Texas Memorial Museum

Activity Overview

The Texas Memorial Museum is a science and natural history museum located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. It is most famous for its fascinating fossil collections, which include various dinosaur skeletons. The museum has an impressive collection of over 5 million specimens related to Texas wildlife, as well as evolution, rocks and minerals, and prehistoric life.

Families love visiting the Texas Memorial Museum with their kids due to the wide variety of things you can see and do, from learning about dinosaurs to visiting the Paleo Lab, where paleontologists answer questions while working with fossils.

Things to Do

• Explore the collections - highlights include a 30-foot aquatic reptile known as the Onion Creek Mosasaur and the Texas Pterosaur, which is the largest flying creature ever discovered!
• Don't miss the outdoor exhibits, including preserved dinosaur tracks, a saber-toothed cat statue, and an outdoor classroom that's the perfect spot for a picnic in the sun.
• Stop by the Paleo Lab in the Hall of Geology and Paleontology - this is where the museum's fossils are studied and prepared to be put on display. Visitors are welcome to ask the paleontologists questions about their fascinating job while watching them work.

Texas Memorial Museum Insider Tips

• Visit their Events page to learn about upcoming events such as Texas Wildlife Day, when museum admission is free and features numerous family-friendly activities related to the many creatures that call Texas home.
• Make sure you visit the Hall of Texas Wildlife, which is full of beautiful dioramas that feature Texas birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that will fascinate children and adults alike.
• Check out the Museum Store before you head home - it's full of fun dinosaur-themed gifts, toys, shirts, and books, as well as other educational products for kids.