I think your money will be better spent elsewhere, between tickets and parking, this is a very expensive outing that doesn’t last more than an hour. The museum is a far cry from other museums. I’ll give credit where it’s due, the taxidermy on the third floor is impressive. The remodel on the second floor has good direction and it feels promising., hopefully that remodel will spread across the rest of the place. It needs a lot of TLC. We were not expecting a Chicago style museum but it was disappointing to see how small the place was . The fourth floor was closed, which made the experience shorter. There’s a lot of signaling missing, no ramps so you need to use the tiny elevators, which are pain. The building was not meant to be a museum. On the positive side, we learned some stuff and it has a lot of potential, but it definitely needs a higher investment of time. I believe there is a profession called museology, it’s not my profession, but if it was, I would rate these museum one out of five. But I’m not, and it’s still serve the purpose of doing something and dinosaurs are still cool. I’ll give it three stars. This is still Texas.
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$11–15

I went to the reopening and unfortunately I can’t comment on the exhibit. I was inside for 40 minutes yet saw nothing. Actually on my way out I was able to see one dinosaur mural and some butterflies, otherwise nothing due to crowds. I have been to this museum before and it was really fantastic. I’m sure it continues to be that way. My review is based on my stressful experience during the grand re opening. I’m sure there are fire laws regarding occupancy and I’m sure they were exceeded. Wall-to-wall people everywhere. The lines were incredibly long for the bathrooms. Multiple kids almost peed in their pants. One woman had to whip out a plastic bag for her daughter to avoid an accident. We decided to leave immediately because it was just too much. We proceeded to go down the stairwell but unfortunately we were on the fourth level and it took a good 15 min to make our way down. It was jam packed with people, primarily frustrated parents and screaming kids.. If there was any sort of panic people could have been seriously harmed. My message to the management is to do better moving forward. This was not an acceptable experience. I hope to return and I’m sure the exhibit will be amazing.

While it felt small, there's a lot here to explore. The main floor contains with most of the educational items with touch screen displays and interactive content, and the main lobby holds a massive queztlcoatlus fossil suspended from the ceiling along with a large Tyrannosaurus rex. The lower floor contains most of the fossils - because of course it does. The third floor is taxidermied local Texas wifelife, everything from butterflies and snakes, to coyote and buffalo. The 4th floor is expected to open next spring (2024). I spent a good two hours with my kids, doing my best to provide context, content and history about most things, but there's only so much I can remember. :) My kids really seemed to enjoy themselves, and the "snow" outside was a nice treat! $10 adults, $6 kids over 5. Spare some coin for the gift shop.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Don't listen to those dumb enough to complain about there being a lot of people at the grand opening — it's Austin, of course there are going to be a lot of people! The management did a great job with what a smaller, 100 year old building could provide. The museum itself is lovely and has great exhibits. The staff are very helpful, and you can tell how much love and hard work they've poured into the museum. They've made sure the gift shop is stocked with the cutest jewelry, stuffed animals, tote bags, and other souvenirs. They had wonderful food, activities, and music at the opening, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the museum does in the future.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait

I had no idea Austin had a museum. We went for the grand reopening. Yes, it was crowded but we expected that. I wouldn’t think it’s like that everyday. I have a 13 year old grandson who is still very interested in dinosaurs so he was very engaged in the exhibits. My 6 year old granddaughter was bored until we got to the 3rd floor where the native Texas animals are. I recommend taking a child that is at least five years old and older. Anyone under that will not be interested. The gift shop is great. Lots of items at great prices.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Loved it. So much and so little! We have young toddlers and this to us 2 goes to complete... Which, in my opinion, is perfect for young kids.it's not over whelming and just pleasantly spaced and displayed Tip for new parents: the entrance Hall is full of gems and rocks/stones, my kids couldn't see some of it and were disinterested so I took out my.phone and used it like a magnifying glass to talk about colors and texture while in and out (check pics). Took us 20 mins just to get thru the first room! And we also circled around the paleontology gallery three times, noticing something new every time.

Took my five and seven year old kids. My youngest loves dinosaurs. The floor you enter on has some cool gems and such. The downstairs has a small exhibit of fossils. Many are locally discovered which is fascinating. Third floor wasn't much at all. We were in and out in an hour. After paying for parking and entrance fee, it felt a bit pricey for the limited experience. Not sure this is worth a return visit for the costs ($30 for a family of four) and overall experience.
Visited on
Public holiday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

I recommend visiting. This is a smaller museum, and it'll take about an hour to get through. Parking in the San Jacinto lot is convenient, and it'll cost about $3-6. My mother would bring me here when I was a kid in the late 80s. I have fond memories. Some of the same exhibits on the 1st floor were there 30-40 years ago. They are in the process of updating exhibits, which may mean some floors will be unavailable (as the 4th floor was on our visit).
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

Tried to visit on 12/2/2023. Not very customer service oriented. We moved here from California and purchased a bullock museum membership that is supposed to be NARM affiliated. Bullock staff told us to use this pass at the science museum. Only 2 young ladies working. The gift shop person Said she was in charge and there is nobody higher than her. She told us no for NARM. so we decided this place will not get our business. She wouldn't even stamp our parking ticket. Go somewhere that desires your business.

Nice place it has 6 floors a nice variety of fossils & minerals. It's a great place to be with your family to see fossils minerals and even dissected animals. The stairs can be a little bit of a work out too if you are not used to walking much. The second floor is where the main entrance is and the first floor is underground. They have a nice little shop which to be honest have ripoff prices because I'm not about to spend $15 dollars for a little rock. Overall it was a good experience.

Our first time here and our 3 year old son really enjoyed it as did my husband and I. I see some complaints about how it used to be free but they charge now, the building is old and is only getting older and upkeep and salary (i.e. security guard and gift shop) is not as cheap as it used to be back in the day either. It was a well $19 spent for our little family. We were there for about an hour and a half.

The grand historic building is beautiful and the dinosaurs are always a huge hit with kids of all ages. The museum was the pride of the University of Texas campus when it was completed during the Depression, in part with nickels and dimes raised by students and faculty. But it was recently defunded by the Legislature casting its future in doubt. Go see this jewel while we are lucky enough to still have it!

Pretty nice. They were moving some things around when I went but there's was plenty to look at. Great for kids especially the gift shop. 3 floors. Gender neutral bathroom at top. Scary elevator but available stairs. Nice area with a good taco place nearby as well as a nice park. Definitely will visit again.
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
$6–10

Awesome museum as a kid. Was really hyped for the re-grand opening, but didn't see any new exhibits, same old cases with old exhibits, dilapidated floors , elevators and signage. If you are excited to go here wait another 3 years and maybe it will be cool. Extremely disappointed
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
Free

This museum is not accessible at all. It was a huge pain to visit with kids in a stroller. There was no signage out front about the 1st floor accessible entrance so I had to haul a huge stroller up a big staircase. Would not recommend for those using a wheelchair or stroller.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

We loved this museum but we did not like the parking garage that tried to keep us in the parking garage. The museum was one of the best I have been to and so affordable. Everyone in our group had a great time and found so many interesting things to look at. We plan on visiting again one day. I would recommend it to other people but tell them to watch out for the the parking garage next to it.

Great state natural history museum accessible for all ages. The main entrance is the second floor which is a nice geologic exhibit that has an amazing skeleton of a Pterasaur dangling from the ceiling. The first floor (basement level) has a beautiful assortment of prehistoric skeletons that showcase life found in Texas before recorded history. It's a great museum for everyone.

A great little museum right on the University of Texas campus. It's within walking distance of several other great landmarks and it has a great collection of Texas historical artifacts. It's just enough to satiate your interests but not enough that you need to spend an entire day to see it all. As a Texas enthusiast I've visited multiple times and always enjoy the exhibits.

A pretty small museum but still a fun place to visit at least once! It is free for UT students (with ID) and only about $3 for other visitors, the dinosaur room is pretty great. The entrance room also has a large collection of gemstones that is pretty amazing to look through. It's not the largest or most impressive museum I've seen but it made for a fun Saturday afternoon.

This place was a pleasant surprise! While it's small and maybe an hour and a half visit, it was definitely worth the trip. Parking is a pain though as you have to use the garage parking next door as street parking is all reserved for the school, but if you're in the area and want something to do it's definitely worth it. No fee to get in but donations are recommended.

Your good old school natural history museum; still displays animal specimens preserved in formalin jars. While that gives it an intimate feeling, the museum does need more funding to modernize its interiors. That said, they get their job done by showing Texas wildlife dioramas, fossils, gems & minerals etc., and they also have special exhibitions and an audio guide.

This museum was small but impressive. The exhibits are well laid out and my kids had a great time exploring. The gift shop has beautiful things for adults and plenty of books and toys for the kids. They are astc members so admission is included if you have an affiliate membership.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Loved this museum at U Texas Austin. The exhibitions’ set up is old but it contains quite a lot of information, especially on prehistoric Texas (but not exclusively limited to Texas), local flora and fauna, and geology. Great collection of gems on display. Friendly staff, cheap access ticket. Parking is at the garage next door - park there and walk to the museum.

A few of the items on display are looking rough from people touching them but ive always loved this museum ever since I was a child coming here with my parents! Its a great place to take the family or go spend the day learning. I really liked the cell phone tour option where you call a number to listen to a recorded message about the exhibits you are looking at

This is a small museum. Good for young kids to walk around and see up close fossils and exhibits. Took just over hour to go to the three levels available. One elevator to use for strollers. My kids love dinosaurs so it was a hit!!!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

Great place to teach kids about natural history. The kids I was with loved it and I learned some things about Texas's diverse biological history going back 600 million years. It was also nice that they had a Texas wildlife exhibit that included examples of various kinds of snakes. Very useful for teaching them which snakes to be very wary of.

Great museum and really fair price as well! Kept my 4 year old engaged the whole time. There was also an extremely nice man working on the first floor who answered my sons endless questions about the bones who I really appreciated being so kind. Wasn’t too crowded on a Friday afternoon. Would definitely recommend to families in the area!

It was fabulous and educational! Loved the Texas wildlife history.. things I didn't know and bugs I always wondered what they were! It was very crowded with people.. the gift shop was nice and so were the dinosaurs!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

One of the more underrated gems in Austin's weak museum scene. Not the largest museum out there, but they have a great collection of fossils, minerals and Texas wildlife exhibits on display, as well as opportunities to interact with scientists in those areas. Good place to pass an hour or two with the kids, especially for the price.

They have ramps but they are not handicap friendly at all. I had surgery and was unable to walk the museum with my kids. They told me I couldn't sit in the lobby... Cool on a hot summer day... Unless I paid. Because the lobby area had things to look at. Even though I was sitting on a bench not looking at anything. We won't go back.

I love this place. When I used to work on UT campus, I would often spend my lunch break here. Free admission is a staff benefit and this place is full of really cool stuff. I especially like the WPA building, the flying pterodactyl skeleton, the giant topaz, the enormous dragonfly fossil and the dire wolf skeleton in the basement.

I was fortunate enough to have an early peek at the museum pre-grand opening. September 23 is the official grand opening I highly recommend visiting to any, and all who appreciate nature, dinosaurs, and cellular things. Looking forward to getting to taking some time to more intensely evaluate the exhibits.

This was our first time going here and we had a blast. My daughter loves dinosaurs, so she was super excited to see the mosasaurs fossil. Everything was so clean and very detail oriented. I encourage everyone to go visit this museum. The only thing I didn’t like was there’s only one entrance if you have a stroller.

Cool little museum. It has 4 rooms and a couple hallways of displays. If you're like my kids you won't spend more than 45 minutes here. Still neat to see and recommend if you're on campus already.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

Changing from 3 to 5 starts, assuming the experience in the other floors will be great, like at the entrance floor. I was a bit disappointed when I found nothing was done on the other floors.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
30–60 min
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Came here only for the footprints. They aren’t even on display and doubt they ever will be again:/ literal dinosaur footprints in texas should be on display instead of their fake taxidermied animals IMO. Remodel is good, but what about exhibit priorities.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait

Visiting this museum was an absolute blast! The exhibits were thoughtfully constructed and presented the natural history of Texas in an engaging format suited for visitors of all ages. The entrance fee was remarkably low and the staff friendly. Also, it was refreshing to see evolution talked of as a fact.

Wonderful natural history museum. Spent about an hour and a half to see it all but I found the exhibits and displays to be very informative. I do recommend trying out the audio tours. They had fun facts! Museum has gems, fossils, meteorites, and a couple of exhibits about the wildlife in Texas.

A well maintained museum that narrates the story of evolution. A recommended visit if you live in Austin, not a must visit if you are just visiting Austin for a short haul.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

Great variety of fossils and minerals on display, huge variety of dinosaurs and ancient reptiles. Lots of local wildlife on display as well. We were disappointed that the dinosaur tracks were not on display but it's hard to take away from the rest of this fantastic museum. Great for kids.

Austin needs to step up their game. This museum on the UT campus is the only one in the entire city. It's very small. It took my family of 5 less than an hour to tour...But, it was very impressive as to the number of specimens found in the State of Texas, including a giant ground sloth.

Great spot for all ages! Their exhibits are well explained. The dinosaurs from Austin, Big Bend and around texas are amazing. This is an inspiring spot for kids who are interested in fossils, paleontology, geology and the natural world. There are even large fossils from around Austin!

What an Awesome place!! The humongous Pterodactyl hanging from the ceiling has got to be my favorite!?!? There are so many cool fossils to choose from My kids were in amazement and very eager to learn!! Our second stop was the library, they both wanted a book on dinosaurs!

Probably a starting point for kids who have never been to a science and natural history museum before. It gets a bit crowded and chaotic on weekends esp when entry is free.
Visited on
Weekend
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
Free

It's very small but worth the trip if your close by. I would encourage you to see it, but don't go out of your way for it. Staff was a young snooty girl at the main desk, but helpful nevertheless. Trex was impressive, but the pterodactyl on the ceiling was amazing.

I used to come here as a kid. Now we’re bringing our kids. Same old displays for the most part but it’s just so relaxing. The walk through campus just adds to the tranquility.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Spur of the moment to go here, and my family and out of town guests were not disappointed. Start on the first floor and work your way up.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$6–10

When my son was little this was his favorite place and we visited many times. It was such fun to return with my grandsons! The museum is well taken care of and has updated several of their exhibits. It is well worth the price of admission and parking.

While they were still renovating when we went, I thought it was still a wonderful museum. Their fossils were excellent!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

Great natural sciences museum! It’s not too big, but with the four floors of biological and geological collections, paintings, some interactive exhibits, and the beautiful outdoors on UT Campus, your family will surely have a great time!

This is a great, easy, family friendly putting in Austin. Plenty of parking, easy access, affordable, friendly staff and interesting exhibits. Also good for a quick excursion as you can explore all 4 floors in under an hour if you want.

The new dinosaur exhibit is fantastic! We took the whole family and the little ones loved it. A really great way to spend an afternoon.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

There are four floors of exhibits. Very informative and interesting to read about time periods and history. The gift shop isn’t expensive and my son loves the mood ring. It’s a nice souvenir to remember the experience.

I took my three girls 15,11, and 8 for a visit here. We all enjoyed the exhibits very much and all my girls had fun and I was happy to sneak in some indoor learning on a hot summer day. We spent about 1.5 hours here.

The remodel of the museum was a great hit with my grandsons, especially with the pullout displays of fossils vs current shells!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

This place rules! OMG, if you love geology, history and just science in general, you will love this place! Gift shop is very reasonable too! Beautiful old building which reeks of awesomeness....love this place!

I really enjoyed all the exhibits. There is a lot to look at and it's a fun learning experience. The cool phone feature allows you to dial in and hear more about an exhibit. I will definitely visit again!

Small museum with nice collection on geology and paleontology. The kids loved the fossils. Audio guides on selected displays provided an interactive way for the kids to get interesting facts on the topic.

A great kid friendly museum with a ton of natural history exhibits, my 3 year old always begs to go back to the dinosaur building now. Parking is easy with a garage next door especially for on campus.

Love this museum. It is small so perfect for taking small children or lots of children. They have cool dinosaur phones and one of the floor has a lots of specimens in bottles. Kids love the gift shop.

Fun place to explore. 4 floors of things too see. Price is decent and good for kids. Easy to navigate and will keep them interested but not too much stuff where they will be bored half way through

It was a lot of fun coming here. The exhibits mainly rotated around prehistoric times and fossils. Would've enjoyed a bit more variety but its a good place to just explore if you're in the area

Still undergoing renovation. Has some good exhibits. A small museum. A nice way to spend a few hours.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Was able to show the gkids a great field trip for home schooling at their own pace. Which is as absorbent as a dry sponge soaking up every bit of water next to the ocean. They loved it.

Can't wait for the grand reopening! These shots are from the preview for Austin Museum Day
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

It hasn't changed since I was a kid. A lot of the same stuff. It's interesting to just look around, not a lot of interactive stuff but it's okay if you want to kill time.

Small museum, but very nice and quiet. Kids were seldom interested, but not a bad thing, not all museums are for kids. The pterodactyl display in the main hall is great!

Great staff, very helpful. Great use of space and concept from when I worked there 50+ years ago.
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

Interesting rocks and fossils. Nice display of Texas wildlife. Cool that many fossils were found locally. Small, a couple hours is plenty for most visitors.

This is a great museum across from UT. Great place to bring the kids and get some knowledge. I've been here 3 times because it is just a cool place.

Love the renovations! Gift shop is very reasonably priced and the staff are wonderful become a member and they’ll validate your parking too …

Awesome museum with great exhibits. Loved all the articulated ones especially. I would to go back sometime. There is so much to see and learn.

Very kid friendly and a wonderful display of items.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

Underwhelming. One small floor backed by a major marketing campaign plus one closed floor and two floors of 60-year-old taxidermy dioramas.

Nice small-scale museum with a diverse collection. Each of the galleries are small, but fun to look at. Nice mix of fossils and geology.

Can’t wait to see what else they do with the place
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Nice small collection. Free for UT people!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Had a blast it was myself along with a few Teachers and 15 Kindergartens the smiles on their faces , the history they love it.

Lots of exhibits to see. My 2 and 4 year old had fun seeing everything. Went in at 2pm on a Saturday and it was not crowded.

Very fun museum! Fun dino exhibit!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Getting tickets online was a little confusing but overall friendly people and a good experience museum wise.

Much of it was closed, not alot of explanation of what you are looking at, Many exhibits closed

Sneak peek was awesome. Really excited that this museum is opening soon. Wonderful exhibits!

Great little museum, especially for the price. Kiddo and both of us adults enjoyed it.

Excellent place to learn something about the beginning of the life in this planet.

The wildlife/dinosaur exhibit was perfect for my 9 year old daughter and I!

Every UT student needs to visit, simply because the dinosaurs are so cool.

Most exhibits were closed and it was pretty small but people were nice!

Never been there in Austin just Houston.
Visited on
Weekend

Impressive building and collection of dinosaurs' bones.