Museum of Natural & Artificial Ephemerata
Museums & Galleries
About
1808 Singleton Ave, Austin, TX 78702, USA Get directions
Tucked into a residential corner of East Austin, the Museum of Natural & Artificial Ephemerata is a cabinet of curiosities in the old sense — a personal collection of oddities, specimens, and hard-to-classify objects shown by appointment with a guide who can tell you the story behind each one. Expect intimate, conversation-driven tours rather than glass cases and wall text, so it rewards visitors who are curious and don't mind asking questions.
More like this
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Austin
Three floors of exhibits trace the "Story of Texas" from its Indigenous peoples through Spanish colonization, revolution, and statehood, with the museum's IMAX screen and the special-effects Texas Spirit Theater rounding out a visit. You'll spot it from down Congress Avenue by the giant bronze Lone Star out front, just a few blocks north of the Capitol.
Thinkery
Austin
Thinkery is Austin's children's museum, set in the Mueller development on the city's east side, where hands-on exhibits invite kids to tinker with light, water, gears, and circuits rather than just look. Plan around the schedule if you can—the museum stays open late on Tuesdays, a quieter window than the weekend crowds.
Blanton Museum of Art
Austin
Blanton Museum of Art, on the University of Texas campus, holds one of the largest university art collections in the country, spanning European paintings, modern and contemporary American work, and a deep collection of Latin American art. The first thing many visitors notice is Ellsworth Kelly's "Austin," a free-standing stone building with luminous colored-glass windows that sits just outside the main galleries.
Get the inside scoop on Austin
Events, new openings, and seasonal guides — straight to your inbox, about once a month.