You can’t miss the Bullock Museum, which tells the the story of Texas on three floors: Just look for the 35 foot tall bronze star out front. Visitors can follow the history of the Lone Star state from 1821 on, through its time as a territory of Spain and then Mexico to its independence as a country, and finally statehood in the U.S. The heart of the current displays is the La Belle, a French ship that was exploring the Gulf of Mexico when it sank in Matagorda Bay in 1686. Its wreckage was discovered in 1995, excavated two years later, and reassembled inside the museum in 2015. Daily screenings take place at the Texas Spirit Theater and the Bullock IMAX, the largest IMAX screen in Texas.
Thanks to Seventies funk band War, the word “lowrider” often calls to mind the unforgettable sax riff of the band’s 1975 No. 1 single. But lowrider can mean a snazzy customized car with hydraulics or a person who works on such a vehicle, and the culture around these cars has strengthened Mexican American communities in the Southwest since the Forties. Learn more about them at this exhibit featuring an interactive touchscreen mural, cars and bikes on display, and stories about the people who make lowriding a community. A member reception takes place May 18. – Kat McNevinsThrough Sept. 2.