You can’t miss the Bullock Museum, which tells the the story of Texas on three floors: Just look for the 35 foot tall bronze star out front. Visitors can follow the history of the Lone Star state from 1821 on, through its time as a territory of Spain and then Mexico to its independence as a country, and finally statehood in the U.S. The heart of the current displays is the La Belle, a French ship that was exploring the Gulf of Mexico when it sank in Matagorda Bay in 1686. Its wreckage was discovered in 1995, excavated two years later, and reassembled inside the museum in 2015. Daily screenings take place at the Texas Spirit Theater and the Bullock IMAX, the largest IMAX screen in Texas.
Join the Bullock for extended museum hours to wait out traffic with exhibits, happy hour food and drinks, and a special screening of the doc Deep in the Heart, followed by a Q&A with Ben Masters and the Travis Audubon Society. Thu., Jan. 19, 5-7pm. Free with admission.