Austin tours

Museums and culture

A rolling tour up Congress Avenue to the edge of campus. Ride past each museum, hop off at the one you want to explore, and we'll plan the pickup. A good fit for a free afternoon during a conference.

Length
1.5 to 2 hours
Best time
Daytime, any day the museums are open
From
$170 per cab

Book this tour Rider guide

Museums and culture
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 (source)

6 stops on the route

  1. Mexic-Arte Museum
    Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 (source)

    01

    Mexic-Arte Museum

    5th and Congress

    The official Mexican and Mexican American fine art museum of Texas, famous for its Day of the Dead show.

  2. The Contemporary Austin, Jones Center
    Photo: Will Buckner, CC BY 2.0 (source)

    02

    The Contemporary Austin, Jones Center

    7th and Congress

    Downtown's modern art museum, with a rooftop that's part of the art.

  3. Bullock Texas State History Museum
    Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 (source)

    03

    Bullock Texas State History Museum

    MLK and Congress

    The story of Texas under one roof, with a giant bronze star out front and the Capitol's original Goddess of Liberty inside.

  4. Blanton Museum of Art
    Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 (source)

    04

    Blanton Museum of Art

    MLK and Congress

    The biggest art collection in Central Texas, and Ellsworth Kelly's 'Austin,' a chapel of colored light.

  5. Harry Ransom Center
    Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 (source)

    05

    Harry Ransom Center

    21st and Guadalupe

    A library of treasures: a Gutenberg Bible and the world's first photograph.

  6. 06

    LBJ Presidential Library

    Red River Street

    Lyndon Johnson's presidential library, with a replica of his Oval Office.

Good to know

Starts
Mexic-Arte Museum. We can pick you up at your hotel instead.
Finishes
LBJ Presidential Library
Distance
3.5 to 4 miles, plus time at each stop.
Guests
Up to three per cab. Bigger groups ride together in more cabs.
Price
From $170 per cab. See all tour fares, or build a custom tour.

Rider guide

The route, timing and talking points for the rider giving this tour. Guests are welcome to read along. About 60 minutes at stops, plus riding time.

  • Check opening hours and closed days before booking. If guests go inside, agree on a pickup time and spot.
  • Route: Point to point: Mexic-Arte on Congress, the Jones Center, north on Congress to the Bullock and the Blanton, then to the Ransom Center and the LBJ Library on the campus edge.
  • Agree the fare before the ride. Austin requires it, and the fare has to be posted in the cab.
  • Up to three guests per cab, everyone over six in a seat.
  • Don't ride on the Capitol grounds or UT campus roads (state property) or on hike-and-bike trails. Narrate from the street.
  • The Pfluger Bridge and the sidewalks beside the Lady Bird Lake bridges are fine to ride.
  • Weekend nights, 6th Street is barricaded: don't enter without APD permission. Stage at Brazos or Red River.
  • Don't supply alcohol. Guests can drink in the cab, no glass.
  • Ride the route yourself before leading it, and check anything marked 'check' in the talking points.
  1. 1

    Mexic-Arte Museum

    about 10 min

    Where to stop: Drop on Congress. Guests can go in; plan a pickup time.

    • Founded in 1984 by artists, in a historic building on Congress.
    • The Día de los Muertos exhibition and parade every fall are city traditions.
  2. 2

    The Contemporary Austin, Jones Center

    about 10 min

    Where to stop: Rolling narration on Congress, or drop if guests want to go in.

    • A 1920s building reworked into a gallery for contemporary art.
    • Look up at the rooftop installation as you pass.
  3. 3

    Bullock Texas State History Museum

    about 10 min

    Where to stop: Pull to the curb on Congress or MLK, just outside the Capitol complex.

    • Named for Bob Bullock, a famously tough lieutenant governor.
    • The original 1888 zinc Goddess of Liberty from the Capitol dome is displayed inside.
    • There's an IMAX theater too.
  4. 4

    Blanton Museum of Art

    about 10 min

    Where to stop: Drop on MLK. It's next to the Bullock; guests can do both on foot.

    • UT's art museum, with more than 20,000 works.
    • Ellsworth Kelly's Austin is the only building the artist ever designed.
    • The new plaza's white petal canopies are a favorite photo spot. Admission free on Thursdays (check).
  5. 5

    Harry Ransom Center

    about 10 min

    Where to stop: On the campus edge: stay on Guadalupe or 21st.

    • Holds one of the few complete Gutenberg Bibles in the U.S.
    • Also home to the first photograph, taken by Nicéphore Niépce around 1826.
    • Free to visit the galleries.
  6. 6

    LBJ Presidential Library

    about 10 min

    Where to stop: Drop on Red River. Campus interior roads are state property.

    • Opened in 1971 on the UT campus.
    • Has a near full-size replica of the Oval Office as it was in the 1960s.

Ride the Museums and culture tour.

Pick a date and we'll confirm your rider and the price before you ride.

Book this tour

More tours: