Bullock Texas State History Museum

Austin, Texas

$2,950 starting price

300+ guest capacity

This venue can host 300+ guests

About this vendor

Make Your Celebration Historic

Bullock Texas State History Museum is a wedding venue based in Austin, TX. A prestigious event location, it is surrounded by Texas grandeur and heritage, making it ideal for your most memorable day. It is also conveniently located close to the University of Texas campus and just minutes from downtown Austin. The Museum's distinctive and adaptable indoor areas can be transformed into a beautiful, unforgettable backdrop that fulfills all of your wedding dreams. Host up to 350 guests for a lavish affair among the stunning architecture of the Grand Lobby and the spectacular spiral stairway of the Rotunda. There is also the versatile Austin Room which can easily be configured to suit you. The Bullock Atrium can host a cocktail hour or a ceremony for a more intimate atmosphere. This beautiful venue embodies luxury and grandeur and is sure to wow guests. The seasoned event coordinators and select food partners will help you create an upsclae and amazing event experience that is uniquely yours. With food and catering services, this venue offers everything to ensure your special day is a gorgeous, fun, and relaxed experience. Packages include access to preferred vendors, such as photographers and caterers. Further, a pre-wedding photoshoot, onsite coordination, and exhibit access are all included. There is an onsite parking facility, and the venue is completely ADA accessible. It is also close to nearby hotels, making it easy for guests to rest after a night of dancing. Make your wedding a historical celebration that won't be forgotten at Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Pricing details

Starting prices

Reception:

$2,000

Ceremony:

$2,000

Bar services:

$15 per person

Catering:

Contact for price

Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is Jan-Dec.

Amenities + details

Ceremony Area

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

Outdoor Event Space

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Covered Outdoors Space

Dressing Room

On-Site Accommodations

Ceremony Types

Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding

Guest Capacity

300+

Settings

Ballroom
Historic Venue
Industrial & Warehouse
Museum

Venue Service Offerings

Food & Catering
Service Staff

4.8

out of 5.0

10 reviews

Search reviews

2/25/2024 • Joanna S

We had our reception at the Bullock Museum in February 2024, renting out the Grand Lobby. We entered our cocktail hour in the Rotunda by coming down the spiral staircase, and hosted 165 people for a seated dinner in the Grand Lobby. The space is truly beautiful. The cocktail hour in the Rotunda has the high ceiling and pillars with the decorative floor. For dinner, the Grand Lobby is large enough to host a big crowd but it never felt overwhelming in size. We comfortably fit 20+ tables, a large dance floor and a 10 piece band (with stage). There is a wall with Texas quotes carved in stone that guests were commenting on for it's uniqueness to the venue. We opted not to open up the museum for guests, but had the chance to look down on the space from the 2nd floor to take in the whole set up. More notably, the staff at the Bullock was delightful. Marieunise was communicative throughout the entire process, and so willing to help us in person or via email. She came to our meetings prepared and with a smile - and helped us navigate the details around parking, set-up, coat check, vendor parking, etc with ease. On the day of the wedding, Marieunise assisted our guests with above and beyond service. We are so grateful to her and the Bullock team for ensuring we had a lovely event!

7/10/2019 • Gary W

My daughters Wedding Reception was held in the Bullock Museum of Texas History. The magnificence of the venue may have only been surpassed by the pleasant experience of the Event Coordination staff. We utilized the Rotunda for the cocktail hour and the main floor (Ballroom) for the dinner and dance. The facility provided the perfect structural atmosphere for the event, framing the elegance of the set-up (tables, floral arrangements, etc.) within the powerful walls and large spanned high ceiling. The ever-apparent Texas architecture, motif, and history provided the perfect background for the celebration of the union of a native son and daughter. The Staff was great to work with from our initial inquiry to / through the event itself. They were very professional, helpful, informative, and responsive. They were open to new layout ideas and concepts. They were a large part of the event’s success.

2/11/2016 • Knottie1455217401

ABSOLUTELY 5 star wonderful! I am the mother of the bride who helped bride and groom with the wedding planning while my daughter was attending graduate school and working and her fiance was out of state. Easy going organized staff a joy in helping to coordinate reception; responsive, helpful with ideas, and kind. Building itself is beautifully special and the options for reception are endless. Lighting is versatile and parking is great. Rosemary's Catering fantastic. All around just amazing venue and personnel. The best of the best.

Any questions?

9/06/2015 • Hayley H

I cannot say enough good things about my wedding reception at Bob Bullock! Not only was it beyond beautiful, it was extremely elegant and special having it in such a grand building! The staff was very easy to work with and we had so much room we were able to have the layout exactly as we wanted it even with 250+ guests. It's also such a great location- right in the center of DT Austin and right by the best university in the world. We got so many compliments from our guests over how cool it was to have a big party in the museum. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS CLASSY VENUE!

8/19/2015 • Colleen

Bob Bullock was top notch, Texas glamour without being too kitschy. Receptions are held in the lobby of the museum which boast granite floors, walls and TALL ceilings. It is also a lot of space which I found was not easily attainable if you're trying to stick to the downtown area. The team at Bob Bullock was phenomenal, very responsive to any questions I had and on the day of had an event coordinator at my entire reception to make sure everything was going to plan. Bob Bullock also has free parking, you have access to their entire underground parking garage. The lobby is really a beautiful blank canvas for you to design the event that you want. Bob Bullock also has GREAT air conditioning, imperative for a summer event in Austin! A few quirks about renting the space because it is state property - you must use Rosemary's Catering, they are the only caterer approved to operate on site. Rosemary’s did an amazing job on our food so I don’t think this should be an issue for anyone. Also, you pay a fee to rent the facility but you also must pay for a state trooper to be on site during your event. Two minor details that did not deter me at all from choosing Bob's as my reception venue. Would 100% recommend it to anyone planning a wedding in downtown Austin! Beautiful venue with an amazing group of people there to help make your dream reception a reality!

9/04/2014 • Leigh Anne A

I LOVED the Bullock. The venue was unique and gorgeous at nighttime! It was so fun and the staff there (and at Rosemary's) made it so easy for me. They worked with all my vendors so I didn't have to worry about a thing. They let me know when I should be doing what so I didn't have to worry about it. I would pick the Bullock again for sure. The grand entrance down the stairs and the exit under the Texas Star both were AWESOME.

7/17/2013 • Courtney F

The Bob Bullock was the perfect venue for our wedding. We rented the lobby and the rotunda area. There was plenty of room for our 200 guests (which can be hard to find in downtown Austin) and the price was high but worth it and straight forward ($3,000). We did have to secure an additional insurance policy but that wasn't too difficult. The only thing I wish they'd done differently was provide more guidance on sparklers (we used them for the departure). We ended up with a small cleaning fee as a result.

3/14/2011 • Jeana M

The staff member I met with was great and had a packet of all the information I would need. The price was reasonable, but there are no rentals included. Another drawback was having to use their catering service. The menu looked great, but we had our hearts set on a certain caterer already.

1/09/2011 • natalie t

If you have a big group and want something beautiful and downtown - this is the best place - all marble - so open - I never felt like I couldn't see anyone and the rotunda just was awesome to display my cakes and the cocktail hour. Fairly affordable for what you get - and everyone - down to the catering company was fantastic!

8/10/2010 • Kendra S

This is a beautiful location that you and your guest will talk about and remember for years to come. It has a grand staircase that you and your husband/wife can make your grand entrance down, a very pretty rotunda (your guest can sip on cocktails and snack on appetizers while waiting for you to arrive), and it has a huge open area that can seat hundreds of people with plenty of room to dance. It is a state owned facility, so they have a perferred caterer. You can use an outside caterer, but you will pay a hefty fee. The perferred cater is Catering by Rosemary. We used them and our guest raved about the food. Catering by Rosemary not only does caterering, but they provide an onsite coordinator, tables, chairs, china, glassware, etc. They are also the only company that is allowed to serve alcohol in the building. We live out of state and choose this location not only for it's beauty and history, but also because they organized and took responsibility for the majority of the reception planning. We told them what we wanted and they brought it all together for us. When looking at this location, keep your budget in mind. I think we payed a little over $2500 for the location (plus you are required to get insurance because it's a state owned facility) and the catering was $40 a person for heavy appetizers and $24 for unlimited wine and beer. If you do a full meal or full bar, it can get very pricey. Rosemary's catering does not provide the cake and you do have to bring in an outside florist. It's best to get a florist that has worked there before (we used Photosynthesis - loved them)because the load in and set-up can be tricky and they may be under a time constraint depending upon when you are planning for your reception to begin. Due to the facility being a museum, set-up for the reception cannot begin until 3pm and the vendors can typically not start setting up until about 5ish. Overall, we loved the location and would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a beautiful and grand location in the heart of downtown Austin.

Contact

1800 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, TX | Austin, Texas

(512) 936-4631

Meet the team

Rachel Miller

Events Director

Rachel grew up all over the Midwest, but calls Wisconsin home. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Madison, she made her move to Austin, Texas to happily join the team at the Bullock Museum. She has worked in the Museum and Arts field for 10 years creating fun and intimate events for artists and planning annual fundraising events for thousands of guests at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Rachel found her passion for events early on and finds excitement in creating one-of-a-kind experiences for clients to love and remember.