Explore UT: Special Attractions

EARLY BIRD ACTIVITIES

Explore UT begins at 11 a.m., but there are regularly scheduled activities available for those who may want to get an early start to their day of adventure and fun.

Opportunities include:

Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum Exhibits
Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum (LBJ): 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Discover what’s new at the LBJ Library following a yearlong renovation. Exhibits have been remodeled to include interactive displays, videos, images and artifacts that will guide visitors through the life and legacy of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson. New features of the library include a downloadable app to guide you through the tours (including a tour in Spanish), access to President Johnson's private telephone conversations and an interactive Vietnam War exhibit that details the President's decision making process. You'll be able to tour a replica of the Oval Office and see artifacts from President Johnson’s time in the White House. http://www.lbjlibrary.org/

Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
Sid Richardson Hall (SHR): 9 a.m. - 2p.m.

100 Grand History Timeline
Test your knowledge of Texas and United States history by placing historical events in the correct date range along the historical timeline. Prizes will be awarded for the most correct answers.

Game On with Vintage Videogames
Which is best — Nintendo, Atari or Colecovision? Play the consoles to find out, including an authentic replica of the prototype that became the first game console ever produced.

History Online
Learn about online resources to enhance U. S. and Texas history curriculums. The presentation will include tips on power searching and how to access digitized primary source documents.

Make a Face
Become a famous Texan for a day by creating a mask of notable figures from Texas history such as Stephen F. Austin or Ann Richards.

Pretty as a Picture
Adorn yourself with borrowed costumes and pose for a photograph in the style of historic cartes de visite. Participants will be able to hand color their portraits and take them home.

Perry-Castañeda Library Open House
The University of Texas Libraries - Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL): 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) is largest of UT’s libraries with print and electronic books, journals, databases, maps and expertise to assist with research and learning. Visit the library to learn more about this unique campus resource that is available 24 hours a day. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/pcl/

Campus Scavenger Hunt
The University of Texas at Austin Visitor Center – Littlefield Fountain: 10 a.m.

Meet in front of the Littlefield Fountain to embark on a fun and educational scavenger hunt around campus. Look for clues and guess the answers to questions about UT Austin history as you search the campus. Tour guides will be available to lead the hunt for children and their families.

Texas Memorial Museum Exhibits
Texas Memorial Museum (TMM): 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Deep Time in Texas
Explore the museum’s Hall of Geology and Paleontology featuring fossil dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, meteorites and rocks. Stop by the Paleo Lab to talk with a paleontologist while seeing how fossils are prepared, catalogued and studied.

Winged Wonders
Come see the diversity of wings and colors in insects and learn how flight has played a key role in the success of the most dominant group of animals on the planet.

Explore Evolution
Visit the museum’s exhibit, which gives a modern shine to Darwin’s 151-year-old theory on evolution. Experience how scientists conduct research on evolution and examine why evolution is important to science and medicine.

OTHER SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS:

Campus Walking Tour
Take a student-led tour of campus to learn about our unique history, culture and resources. Hear from a student about life as a Longhorn. Comfortable walking shoes suggested. Tours leave at the top of every hour from the Rally Area on the West Mall near the west steps of the Main Building (MAI - West Mall Steps).

Children's International Festival
The Children's International Festival will be at the heart of the Explore UT Cultural Crossroads on the South Mall. Visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to experience the cultures of South Asia, Ecuador, Russia, Africa, South America and the Middle East.

Go back in time and craft a medieval shield or crown, delve into Russian folklore by creating a Dragon of Cracow puppet or learn how to write your name in languages from around the world. Make and take home a Tibetan Prayer flag or experience the live of Ancient Ecuadorians and make your own piece of wearable pre-Columbian art. Jump over to Africa to choose your own Yoruban name, get your face painted and play a Yoruba Ayo game. A world of experiences awaits explorers at the Children's International Festival.

March with the Longhorn Band
Follow in the footsteps of a 100-year-old university tradition and experience the thrill of marching with the Longhorn Band (LHB). A rehearsal session will be held in the Denius Practice Field (FDF) next to the "bubble" near IH-35 and Dean Keeton Street (26th Street) followed by a march to the Tower for the Explore UT photo at 5 p.m.

Speedway Mall Festival
The Speedway Mall will be a center of unique activities as a part of Explore UT. Visitors to the festival can learn from public health and fire safety demonstrations, scale the ROTC climbing wall or explore the TAME Trailblazer, a 40-foot trailer full of engineering and science exhibits sponsored by the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering. Visit the new Student Activities Center (SAC) and stop by the Gregory Gym plaza to see an exhibit of works by the "Littlest Longhorns," students from The University of Texas Elementary School, which opened its doors in 2003 with a mission to develop students into lifelong learners. Stop by and enjoy the Speedway Mall Festival as you make your way across campus.

Tower Tours
The Texas Union will offer special half-hour tours of the UT Tower on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up for the free tours at the Texas Union Information Center (south entrance). Tours begin at 11 a.m. and conclude with the last tour at 4:30 p.m. Each tour is limited to 20 participants because of fire and safety guidelines. If you are not able to take the Tower tour at Explore UT, you may arrange a future tour by calling (512) 475-6633 or toll-free at 1-887-475-6633.

The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
With its exhibits, Texas Spirit Theatre and Austin's only IMAX theater, The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is a tribute to all the stories of Texas. For museum information, hours, admission, film and performance times, and costs, call (512) 936-8746.