The Texas State History Museum is more than an IMAX spot

Yesterday we were going to spend the day at Lake Georgetown but the intermittent thunderstorm canceled it so instead we went to The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

For those of my friends who don’t live in Texas, Bob Bullock was the last Democrat Lt. Governor back in the Nineties and probably deserves more of the credit for Bush’s “successful” first term as governor. The position is more powerful than in most states because the Lt. Governor has a bigger say in the legislature’s agenda, etc. Now with the little historical-political lesson out of the way, back to the visit.

The museum opened over six years ago but neither of us had really seen it. I live around Austin so I probably take it for granted like residents of St. Louis do with the Gateway Arch. Somara had been wanting to see it for some time and I decided Monday is a great day to take in a museum because everyone else is at work. I was only partially correct. There were hordes of middle-school-aged children running around for a massive field trip. Probably an end-of-the-year thing. We didn’t let them ruin our fun.

The museum is really colorful, informative and enticing through all its short movies, interactive displays and hands-on kiosks. Some sordid details about Texas history are glossed over, mainly in the Civil War period and the little coverage on Texas before the Spanish arrived. The layout is what really sells it. The three floors and pathways guide the visitors through a chronological tour starting from the Spanish expeditions to the first moon landing. Events and people from more contemporary times (the Seventies on) are shown and mentioned, just nothing massive on display as an AT-6 fighter or the original statue on top of the state capital.

Will children enjoy it? I think so. The army of tweeners running around when we were there wasn’t a good gauge because children in large groups have other things on their minds, especially when school is ending in a couple weeks. However, I will have to see how it proceeds with the nephews and nieces. As for the adults? I think even my friends who have a mild disdain for history will find it a half day well spent. The admission is certainly cheaper and easier to digest than a James Michener novel.

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