Museums & Historic Sites

The Austin Museum Partnership is an organization of Austin-area museums collaborating for the mutual benefit of the public and the museums. The Austin Museum Partnership has sponsored a free, city wide Annual Austin Museum Day every year in Austin since 1998. The Annual Austin Museum Day usually takes place in September. Participating sites include art and science museums, historic sites, history museums, nature preserves, natural habitats, botanical gardens, the University of Texas library and art repositories, the LBJ Presidential library, a children's museum, a museum about Texas music, the Texas State Capitol.

Under renovation since October of 2007, The Governor's Mansion was damaged by fire in June of 2008 and will be closed indefinitely for extensive repairs and rebuilding. Built in the Greek Revival architectural style, the original construction on the Texas Governor's Mansion was completed in 1856. Forty Texas governors and their families have occupied the Mansion. Fortunately at the time of the fire, all furnishings and historic aritifacts had been removed due to the scheduled renovation.

Free Capitol tours are conducted daily beginning in the Capitol South Foyer and concluding in the Capitol Extension. This tour features the Capitol, Texas history, and the Texas legislature. Tours are generally 45 minutes in length and are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Saturday from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM and on Sunday from Noon to 3:30 PM. These tours are conducted daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter.