Bullock Museum to host out-of-this-world Spooktacular celebration on October 25

OCTOBER 22, 2019 (AUSTIN, TX) — The Bullock Texas State History Museum, in partnership with Girlstart, will host its annual free, family-friendly Halloween celebration on Friday, October 25 from 5 to 8 pm. Visitors of all ages will enjoy an evening of treats, games, hands-on science and art activities, live music, giveaways, and after-hours Museum exploration. 

"Spooktacular this year is sure to excite the whole family, from space-themed demos that amaze to hands-on activities that will have kids talking all about space exploration,” said Bullock Museum Family Programs Manager Angela Kennedy. "Plan to come early and stay all night to play, dance, and show off your costume." 

In honor of the special exhibitions Cowboys in Space and Fantastic Worlds and Beyond Planet Earth, guests are encouraged to dress in their intergalactic best, be it alien, astronaut or space cowboy. The Austin nonprofit Girlstart will once again partner with the museum to offer out-of-this-world activities that encourage exploration in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

“Our longstanding partner, Girlstart, is kicking it up a notch this year with rocket launches on the plaza and an augmented reality experience to get an up-close look at different Mars rovers," said Kennedy.

Families will also create LED Halloween bracelets and solar system headbands, make ooey gooey slime, and program Ozobot robots. Additionally, Smudge Studios will lend a hand with creating reflective alien headgear, and guests can snap photos in a Say Cheese photo booth. Live entertainment will consist of a Jedi lightsaber experience featuring the costumed lightsaber performance club Saber Guild, as well as a music performance by Austin-based children's entertainer Staci Gray. The first 100 children to arrive will receive a free spooky tote bag for trick-or-treating.

The special exhibition Cowboys in Space and Fantastic Worlds explores more than 150 years of western tropes in science fiction. Visitors can make their own Cowboys in Space comic book covers, listen to space cowboy songs, view film and television clips, and hear the sounds of ray-guns, blasters, and phasers. Beyond Planet Earth, also on view at the Museum, envisions humanity's next steps into our solar system and beyond through life-sized models and interactives. In Beyond Planet Earth, visitors can smell the moon, fly over Mars, touch a meteorite, and more. 

For more information about the Bullock Museum or this year's Spooktacular event, visit TheStoryofTexas.com or call (512)936-8746.

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Spooktacular is presented in partnership with Girlstart, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing girls' interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math through innovative, nationally-recognized informal STEM education programs.

Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with MadaTech: The Israel National Museum of Science, Technology & Space, Haifa, Israel.

Special exhibitions are generously supported by Union Pacific. 

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​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com or call (866)369-7108.

The Bullock Texas State History Museum is a division of the Texas State Preservation Board. Additional support for educational programming provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.