Austin Sunday Rain Plan: Blanton and Bullock, Across the Street

Quick answer: the National Weather Service forecast for Austin, issued Saturday afternoon, puts Sunday, Nov. 8 at a 90% chance of rain, a high near 63, and a half to three-quarters of an inch possible. The Blanton Museum of Art and the Bullock Texas State History Museum both open at 10 a.m. Sunday and sit across the street from each other, so a wet afternoon can be one parking decision instead of two. Prices and hours below come from each museum's own page, read Saturday, Nov. 7.

AI illustration of a rainy museum afternoon in Austin, Texas. Not a photo of either museum.

How wet is Sunday, really?

The NWS Austin/San Antonio forecast (api.weather.gov, updated about 3:20 p.m. CT Saturday) lists Saturday night at 70% with thunderstorms likely, Sunday at 90% with rain showers, Sunday night at 70%, and Monday at 50%. That is a different picture from the dry-Saturday, rainy-Sunday outline we ran earlier this week in our weekend plan. Sunday went from a coin flip to the likely outcome.

I did not find an hour-by-hour break in the forecast that promises a dry stretch Sunday. Check the radar before you leave the house. If it clears for an hour, treat that as a bonus, not the plan.

Why a museum pair works when it pours

The Blanton's own parking page tells visitors that on University of Texas home football days the closest affordable parking is across the street at the Bullock State History Museum. That is the museum's own description of the layout: two buildings, one street apart, on the north edge of downtown near the UT campus.

Sunday is not a home game day on that page's terms, so the Blanton's usual guidance applies: park in a UT garage. The closest is the Brazos Garage at 210 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., one block from the museum. The Blanton lists the Conference Center Garage (1900 University Ave., two blocks) and the Trinity Garage (1815 Trinity St., three blocks) as backups, and it warns that the Brazos Garage gets extra traffic when classes are in session. Sunday is not a class day, but I have not checked how full any of these garages are on a Sunday, and neither museum promises a space.

What it costs. Adults $15, seniors 65+ $12, youth 6–17 $8, kids 5 and under free, UT-Austin ID free. Free admission is on Tuesdays, not Sunday.

What is on. The Blanton lists Haas Brothers: Uncanny Valley (Sept. 27 to Jan. 17, 2027), Shadows on Stone: Portraits of Colonial Mexican Architecture (Oct. 10 to Jan. 31, 2027) and an installation called The European Avant-Garde: From Impressionism to Cubism from the Julian and Josie Robertson collection (Sept. 27, 2026, to Aug. 5, 2029).

The rules that bite on a rainy day. No food or drinks, including water, in the galleries. Large bags and backpacks go in free lockers at Check-In, which is also where a wet umbrella and a soaked day pack will want to go. Pencils only if you sketch. And one thing worth knowing before you plan lunch: the museum's page says Café Fleurs de Nuit opens to the public Nov. 20, so there is no café there this Sunday.

AI illustration of a museum gallery on a rainy day. Not a photo of the Blanton.

What does the Bullock add, and what does it cost?

Museum admission: adults $22, students, military and seniors 65+ $18, youth 6–17 $16, kids 5 and under free. That covers all the galleries. The IMAX Theatre and the Texas Spirit Theater are separate tickets. IMAX documentaries are $10 for adults; IMAX feature films are $17. The Bullock says an IMAX feature ticket earns $5 off museum exhibit admission if you show proof of purchase at the ticketing counter within a week of the showtime.

The current IMAX lineup on the Bullock's site includes Godzilla Minus Zero (Nov. 6–15, listed at 2 hours 15 minutes) along with Texas-wildlife and horse documentaries. I did not read Sunday's showtimes. The Bullock sends you to its calendar for those and recommends buying film tickets ahead.

Parking and food. The Bullock's underground garage is $15 for a full day, with the entrance on 18th Street on the south side of the building. Its page lists weekend garage hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and it says re-entry is not permitted on the day rate. That matters if you were hoping to park once and walk across to the Blanton and back to the car: ask at the garage before you count on it. I did not test it. The Star Cafe, on the second floor, serves breakfast and lunch, and the museum says you do not need an admission ticket to eat there.

What if you want brunch, or a night out?

Two other Sunday items from official calendars, both indoor-adjacent but not verified as fully covered:

• Gospel Brunch: Gospel Stars at Stubb's, 10:30 a.m., all ages. Stubb's lists it on its calendar and says to call 512-480-8341 or email brunch@stubbsaustin.com for reservations. I did not find the price on the page, and I could not confirm whether seating is indoors, so ask when you book if the rain is the reason you are going.
• Barton Hills Choir at ACL Live, 5 p.m. ACL Live's event page lists it for Nov. 8. The listing shows no price and I have not read the venue's seating or entry details.

Quick numbers for a Sunday in the rain

Sources: blantonmuseum.org/visit and /visit/parking, thestoryoftexas.com/visit and /imax-and-films, all read Nov. 7, 2026.

FAQ

Are the Blanton and the Bullock open on Sunday? Yes. Both list Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on their own sites. The Blanton is closed Mondays.

How much does it cost to do both? Without discounts, an adult pays $37 for admission to the two. Add parking, which the Bullock lists at $15 for the day and the Blanton does not set itself, since it points visitors to University garages with hourly rates starting at $6 for one to two hours.

Is the Blanton free on Sundays? No. Its page lists free admission on Tuesdays. The Bullock's Free First Sunday was Nov. 1.

Will traffic be a problem? I did not compute drive times: no mapping service was available to this desk for this edition, and I have not been to either garage today. Rain slows downtown and campus streets, so build in extra time.

Where do I check if anything changes? Both museums list closures and schedule changes on their calendars. Check before you drive in if the storms Saturday night are heavy.

This desk publishes twice a day, morning and afternoon, on what is open, what is happening and what is worth the trip. Follow @austintexasthings for tomorrow's edition.