State history museum to honor late Texas leader with free family event

The Bullock Texas State History Museum will honor its namesake — the late Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock — with a free, family-friendly event this weekend.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Bullock Texas State History Museum will honor its namesake — the late Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock — with a free, family-friendly event this weekend.

The event commemorates Bullock's 95th birthday and starts at 10 a.m. Sunday, according to a release from the museum.

There will be free exhibition admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., activities for families to enjoy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and sweet treats. You can view which exhibitions are currently on display on the museum's website.

Here are some of the activities the museum said it has planned for visitors:

• Create a party hat to wear during the event and get a balloon twisted into the shape of a favorite object or character
• 10:30 a.m.: Dance and sing along to a kid-friendly concert "with a Texas twist"
• 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.: Storytime with Austin Public Library, featuring Bullock's favorite children's book
• Free sweet treats in The Star Cafe while supplies last

“The late Lt. Governor's passion for Texas fueled his commitment to educational opportunities that would be open to everyone through the institution that bears his name,” said Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch in a news release. “We are so excited to welcome folks again this year to celebrate his legacy and to share this remarkable state's history.”

According to the museum, Bullock was from Hillsboro, Texas, located north of Waco, and had a nearly 40-year political career. He served as the 38th lieutenant governor of the Lone Star State from 1991 to 1999 and is credited as "the principal architect of modern Texas government."

Bullock advocated for the preservation and exhibition of the state's history and began discussing plans for a state history museum while serving as lieutenant governor.

The museum said those plans were approved and funding was secured in 1997. Bullock then attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the history museum shortly before he died in 1999.

The Bullock Texas State History Museum officially opened in 2001.