Covering archaeological, anthropological, popular, national and local history, this is a gem of a museum. Americans know how to do history as well as any Europeans!! The unapologetically proud narrative focused upon Texas fighting for its freedom from the yoke of Mexican tyranny was for me a highlight. However, the detailed treatment of Texas as a land of early French exploration and settlement was even more captivating an informative. Set aside at least three hours.

Visited for the first time back in July 2022 to watch Superpower Dogs and Wings Over Water in the IMAX theatre. Both are really good documentaries. Recently watched Serengeti and Dinosaurs of Antarctica. Seating is first-come, first-serve. I was able to get a good seat since I went during the day. Concessions was closed when I visited. Since seating is first come, first serve, arrive early to get a good seat if you get tickets for a blockbuster film

This is a wonderful place with exhibits from all eras of Texas history. I'm new to Austin so lots of it was new to me, probably school children already know some of it. No doubt worth the time, very reasonable price including senior discount.

I went to the museum to kill some time before my flight took off and it was an absolutely wonderful experience and I wish I had had more time to wander and learn. There were some wonderful artifacts and great information on the history of Texas. The cafeteria also had some pretty good food. I would definitely go again with more time to spend there

Nicely curated overview of Texas history. The entire museum takes you on a chronological journey over all three floors. Very fascinating and kept our entire family engaged (two adults and one elementary aged child). Texas teachers get in free (nice perk)! Parking on-site for $15 and it is easy to access other local attractions by walking. We took the short walk down to the capital and had a great time

My husband and I are newly retired and took our 8 year old grand twins to Austin to see the sights and spend the night. They love museums and had a good time. The videos and short films were very well researched and executed. It was great having lots of interactive things for them to touch and explore. The exhibits were well arranged and flowed nicely from one tine period or topic to another. We spent an hour on each floor. Then we decided to have lunch in the cafe. It was well lit, spacious and clean. But severely understaffed. They were out of nearly everything on the menu. There were two food preparers only that moved like they were underwater. The cashier did her best to help out and keep things moving and she was so frustrated. When you can’t go outside and walk nearby to other options or move your car from the parking garage, you’re pretty much stuck. I was surprised that the museum store seemed to have plenty of help. The other surprise was that there appeared to be no docents. The man running one of the paid movies checked tickets and ran the movie. Again, for the price paid you’d think they could hire more help.

We spent nearly 3 hours at the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are 3 floors that lead you through Texas history starting with the first settlements and going through the modern era. There are a number of 10-15 minute films throughout that help tell the story if you stop to watch them. I watched films about the Texas revolution against Mexico, how Texas cowboys have been featured in film, a great Gil on the Texas Centennial Fair and Austin City Limits on PBS. Every person we dealt with was extremely friendly. Souvenirs in the gift shop were not terribly expensive. The only criticism I have is that sometimes it was not clear which direction you should go when arriving on a new floor….so I wound up doing the second floor backwards (newest to oldest). Overall, a really interesting museum.

In any event, this certainly is for a state history museum - though half the enourmous building is given over ti iMax theatres and other function spaces. The museum itself is essentially 3 floors of chronologically laid out history of TX from neolithic humans to present. Clearly a big budget item, and well curated with good explanatory signs and enough large format displays to keep the kids intersted if you're doing that sort of tour. Enough history for the readers too. All in all a nice job and it probably ranks in 85-90th percentile as these go. Dinged a star because game day parking was set at $25! I mean, really. Drove around and found street parking with a reasonably short walk for free.

Oh my…. This historical museum blew my mind. Very well laid out. Start on first floor with the history of the formation of Texas and then up to floors 2 and 3 as the guest walks through more Texas history chronologically. I loved the videos sprinkled throughout the displays. I learned soooo much. We did the IMAX butterfly 3D movie which was beautiful and educational. We also viewed the movie about the sunken ship. Again, very educational. These are both additional costs but if you buy them with the museum entrance you get a $4.00 discount. Worth it! The museum has a wonderful gift shop on first floor. Lots of restrooms throughout. Elevators are easily accessible. Great cafe on second floor. Sandwiches, salads, chips, beverages, etc. Park at the museum parking lot which is attached to the museum. $15. Allow yourself 3-4 hours. Wander slowly. Absorb Texas history. This museum truly was the highlight of our trip! You won’t be disappointed Note: this is not, in my mind, a museum to bring small children to.

This place is exceptional. Something for everyone. Lots of hands on things for kids to do. The IMAX movies are wonderful. The 'Star of Destiny', about early Texas history and 'Shipwrecked' are excellent. Very interesting and exciting. We took a fourth grader and a sixth grader and it was hard to get them to leave! The exhibits are first rate. The have the remnants of La Belle ship and thousands of items recovered from it on display. I can't recommend this enough! Well worth the time