德克萨斯州文化馆

My wife and I visited the Institute on a cold and blustery Monday. It was a great place to spend a couple of hours. We learned many things about Texas that we did not know.

You can spend an hour or a day in this museum. Better still it has some displays that you're encouraged to touch and feel. With little kids, it's an hour or so. As a single you can immerse yourself for a day if you're a history buff.Beware of construction starting in February 2015 that limits pedestrian access from the River Walk to this museum.

The reviewer points out a lack of Spanish/Mexican representation. A permanent exhibit, "Los Tejanos," which has been in development, is scheduled to open in May 2015. The reviewer's negative opinion seems to be based on preconceptions or lack of preparation as to what to expect at the museum. - James B., ITC Communications

No matter what country your ancestors came to America from, Texas probably has some important folks from that country also.

The art! The exhibits! The Asian festival (February) and the Texas Folklife Festival (June), the demonstrations and tours. I love it all. They just started the Sikh exhibit which showcases art and culture of the members of the community of Indian origin. Simply wonderful. It was originally at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. I visit as often as I can and I live here. I highly recommend it for all ages. I learned how to spin thread from cotton last time I was there and watched a group of volunteers have a quilting bee.

I am not a huge museum goer-- but this one was very informative and I would go several times again. Learning about TEXAS and how my family and other surnames came about was so very interesting. Enjoy!

This is a wonderful way to get an overview of all of the different cultures and ethnic groups that have made San Antonio the city and Texas the State it is today. If you have an afternoon to spend it is chock-full of information and interactive displays. This is not "just another museum" but offers a truly inspiring representation of the people that settled this area.

Went for an afternoon when the weather was not so good the institute was very good value for money and explained the many different cultures which had constituted to the Texan culture.

In spite of its location at the remotest end of Hemisphere Park, the Institute of Texas Cultures is well worth a visit. If you are not a native Texan, you might not realize just how diverse the population of the state is. In addition to native Americans, Tejanos and gringos, German settlers are perhaps the best known. But those who settled Texas also came from such varied places as Moravia, Hungary, and Poland, with significant immigration from, among other places, Lebanon and Syro-Palestine, Greece and east Asia. The presentation of the history and contributions made by these various groups is on the whole well done, but not always well-balanced. The French played an extremely important role in the early exploration of Texas as well as in its later history. I felt they were not adequately or fairly represented. Even more surprising is how thin the coverage of the debt to Spain and Mexico is. Don't let the eye-filling, but puzzling 360 degree film introduction deter you. After that curious experience the rest of the museum is enjoyable and informative. The staff, apparently with many volunteers, includes those who are anxious to be helpful as well as one or two who were sound asleep.

Find out what native Indians lived and died before the discovery of Texas by the Europeans. A very friendly staff answered all our questions.

We parked in the paid parking and visited the museum. Beautiful quilts-great exhibit. The other exhibits spread throughout the museum were great. It was a rainy cold day so spending indoors at this museum and learning about Texas was a great way to spend the day. A lot of information was shared by the staff and volunteers at this museum.

We drove to the ITC, only to be charged $11 for parking, and then finding out that despite the parking attendant telling us there was no additional charge for the ITC, the admission fee DID apply PLUS the quilt exhibit we were planning to attend had already been dismantled. The ITC attendants told us the parking attendant was wrong and we should ask for our parking fee to be returned. We did and he did. Just be aware that to go to ITC, turn left BEFORE the parking kiosk.

The reviewer referenced the "Texas Art Quilts and Modern Masterpieces" exhibit. This is a traveling exhibit, closing 11 JAN 2015. The institute was displaying about 50 quilts from the Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange, plus six from various 4-H clubs around Texas. The reviewer also mentions "obtaining a guide," which sounds like a reference to the museum docents. Docents are typically assigned to larger groups, and there are a number of docents stationed around the exhibit floor and in various interpretive areas to assist and answer questions. - James B., ITC Communications

We have lived in Texas for 14 years...and found this place very interesting. Interested to know how Texas came about? This is Great place to start!Our children enjoyed the museum and how diverse Texans are.Free parking! Entrance fee: $6-$8

This was my first visit to the ITC in nearly 20 years and it was even better than I remembered. I spent over 2 hrs not including the excellent gift shop, and learned so many new facts about the numerous cultural groups which created the great state of Texas. Starting with the Paleo-Indian groups and Native-American tribes in the area, the excellent displays cover about 20 ethic groups and contain beautiful clothing and interesting historical artifacts. I enjoyed the docents explaining the old chuck wagon and cattle drives and the ladies who were spinning and weaving. The movie shown on the dome was seasonal, displaying different Christmas customs in Texas. The staff is very friendly and informative and help make this a must-stop for anyone interested in Texas history and culture. A lot of families were visiting and I think the kids were having a good time also. Parking is free but there is a small entrance fee. Highly recommended.