One of the oldest museums in Central Texas is getting a major facelift. Built on campus at the University of Texas at Austin in the 1930s, the Texas Memorial Museum has offered Texans unique opportunities to explore and learn about the natural world, including scientific discoveries made around the state.

According to a release, UT and its College of Natural Sciences will renovate and upgrade the beloved museum to serve future generations. In 2022, UT President Jay Hartzell and Dean Vanden Bout appointed a volunteer advisory committee to help create short- and long-term recommendations for the museum’s reopening and greater outlook for the future. Fundraising efforts are ongoing to support future stages of the museum’s reopening, as well as new installations planned for its fourth floor.

Thanks to that committee, this new investment will be the museum's most extensive renovation in decades, including building upgrades such as roof repairs, revitalization of foundational exhibits, installation of new exhibits and features, and improvements to allow hosted events.

“Texas Memorial Museum is the only museum on the UT campus, and in the greater Austin area, that will include both science and natural history exhibits, from prehistoric life to advanced research and technology,” said managing director Carolyn Connerat in the release. “We are grateful to the university and excited about reopening this cherished institution, which will be even better than before.”

The museum temporarily closed last year and is set to reopen in stages beginning in fall 2023. Starting in September 2023, visitors will have opportunities to revisit cherished exhibits, such as the famous Quetzalcoatlus (a type of pterosaur), and experience new engaging exhibits and educational programming for all ages.

“Showcasing science and offering the community opportunities to learn about new research is something this museum is uniquely positioned to help us do,” said David Vanden Bout, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, in the release. “These renovations are part of a larger effort to bridge between past discoveries and future innovations. Having a museum of science and natural history allows our campus to offer Texans a valuable portal into what’s wondrous about our natural world.”