Wilco is still making history.  More info here.


More Fun Picks for Kids:

These museums are always great choices for taking the whole family.

Outside of the Texas Military Forces Museum; Photo by Heidi Okla

For more details and many more museum events, please visit www.austinmuseumday.org.


And here’s something cool for those on Instagram: Participate in the Austin Museum Day Instagram contest for a chance to win great prizes. The contest is open 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Sunday, September 21.
To play:
1. Follow @TxHistComm and @austinmuseums on Instagram (link below)
2. Take a photograph at one of the participating Austin Museum Day institutions
3. Post it to your Instagram (make sure your profile is public!)
4. Tag the participating institution and #museumday2014
Multiple submissions are allowed. The contest closes at 9 p.m. on Sunday, September 21; submissions posted after 9 p.m. will not be included. A total of 3 winners – 1st through 3rd places—will be selected by a panel of judges that include staff from the Texas Historical Commission and Austin Museum Partnership. Prizes are to be announced. – See more at: http://www.rwethereyetmom.com/2014/09/8-family-museums-to-see-on-austin.html#sthash.AUM84Gpb.dpuf–> To see even more of what’s happening on Austin Museum Day, you can visit the Austin Museum Partnership website and download their app from Google Play and the App Store for listings of special activities offered at all Austin Museum Day events have a great time