Free museum days in Austin, and the age each one lets kids in free.
14 museums, gardens, and historic houses, with what a family actually pays: the regular price, the age through which a child gets in free, the standing free day, and the SNAP and EBT prices where a museum prints one. 12 of them let a child in free on any day they are open, and 5 have a standing free day for everyone.
Every line was read on the institution’s own admissions or visit page, on the date stamped under it. A price or a free day that page does not print is not on this sheet, and where the page is silent the row says unknown.
5 of the 14, so you can see what a row holds
Every field below was copied from the museum’s own admissions or visit page on the date stamped under it. Where two of its own pages disagree, both are printed.
Bullock Texas State History Museum
history museum · 1800 N. Congress Ave.
- Kids
- Free for ages 5 and under. $16 for youth 17 and under.
- Free day
- H-E-B Free First Sunday: exhibition admission is free on the first Sunday of every month.
- Price
- $22 adults; $18 students, military, and seniors 65 and up; $16 youth 17 and under. The IMAX and Texas Spirit Theater are ticketed separately.
- SNAP, EBT
- Free exhibition admission for SNAP and WIC families showing an EBT card at the ticket counter, for the cardholder and any family or guests with them.
- Hours
- Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Closures
- Exhibitions close on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Easter.
The museum garage is $15 for a full day.
Checked 2026-09-22 · thestoryoftexas.com
Blanton Museum of Art
art museum · 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., on the UT campus
- Kids
- Free for 5 and under. $8 for ages 6 to 17.
- Free day
- Free Tuesdays: admission is free every Tuesday, with free Tuesday tickets on the museum’s site.
- Price
- $15 adults, $12 seniors 65 and up, $8 youth 6 to 17, $8 non-UT college students. UT ID holders and K-12 teachers free.
- Hours
- Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.
- Closures
- The page points to its calendar for special closures.
Checked 2026-09-22 · blantonmuseum.org
The Contemporary Austin (Jones Center and Laguna Gloria)
art museum · Jones Center, 700 Congress Ave.; Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St.
- Kids
- Free for everyone under 18.
- Free day
- Free for everyone on Thursdays at both locations. The Jones Center is also free on Wednesday evenings; the page does not say from what time.
- Price
- $10 adults, $5 seniors, $5 students and educators with ID. A ticket also covers the other location within seven days.
- SNAP, EBT
- Free with an EBT card and a photo ID (Museums for All). Military with ID free.
- Hours
- Jones Center: Wednesday 12 to 9 p.m., Thursday to Sunday 12 to 6 p.m. Laguna Gloria: Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Closures
- New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Advance tickets are encouraged and walk-ups are welcome.
Checked 2026-09-22 · thecontemporaryaustin.org
Austin Nature and Science Center
nature center · 2389 Stratford Dr., on the western edge of Zilker Park
- Kids
- Free.
- Free day
- Free every day it is open.
- Price
- Free for individuals and families visiting the exhibits and the grounds.
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.
- Closures
- unknown
Free parking under MoPac across from the entrance. No pets on site. Free nets and buckets to borrow at the front desk.
Checked 2026-09-22 · austintexas.gov · austintexas.gov
Thinkery
children’s museum · 1830 Simond Ave., in Mueller
- Kids
- $19.95 from age 1. The page prints no price for under 1.
- Free day
- None now. Thinkery ended its pay-what-you-can Family Night on September 29. The lasting discount is for Texas EBT, WIC, Medicaid, and the other listed cards, below.
- Price
- $19.95 general admission, ages 1 and up. Members get in free.
- SNAP, EBT
- $16.95 off general admission for up to six guests with a Texas EBT (Lone Star or SNAP), WIC, STAR, CHIP, Medicaid, or MAP card and a government ID, bought on site.
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.
- Closures
- unknown
Checked 2026-09-22 · thinkeryaustin.org · thinkeryaustin.org · thinkeryaustin.org
9 more places are behind the email: the always-free museums, the university museums with their own free days, the historic houses, and the gardens, with every SNAP and EBT price they print.
Not on this sheet, and why
A museum people look for that is not open right now, with the reason its own page gives.
Elisabet Ney Museum. Closed for renovations since December 30, 2024. Its page expects it to reopen in spring 2027, and admission is free. Some programs on the grounds still run.
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The same kind of sheet, done on the other things a family weekend runs on.