The Grace Museum
The Grace Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Grace Museum is a hub of art, culture and community located in historic downtown Abilene, Texas. Originally built in 1909 for railroad travelers as the Hotel Grace, the fully renovated Mission Revival style Grace Museum now showcases rotating exhibitions of world-class art and photography by American artists with Texas connections, as well as historic works and objects from the Museum's permanent collection. The Grace also houses an interactive area called SPARK that includes 30+ hands-on activity stations that kids of all ages and families can enjoy.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingAdmission tickets
from
C$11.11
Full view
Top ways to experience The Grace Museum and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
182 within 5 kms
Attractions
65 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
108 reviews
Excellent
49
Very good
44
Average
12
Poor
1
Terrible
2
bubblegum1286
Lubbock, TX19 contributions
Jan 2011
The museum is nothing large, and it doesn't compare to other children's museums like the one in San Antonio, but for a smaller city, this one is fun for the afternoon. My son is two, and he really seemed to enjoy himself. There is an ambulance with lights and a dummy in the back for children to practice doctoring. There is a stage with costumes and some props for spontaneous plays. He enjoyed playing with the life size "Operation" game. He also enjoyed the gated area specifically designated for small toddlers and babies. The soft foam climb-on blocks were great for his size, and he enjoyed playing peekaboo in a tree house. We spent about an hour and half here. There isn't a lot to do, but for a very young child, it was fun.
Written July 26, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy76901
San Angelo, TX41 contributions
Interactive and visually stimulating. Really good way to spend a family afternoon.
Written February 8, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Txnproud
Fort Worth, TX186 contributions
May 2011 • Family
good nice learning environment with hands on kid related activities. Nice place to kick back and get out of the heat while the kids can play and learn in a nice atmosphere
Written January 17, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie E
3 contributions
Feb 2023 • Family
If you’re considering getting a membership to utilize the children’s play area upstairs as a fun place for your kids to be kids on a rainy afternoon, think again. There’s a KAREN there who will follow your toddler around chastising them before you even have a chance.
I’d been there a handful of times with no issue, but this last visit made me regret buying an annual membership and definitely ensured I will not purchase one again or recommend the museum to friends.
Obviously kids will run and be loud, obviously most parents will correct them. Having a bored, old woman there with nothing to do other than follow your children around literally putting toys away while your kid is still using them and shushing them as if it’s a library is rather ridiculous. We’ve never had an incident with the other staff members. Some people just aren’t good around children.
I’d been there a handful of times with no issue, but this last visit made me regret buying an annual membership and definitely ensured I will not purchase one again or recommend the museum to friends.
Obviously kids will run and be loud, obviously most parents will correct them. Having a bored, old woman there with nothing to do other than follow your children around literally putting toys away while your kid is still using them and shushing them as if it’s a library is rather ridiculous. We’ve never had an incident with the other staff members. Some people just aren’t good around children.
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
my3girlsAustin
Austin124 contributions
This is a half of floor in the Grace Cultural Museum. There is neat things to see, but it is very small. We are from Austin, where our children's museum is two stories and could take a better half of a day to explore. This may entertain a child for an hour or two.
Written June 20, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LRDallas
Dallas48 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
Nice little museum, especially if you are a fan of American Western art. I feel like their website is misleading – for example, it says that they have Andy Warhol and Ansel Adams pieces in their permanent collection, but neither were on display when we visited. I asked the woman at the front desk and her response was that those were part of a previous exhibition and in fact not a part of their permanent collection like their website says. They need to fix this. Had we known this information, we would not have visited and paid the $12. There is no need to misrepresent the museum and trick people into paying to see items that aren't there.
Written June 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa B
Texas1,377 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
We so enjoyed this museum! The top floor had various “rooms” showing the changes through the years in: building materials, wall coverings, window dressings, furniture styles, etc., in the parlor and in the kitchen. I so enjoyed this! I think it’s the best display of its kind!
I also enjoyed the display of what an original hotel room looked like. It was very well done!
I definitely want to return and show my children these great room displays as they are like a living book with everything in the past right before your eyes!
The second floor had information about the hotel, the builder, and the city. It also had an exploratory play section for children similar to the Maybourn Museums in Waco and San Antonio. Though smaller in scale, it was very well done.
The first floor carries rotational displays and we enjoyed the unique three dimensional art presentation that was there when we went.
This is an awesome museum which we enjoyed on our date night. We will return with our children. And we will definitely bring visiting relatives and friends as I want them to see the amazing room displays! And I know the kids will enjoy this and the exploratory play section too. I highly recommend this museum!
I also enjoyed the display of what an original hotel room looked like. It was very well done!
I definitely want to return and show my children these great room displays as they are like a living book with everything in the past right before your eyes!
The second floor had information about the hotel, the builder, and the city. It also had an exploratory play section for children similar to the Maybourn Museums in Waco and San Antonio. Though smaller in scale, it was very well done.
The first floor carries rotational displays and we enjoyed the unique three dimensional art presentation that was there when we went.
This is an awesome museum which we enjoyed on our date night. We will return with our children. And we will definitely bring visiting relatives and friends as I want them to see the amazing room displays! And I know the kids will enjoy this and the exploratory play section too. I highly recommend this museum!
Written June 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're so glad you enjoyed your visit to The Grace Museum this summer - and thank you for this great feedback! (We are new to Trip Advisor so please excuse the late response.) Our fall art exhibitions series "Human Interest: Contemporary Portraits" is really wonderful if you haven't seen it yet. We hope you'll come back again soon!
Written November 13, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MamaRem03
36 contributions
Mar 2016
I particularly loved the 3rd floor history exhibition. It reminded me of the "Carousel of Progress" at Disney (minus the automatons, lol). I can tell someone put a lot of time and heart into it and I admire that. It's very nice, but small. There's a diverse little art exhibit on the first floor too. I'm not a huge art buff, but it was well organized and I like that there seemed to be something for everyone. It will take you about an hour to tour everything, two if you have kids to visit the children's area. I asked for a restaurant recommendation at the front and the girl put on an attitude that was possibly her perception that I was not from "round here," but the man was much more genial. Overall, I'd say it's worth a stop if you have $10 and an hour to kill.
Written March 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
R N
Billings, MT23 contributions
Three floors of items. Some of the art was ok but most was not "museum" quality. The history was nice and the child station was good. It is more an art center than a museum.
Written October 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris W
Abilene, TX17 contributions
Jun 2012
The historic Grace Hotel sat across from the railroad tracks and housed thousands of travelers over the years. It was brought back from dereliction to become a cultural center with events and exhibits year-round. It anchors the restored downtown area of Abilene. As a local, I waited years, watching it being restored, and have had a lot of pleasure from it since. Treat yourself.
Written December 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can person on a Rollator walker get around ok and is there handicapped parking?
Written October 4, 2019
Yes, they do have handicapped parking. Yes, you can get around with a walker as they have elevator access to each floor.
Written October 5, 2019
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing