How to Visit The Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry

The Texas Military Forces Museum is free to visit and open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with outdoor exhibits open dawn to dusk year-round. The catch is location: it sits on Camp Mabry, an active military base, so visitors 18 and older must be vetted at the Visitor Control Center (VCC) before entering the post. The VCC closes at 3 p.m., which means you need to arrive at the 35th Street entrance no later than 2:55 p.m. to be admitted.

Before You Go: The Entry Requirements

Because Camp Mabry is an active installation, admission to the museum requires passing through base security first. Plan around these conditions:

• Arrival deadline: Be at the 35th Street gate by 2:55 p.m. The VCC closes at 3 p.m., and visitors must enter Camp Mabry by 3 p.m. to obtain museum admission.
• Vetting for adults: All visitors 18 and older are vetted at the Visitor Control Center before entering the post.
• Photo ID required: Adults 18 and up must show a photo ID. Accepted forms include a US Department of War military ID, a military retiree/dependent issued ID card, a US government-issued ID card, a state-issued driver's license or state ID, or a US Visa.
• Foreign documents: A foreign passport or foreign military ID card without an accompanying US Visa does not currently allow access to Camp Mabry — even if you are with a valid ID card holder.

If you are visiting with a group, everyone 18 and older needs their own qualifying ID, and the 2:55 p.m. arrival window applies to the whole group.

Getting There

The museum address is 3038 W 35th St, Austin, TX 78703.

Enter the post via Maintenance Drive off of West 35th Street (just before Pecos). Do not expect to drive in through another gate — the museum's directions specify this entry point.

Hours at a Glance

The practical takeaway: if you want time inside the museum, arrive well before the 2:55 p.m. cutoff. Showing up at 2:50 p.m. leaves only about an hour before the 4:00 p.m. close, and you still have to clear vetting first.

What You'll See

The museum covers 45,000 square feet and traces the history of Texas militia and volunteer forces from 1823 — the date of the first militia muster in Stephen F. Austin's colony — through 1903, when Congress created the National Guard. From 1903 to the present, it tells the story of the Texas Army and Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard in both peacetime and wartime.

Permanent exhibits use uniforms, weapons, equipment, personal items, film, music, photographs, battle dioramas, and full-scale environments. Topics span the Texas Revolution, the Texas Navy, the Texas Republic, the Mexican War, battles along the Indian frontier, the War between the States, the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, peacekeeping deployments, and the Global War on Terror. Living history programs, battle reenactments, and other special events run throughout the year.

Cost and Support

Admission to the museum is free. If you want to support it, the Texas Military Forces Historical Foundation — a 501(c)(3) support group — raises money for the museum and accepts memberships through a PayPal payment link on the museum site.

Contact and Questions

For more information, contact [email protected] or call 512-782-5659, Monday through Friday.

Common Trip-Planning Mistakes

• Arriving after 2:55 p.m. The VCC closes at 3 p.m., and without vetting you cannot get onto the post — even though the museum itself stays open until 4:00 p.m.
• Bringing only a foreign passport. Without a US Visa, a foreign passport or foreign military ID does not grant access, regardless of who you're with.
• Assuming the outdoor exhibits follow museum hours. They open at dawn and close at dusk, so they're accessible outside the 10:00–4:00 indoor window — but you still have to be on base, which means clearing the 3 p.m. VCC cutoff.
• Forgetting ID for every adult in the group. Each visitor 18 and older needs a qualifying photo ID.