How to get the most out of Austin Museum Day

The annual Austin Museum Day returns Sunday, giving locals a chance to explore over 30 museums for free.

Driving the news: Participating museums will welcome visitors with special programming, along with guided and self-guided exhibition tours for all ages.

Catch up quick: The nonprofit Austin Museum Partnership has coordinated Austin Museum Day since 1998 to offer free admission at museums and cultural institutions across the Austin area.

How it works: Plan your day with a map and full list of participating museums on the official website .

• Or try out UT's Campus Crawl, a scavenger hunt at seven nearby or on-campus museums and galleries. The full list of campus museums and scavenger hunt details are available online.

Here are some highlights to get you started:

• Art Galleries at Black Studies: Check out an exhibition of sculptures and drawings an exhibition in the Christian-Green Gallery, "Nicole Awai: In The Thick of It," from 11am-3pm.
• Blanton Museum of Art: Check out "Austin" by Ellsworth Kelly if you haven't already.
• The Contemporary Austin: Both of the Contemporary's museums, the Jones Center and Laguna Gloria, will offer free admission. Plus, try out lint roller printing and photo collaging at the Jones Center, along with yoga, bespoke poems by Typewriter Rodeo and a talk by Talking Bees Roadshow. Laguna Gloria will have lawn games and mindful weaving.
• Mexic-Arte Museum: Learn more about Dia de los Muertos and create paper marigolds from 11am-2pm at Austin Central Library.
• UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum: Check out the UMLAUF's new "This Takes Doing" exhibition, featuring the art, business and family life of Charles and Angie Umlauf. The Texas Society of Sculptors also will offer live demos and display their work from 11am-4pm.
• Thinkery: Take the kids to Thinkery's interactive gallery spaces, including their newest addition, Fortastic Adventure, from 10am-5pm.

🏆 Pro tip: Visit the Headquarters Tent on the plaza of the Bullock Texas State History Museum to ask questions or get advice on how to make the most of your day.