Bullock Texas State History Museum

Austinites are proud people, but Texans as a larger group are even prouder. Case-in-point: the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, where three floors of the Lone Star State’s history—the Story of Texas, as they call it—come to life with a plethora of continually updated artifacts ranging in scope from the 17th-century French shipwreck La Belle, to the Civil War and surrounding eras, to the Golden Age of NASA’s mission control operations out of Houston. Depending on when you’re in town, you might also catch Free First Sundays (free admission every first Sunday of the month), Music Under the Stars (free outdoor concerts in July) or Spooktacular (an annual Halloween-themed science event). And if you need a relaxing break after cramming your brain with all that Texas lore, there’s always a variety of feature films showing in the attached IMAX theater. With its close proximity to the State Capitol building and UT Campus, the Bob Bullock museum makes for a no-brainer tour add-on.