One of the advantages of homeschooling is that you can go on field trips whenever you want and have far more options on where you can go. What follows is a list Austin Area Field Trip destinations, all of these should be within a 2 hour drive of San Antonio.
The Texas Capitol
The State Capitol building in Austin is open to the public for self-guided tours during business hours. There are docents available to answer questions about the Capitol and the Visitors Center, and if the legislature is in session your can watch both the State House and Senate from the galleries. They also have lesson plans for K-8 available on their website.
Bob Bullock Museum of Texas History
The Bullock Museum is the largest museum of Texas history in the state. It has great exhibits on the history of Texas from the first Spanish settlements up to the modern-day. It also has an IMAX® Theatre which shows all of the latest blockbusters. They also have resources on their website for teachers planning a visit to the museum.
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library
The LBJ Presidential Library is one of thirteen Presidential Libraries around the country. In addition to the million pages of historical documents from Johnson’s career, it also has a number of interactive exhibits which cover the important events of Johnson’s presidency. The site also has a number of activities and worksheets that teachers can use as part of their visits.
Texas Governor’s Mansion
It is possible to schedule a 20 minute tour of the Governor’s Mansion. Reservations must be made at least one week in advance and no walk-up tours are available.
Texas Military Forces Museum
The Texas Military Forces Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m. It has exhibits teaching about the action of Texans in the military over the past 200 years.
The National Museum of the Pacific War
The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, is a great resource for learning about the Pacific Theater of World War II. The museum has extensive exhibits covering the causes, the course, and the aftermath of WWII in the Pacific. In addition, they have Living history exhibits on the weekend in which they try to reconstruct what the war would have been like. The also have TEKS-BASED Lesson Plans on their website for use before and during your visit.
The Texas Memorial Museum
The Texas Memorial Museum is a museum of natural history and science. Its exhibits focus on dinosaurs and fossils, Texas wildlife, gems and minerals, and a working Paleontology Lab where visitors can interact with scientists as they prepare fossil finds. Useful lesson plans and teaching materials for your visit can be found on their website.
The Blanton Museum of Art
The Blanton Museum of Art is an art Museum at which you can schedule guide tours of their galleries. They also provide resources for teachers to help plan their visit.
The Center for Mexican-American Culture and Arts
The Center is dedicated to the preservation, creation, presentation, and promotion of Mexican American cultural arts and heritage. It houses two galleries, featuring local, regional, and national Latino/a artists. Admission is free and tours available by request.
The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center
The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is dedicated to the collection of African-American historical and cultural material. The museum has 4 galleries of material.
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site offers tours of the complex, including the Sauer-Beckmann farm with its smokehouse, Victorian style house, garden, and log house which last about an hour. Among the sites at the Ranch are: the one-room Junction School first attended by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1912, the reconstructed birthplace and nearby Johnson family cemetery where the former President is buried, and the Texas White House.
