Great hall at Texas Military Forces Museum
The military knows something about keeping secrets. The Texas Military Forces Museum, however, shouldn’t be one of them.
Imagine a world class museum in the heart of Austin that is not only accessible to the general public, but free.
That’s right. Free.
Texas Military Forces Museum Will Surprise You
So why haven’t most Austinites visited the best kept secret in Austin, the Texas Military Forces Museum?
Perhaps it’s because the museum doesn’t have much of an advertising budget. More likely it’s because the museum is located within the confines of Camp Mabry.
Most people think they can’t get onto Camp Mabry if they don’t have a military ID. Let us break that myth right now. Access the guard shack from 35th St., show your driver’s license, ask for directions to the Texas Military Forces Museum and you’re on your way. It’s that simple.
Plan to spend a few hours on site, though. This museum is huge.
Texas Military Forces Museum boasts 45,000 square feet of air conditioned space, and artifacts so historically important and unique that they should arguably be kept in the Smithsonian.
The actual dress cap of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel
For example, the dress hat of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, one of Adolf Hitler’s top men, is displayed. Or how about a large section of the Berlin Wall that was given to the Texas Army National Guard? How about an F-16 cockpit that you can actually get inside, or a full size, non-replica Sherman tank?
A lifesize F16 cockpit at the Texas Military Forces Museum
The Texas Military Forces Museum has all of this and much more.
Each and every gallery will fascinate, mesmerize and cause you to reflect on the rich history of our nation, and the role of Texans in service from 1823 to present day.
The museum has a knowledgeable and friendly staff that is passionate about the exhibits within the museum. They will gladly escort you through some of the most interesting sections if you ask.
Amazing and informative exhibits are added regularly and the visitor count at the Texas Military Forces Museum has more than doubled since the museum was renovated in 2009.
Visitor count at the Texas Military Forces Museum has more than doubled since 2009 renovations
They are closed on Mondays, but open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM . Click here to learn more about the Texas Military Forces Museum on their official website.
Bottom Line on Texas Military Forces Museum
Without hesitation, we highly recommend this museum. There’s never a charge; you’ll see some of the most interesting artifacts from 1823 to present; and the staff is truly friendly and eager to share their knowledge of the exhibits.
We hope that friends of the Austinot will share this article via their various social networks. The Texas Military Forces Museum does not have a huge advertising budget and we really want to help them get the word out. So please do your part by sharing this article from your website or on Facebook, Twitter and the like.
All the best to the fine folks at the Texas Military Forces Museum. We salute you and thank you for your hard work, enthusiasm and dedication to duty.
@EricHighland asks:
Have you or a family member served in the military? If so who was it and what branch of the military?
- The End of The Austinist - April 15, 2014
- The Goodnight in Austin Refines Playground for Adults - October 16, 2013
- Capstone Comics: Treasure Trove of Comic Books in Austin - September 24, 2013
I’ve
lived 20 years within five miles of it, passed by there a million
times, and had no clue it was there! They need a PR person. LOL
We agree, unfortunately they don’t have much of an advertising budget to speak of. They rely on fundraisers like Dogtags and Dice to keep them doing what they do. But I’ll tell you @facebook-1578342294:disqus this is quite a museum, I mean it is really something special and I’m glad we went out. We HIGHLY recommend.
This looks great. I will keep it on the list of things to do on the weekends!
@facebook-1111892963:disqus you will absolutely not be disappointed. This place is just really cool. It’s great for a field trip, moms day out, college student meetup.. whatever.. it’s just cool. The items they have on display here will blow you away.. well not literally.. but they could. hehe.
In answer to my own question and so my readers know. I served 20 years in the United States Coast Guard active duty. Retired as a Chief Petty Officer in 2010. I salute any other military service members who visit this page, even if they don’t comment with their service. Semper Paratus (Always Ready)
Driven by a trillion times, know they have a museum, have never taken the initiative to go… maybe we will this weekend! THANKS!!
This is my favorite museum in Austin. Their reenactments are fantastic and the amount of artifacts they have is simply incredible. I can’t believe its free to the public. Close Assault 1944 is always fun, but you really need to go during Muster Day- best time to see their reenactments. Support our troops and thank our veterans.
@AustinHomesforSale:disqus yes.. definitely love this museum… can’t believe it isn’t just packed daily. There is so much to see here.. and it’s FREE. Thanks for the comment Andrew!