Bullock Museum to celebrate namesake's birthday with free public event

JULY 6, 2022 (AUSTIN, TX) — The Bullock Texas State History Museum will celebrate Bob Bullock's 93rd birthday with a free public event this Sunday, July 10 starting at 10 am. The event will honor the Museum's namesake with free exhibition admission, family-friendly activities, and sweet treats.

"We're so excited to offer an opportunity for the community to celebrate Bob Bullock's legacy and the Texans he served," said Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch. "He dreamed the Museum would be the place where people of all ages would engage with our dynamic history while growing in their understanding of what makes us who we are, often noting that to know where we are going we have to know where we've been. On the anniversary of his birth, we welcome everyone to come out, explore, and have some fun."

Robert "Bob" Douglas Bullock, Sr. (1929 - 1999), a native of Hillsboro, Texas, served as the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Texas. In a political career that spanned nearly 40 years, Bullock is credited as being the principal architect of modern Texas government. Bullock championed the preservation and exhibition of Texas history and began discussing the idea of a state history museum while serving as lieutenant governor. Plans were approved and funding was secured from the legislature in 1997, and Bullock was the guest of honor at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum shortly before his death in 1999. Opened in 2001, the Museum honors his vision and shares the stories of Texas with visitors from around the world.

The Bob Bullock Birthday Bash event will feature free exhibition admission from 10 am until 5 pm and includes access to all galleries. In addition to three floors of Texas History Galleries, visitors can explore The Fourth Grade Project, a special exhibition featuring images and personal stories of school children from around the world, and Mental Health: Mind Matters, an exhibition that utilizes immersive experiences to raise awareness and provide a safe space for conversations about mental health.

The celebration also includes interactive activities for all ages until 2 pm. Visitors can create colorful birthday prints, play horseshoes and other Texas-inspired games, and dress up as a cowboy or cowgirl to pose at a photo booth. Free sweet treats will also be available.

During the event, visitors will have the opportunity to try the Bullock Museum's new café, which recently reopened after a two-year hiatus. Located on the second floor, The Star Cafe offers a new menu of fresh options for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

The Bob Bullock Birthday Bash event will take place at the Bullock Museum on Sunday, July 10. Activities and treats are available from 10 am to 2 pm, and exhibition admission is free from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, visit TheStoryofTexas.com.

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The Fourth Grade Project is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance with Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Mental Health: Mind Matters was produced for North America by the Science Museum of Minnesota in collaboration with Heureka: The Finnish Science Centre.

Mental Health: Mind Matters is sponsored by The Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall Fund.

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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 Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.