Explore Texan history through a comprehensive collection including Native American pottery and a gunboat from the Civil War.
Texas history is tied to the land and a few exceptional individuals, and you can find out all about it at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Located in downtown Austin, the Bob Bullock Museum is open daily with the exception of national holidays, with free parking available. Upon entering the building, visitors are welcomed by a 10-metre bronze monument to the Lone Star, the official symbol of Texas. It represents a history filled with the fight for independence, as the state of Texas has at various points in time been ruled by six different regimes: Spain, France, Mexico, the Texan Republic, the Confederate States, and the United States of America. The Bob Bullock Museum aims to tell the story of Texas.
The museum contains three levels of exhibits, providing a broad examination of the state’s struggles, individuality, and innovation. Each floor explores a different theme: the first floor is Land, the second floor is Identity, and the third floor is Opportunity.
On the first floor, visitors will discover how the land of Texas has changed over time. Discover Native American artefacts from the time before Europeans reached North America, learn about the 16th century Spanish missions, and study the impact of the arrival of the French. Here, visitors will view unique items such as a recovered bronze cannon from the La Belle, a ship belonging to 17th Century French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, which was found off the coast of Texas in Matagorda Bay.
Texan identity can be explored on the second floor. Take your time here to really dive into the past, reading letters and diaries from the 1820s that recount the growing unrest over Mexican authority. Children and adults alike will love exploring a restored gunboat that was used in defending Texas in the Civil War.
And at the top, the third floor encourages visitors to look at revolutions in farming and the wealth brought to Texas through the oil industry.
