Texas Museum of Science & Technology

Had a great time with the family. We were able to see all the exhibits and three shows in three hours. The shows are in their planetarium and were great. We really enjoyed them. Two were prerecorded and one as live. The museum is small but was a great experience. I'd recommend it to those with an interest in science and technology.

It was just ok.....I wish there were more things here to see. Thought my sister who is 11 would enjoy this place. But it was kind of a let down. Thank God I had a Groupon, otherwise I would be more upset. She somewhat enjoyed herself, but she wished it was bigger than what it is. Took less than 20 minutes to walk the entire place.

There was a planetarium room which was ok, so basically you are in a dome. There are reclining chairs that your laying in and looking at the "sky". This one was over the planets, I went to the 3:00pm showing. I guess there are different lectures depending on the time. It was so hot in there, over crowded with it enough room for everyone. It was very hard to hear him, he didn't use a mic, and there were little kids crying the whole time.

It was kind of boring to the point where I fell asleep lol. I really think they need to consider leaving the "technology" part out of the museum title. Because there was nothing even related to the title. The only good thing was that the staff were really nice. But overall, not worth the price, boring, and not enough exhibits on display.

Visited once recently. Spent a couple hours there with my family.

It's a nice start up museum convenient to 1431 & Parmer. Tickets were reasonable. We were there for a couple of hours. Most exhibits were hands on dealing with light, sound, space, and natural history. The planetary dome is pretty neat!

Part of my 'only' three star rating is that it is quite hard to hear the program the planetarium (and several exhibits) because of the noisy exhibit hall. It would help a LOT if the person selling the museum admission tickets expressly explained a need for quiet in the cavernous space that is the museum. Most people would choose to whisper if this were explained and signage was used. Instead it was rather loud. For the record here- I love a good noisy sports event and adore kids but this is a quiet educational kind of place and the kids (and adults) would get a lot more out of it with hushed tones!

There are snacks available in the entry hall.

Warning! Note that it's mainly nuts and peanuts for sale. Also there are a few tables and chairs in that area- I would say someone needs to talk with whoever is really in charge about the nuts and remove them for some safer alternative because clearly no one is staffing the cafe area! The restrooms/hand washing station is not in the immediate area, and no one was cleaning up. The tables were dirty and included a centerpiece intended to touch/play with. Add that these are mostly hands-on exhibits and you have a real peanut/tree nut cross contact problem! There was a daycare visiting while we were there as well. Mix that with no hand washing, no over site, and nuts - not a good situation!

Also, as in so many places, there were families not supervising small children and that was a shame. Most were fine but you know there's always that one unruly entitled tot- cutting, grabbing, interjecting, mouthy.... so ya know be aware. This place is not a playground! (Again read my other posts- I get it, but this just isn't the place!)

There was one other little thing- the stuffed "Ebola" toy for sale in the shop. I mean, who wouldn't want that right? I'll post a pic.

So overall they are working to make this a very cool place but clearly that will take time, donations, and constructive suggestions! This is a very positive place for the community! So go visit and help make it even better!

From the outside this place looks like an old warehouse. When you walk in it looks like an old warehouse with some artificial turf. They have a really cool rock and gem display at the main entrance. When we were there that was pretty much it. They have a cafe area but it wasn't open. This museum is young and is in the making. Right now they are hosting the traveling exhibit by Gunther von Hagen: Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life.

This is a must see exhibit for the entire family. So educational. To show respect for the people that donated their bodies for this, pictures are not allowed. Parents please give your kids a quick anatomy lesson before going. When we went there was a couple of teenage girls that couldn't stop giggling at the penises. I found this to be rude and disrespectful.

The museum did a great job with the display. We really enjoyed ourselves minus the giggling teens who were eventually asked to leave. You can do an audio tour if you want, but, we enjoyed self-pacing and just studying without the audio. The exhibit takes you from embryo to old and kyphotic. It is amazing. Military discounts available.

The Texas Museum of Science & Technology opened their doors yesterday. When you first walk inside there is evidence that this new museum was a former soccer/sport center but once you enter the exhibit area you will soon forget. Besides a small collection of nicely displayed rocks and minerals at the entrance they are serving as an exhibit only. But this will change! Eventually the museum will grow and will include a domed planetarium. Besides the exhibit the space is very open. From the entrance you can see the museum store, cafe and movie viewing area.

The cafe tables were dressed with beautiful bouquets. The menu notably has several healthy options, vegetarian offerings, organic snacks and some indulgent desserts. They serve Austin's own Dulce Neve gelato cookie sandwiches which is worth the trip alone! I need to inquire if they allow access to the cafe without visiting the exhibit. I would definitely return just for the gelato and juice offerings.

Currently admission is $21 for adults, $18 for seniors/military/student with ID, $16 from the ages of 6-17 and children under 6 are free. For the current exhibit they offer an audio guided device for $4 for adults and $3 for children. Through fall of 2015 the Body Worlds & the Cycle of Life exhibit. The exhibit itself is amazing. It was intriguing and educational on many levels. The museum did a wonderful job with the layout/display and I hope their future exhibits are all of this caliber.

I love planetariums and observatories so I am so looking forward to the planetarium to open later this year! I also look forward to what exhibits they will get in the future.

Tip: If the museum is a trek for you and you enjoy craft beer and coffee, make sure the check out Red Horn Coffee House & Brewing Company just down the street.

The process of plastination of dead humans, in itself is quite fascinating. In this exhibit, Body Worlds, you are seeing who you are from the inside out. The first thing you will do is watch an introductory film on how the body's were preserved and dissected after death. If you have a weak stomach, or seeing blood is not your thing, I recommend to avoid this. However, if you love to see how the body works, then you will love this. You can see every detail of a healthy body, to an unhealthy body, and it may just change how you live your life after seeing the decay. They take you from the fetal start of birth... And end you with the hope that you leave past 100. It's truly the ultimate anatomy class. I brought my 8 year old who seemed to be pretty engaged the entire time.

The prices seem steep for a 45 min walk through, but I have seen people present Groupons when walking in, and you can volunteer as well.

Sharing what I emailed the museum:

I wanted to write to express my EXTREME disappointment in our experience today. First, there's nothing wrong with the tiny exhibits on display aside from the fact that there was not anything that would be considered "technology" aside from a closed area that we could see contained 3D printers. Otherwise, we enjoyed seeing the exhibits. However, they were VERY small and covered very limited topics. Your website made it seem like there would be much more to see. I felt totally ripped off.

Aside from that, I decided I would check out the planetarium with the kids since they were not too thrilled with the rest of the place. The presenter was TERRIBLE. He talked so much that he hardly took a breath. He went on long tangents and was hard to follow. I was told that this was supposedly the kid friendly show, but it was extremely in depth and used vocabulary unfamiliar to children. In addition, his enunciation was poor. Also, he over used the laser pointer and kept turning the solar system and saying "Sorry, if this makes you dizzy." Yes, it did. We had to leave before the presentation was over; we couldn't take all the innane rambling, excessive laser pointing and "technical difficulties."

The whole thing was extremely unprofessional. I liken it to a science fair, but I'm assuming that 6th graders would have better technical skills and people skills.

In the end, we dropped $42 for a 30 minute walk through a few exhibits and 15 minutes of torture in the planetarium. I felt stupid for staying that long, but I was trying to get my money's worth.

I talked to the staff about my experience & they agreed that it's overpriced and that the museum is mediocre, at best. Sadly, they couldn't even sell me on the value of paying for a membership.

I understand that you're trying to raise money to expand your facility, but how will that happen if people like me don't see the value in what you currently offer. One visit is EXTREMELY overpriced & the price of a family membership should be closer to the admission price, if not less.

Just saw the Body World exhibit today. I've been wanting to see this for many, many years so this review will be based on that. Upon entering the museum, it has a dark open feel. Starting the exhibit the bodies can be shocking if even a little disgusting at first. Once you move past that the exhibit is extremely educational and interesting. You will learn about and see all parts of the body including the organs, veins, muscles, and bones.

I really enjoyed how they took a humorous and spiritual approach to many parts of the exhibit. There are quotes from famous people on the walls including the Dalai Lama and Abraham Lincoln. There are writings on the importance of exercising and living a healthy lifestyle. They also talk about the importance of being happy, enjoying life, and laughter. I wasn't expecting this perspective but it made the whole exhibit more relatable in a weird way.

I definitely recommend this for everyone who is interested in their own bodies, human anatomy, diseases, and science. Really, come see it!

I brought my daughter here for spring break. We came from south Austin and were pretty let down by this place. It's a giant warehouse that doesn't have much stuff actually in it. They could definitely have a lot more and interactive stuff for the kids. The staff seem nice and like they were actually science guys. The area isn't exactly that visually nice and lacked activity stuff. The dinosaur area was waaaaaaaay to dark too. I'll just stop here cause I'm sure y'all get the point. Overall, I wouldn't have minded it if it wasn't so pricey. My daughter had a okay time but it was over so fast. $30 bucks for not even a hour of entertainment.

This is just another place in Austin where breeders go to let their spawn run free of limitations.

We had no expectations going here. We just thought it would be a neat museum. It's a warehouse with some sound and visual science stations set up all over the place. It's dark and weird. The planetarium was alright, but it's just a big tent in the middle of the room with a lame sound system, and you can hear stuff outside of it, over the kids screaming inside of it. 10 and under reccommended. Your 12 yr old will hate you even more for the rest of your life.

For the complete letdown package, I'd suggest a trip to CiCis pizza after your visit.