Courtesy of Bullock Texas State History Museum
AAA Editor Notes
The Bullock Texas State History Museum is off I-35 exit Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., then w. to 1800 N. Congress Ave. This sprawling complex, named for the state's 38th Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, explores three themes: Land, Identity and Opportunity. Three floors of interactive exhibits chronicle the region's first inhabitants and early explorers; the fight for independence and statehood; and 20th-century contributions to space, industry and technology.

The first floor starts at the beginning with a life-size bison statue and interactive exhibits that explore the importance of the animal to the early Texans and their American Indian neighbors. Also here is the hull of the 300-year-old reconstructed ship La Belle, which sank in 1686 during René-Robert Cavalier's expedition and was recovered in 1996.

The Texas Spirit Theater, on the second floor, re-creates the Galveston hurricane, an oil gusher and a rocket launch at Johnson Space Center, complete with such special effects as moving seats, wind and smoke. The IMAX Theatre offers Laser technology on such movies as "Fungi: The Web of Life" and "Serengeti: The IMAX Experience" played on a screen the size of Texas. Other exhibits, such as a short film based on the Alamo and a steam-powdered cotton gin, uncover how the state was shaped as it moved through annexation, immigration, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Head on up to the third floor where you will find an AT-6A Texan airplane soaring above the three-floor atrium. The Austin City Limits Theater features the music and musicians that made the PBS series the longest-running music program in American television history. Visitors can enjoy clips from the show featuring such iconic ACL artists as Sheryl Crow, Loretta Lynn and Radiohead, all while surrounded by memorabilia from the original studio.

Time: Allow 3 hours minimum.

Map
Get Directions
Hotel
Hotel Name
1234 Street Address City, State 00000
AAA Inspector Rating
More Hotels in Austin, TX
Restaurant
AAA Inspector Rating
More Restaurants in Austin, TX