The holidays are a great time to take family and visitors to our State Capitol building. Public tours will be hosted this month until December 23, Monday through Friday at either 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. After the tour, be sure to stop by the Texas Capitol Gift Shop for this year’s Capitol ornament.
Make plans to visit the Bullock Museum this December for a variety of holiday and family-friendly events. Enjoy screenings of popular movies at the IMAX or be amazed at a massive life-sized model of a T-rex dinosaur at the exhibit T. rex: The Ultimate Predator. If lounging at home is on your to-do-list this month, check out the museum’s virtual artifact gallery or discover more about Texas history through online Campfire stories and other resources.
Founded in 1963, the Blanton Museum of Art holds the largest public collection in Central Texas with more than 21,000 objects, many of which are available to view and browse online. The better experience is to wander through the galleries and gaze at the beauty of the pieces in person. Make plans to see this current exhibit: Contemporary Project 15: Betsabeé Romero, Saturday, June 14, 2025 – Sunday, January 4, 2026. This internationally acclaimed artist brings the bright colors and symbols of Mesoamerican Indigenous cultures to the walls of the Blanton in a stunning multidimensional display.
Presenting: Lara Stones and the lost Relics of St. Nick – Showing through December 21, 2025.
Bring the whole family to this heartwarming holiday comedy, as Dr. Lara Stone outsmarts sinister agents plotting to steal the magic of Santa Claus. For more show details and tickets visit: Austin Scottish Rite Theater – Austin’s oldest and dearest theater
Looking for something to do with your holiday visitors? Consider taking a self-guide tour of the 11-acre Waterloo Park at East 15th Street and Trinity Street. This is not just an attractive urban park with trails and interesting bridges; it is a gateway to Austin’s history and the remarkable ecological restoration story of Waller Creek that runs from north of University of Texas to Lady Bird Lake. Learn more at: Waterloo Park Self-Guided Tour – Waterloo Greenway Conservancy
Located at 1601 N Congress in the Barbara Jordan building facing the Capitol Mall, the café’s serving hours are usually weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The café will be closed for the holidays on Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) through Friday, December 26, 2025. The New Year’s week schedule will be similar, with the café closed on December 31st and New Year’s Day. Check the cafe’s social media pages for more details. Chuck Wagon Cafe
