Visit Us

Whether you’re bringing a large group or class to the museum, we offer several options to explore our museum with your students.

Groups traveling by bus or with more than 10 children must schedule a Thinkery visit in advance through our Field Trips program.

For safety purposes, we ask that visitors adhere to a minimum adult:child ratio of 1:5.

Museums for All

Thinkery is proud to participate in Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Association of Children’s Museums’ Museums for All program!

Thinkery invites all families with Electronic Benefits Transfer cards, WIC cards, STAR cards, CHIP cards, Medicaid cards and MAP identification cards to show their card(s) to receive FREE General Admission tickets. (Special programs and events excluded.) Thinkery’s Museum for All discounts can only be applied at Admissions, not online.

Thinkery would like to thank Capital One for their generous support of Museums for All.

Open Door

Maintaining affordable access for everyone is a top priority for Thinkery. Each year, our Open Door Initiative provides subsidized admissions, camp scholarships and field trips to thousands of children and families with limited financial resources.

ASTC and ACM Reciprocal programs

As a member of a science center or museum participating in the ASTC Travel Passport Program, you are eligible for free general admission for up to 4 guests when you visit Thinkery. Membership to participating children’s museums through Association of Children’s Museums Reciprocal Network (ACM) receive 50% off general admission for up to six (6) guests. In order to redeem these benefits, you must present a valid museum membership card with the logos for ASTC and ACM, as well as a photo ID with proof of residence.

ASTC policy dictates that visitors must live outside a 90-mile radius from the museum they wish to visit to receive benefits. Therefore, members of the DoSeum will be unable to receive ASTC benefits. Thinkery will provide half-priced admissions to these members with ASTC benefits. Thinkery will not grant benefits to visitors who forget their cards, whose cards do not have the ASTC or ACM logo, and who are unable to provide proof of residence.

Military and First Responders

$2 off per family member, up to five family members. First Responders include police officers, firefighters and EMT workers. Thinkery’s military and first responder discount is not available online and must be purchased at Admissions.

Tribal ID’s

$2 off for folks with a tribal ID. Discount is not available online and must be purchased at Admissions.

Play together!
Playing is learning and children learn best alongside caring, responsive adults. Maximize your experience by observing, facilitating and collaborating with your child. Pro tip: Take a break from that cell phone and play!

Be a role model for children.
Learning is a joyful, fun and lifelong endeavor. Be curious and show your kids how it’s done! Remember that you are setting an example for your children and others through your actions and words in the Museum.

Respect others.
We are a community space where people connect, conversations spark, and ideas grow. As you explore and play, be courteous to those around you. Please do not touch or verbally reprimand any child not in your group. If you need assistance, please ask a staff member.

Assume good intentions.
Please understand that children’s play with interactive exhibits is often joyful and exuberant. This may mean that another child’s play may unintentionally interfere with your child’s play. Touching, colliding and reaching for the same object may innocently occur between children.

Use positive language and actions.
Model problem-solving skills, critical thinking, curiosity, and empathy. Profanity, harassment, threatening language and physical interactions, abuse of any kind or other inappropriate public behavior are strictly prohibited.

How long does it take to go through the museum?

Depending on your child’s age and which programs you attend, the length of your visit may be different every time. We advise planning for a 2–3 hour visit.

When are your quietest times to visit?

No Tour Tuesdays (the first Tuesday of each month) and late afternoons are generally the museum’s quietest hours. Please note that Thinkery hours vary during the summer, and seasonal crowds can impact noise within the museum. Check out our web calendar for up-to-date information!

Where can we keep our stroller and belongings while we play?

Limited stroller parking is available in the museum. However, given the close proximity of parking to the museum, we suggest you leave your stroller in your vehicle if possible.

Small lockers are available for $1 per day. You can purchase your locker when you check in at Admissions. A valid driver’s license or credit card will be held for collateral. There is a $5 fee for lost locker keys.

Do you allow re-entry?

With the purchase of a General Admission ticket, you are welcome to leave and return to Thinkery in the same day. Upon re-entry, you must go through the Admissions line and verify payment by showing your receipt or Member card at a register. Re-entry does not apply to special programs, such as Baby Bloomers and Field Trips.

Can I drop off my child at the museum?

A guardian must accompany a child throughout the museum. Guardians must be 18 years of age or older. Parents/Caregivers are responsible for supervising their children at all times. You are your child’s best advocate for staying safe.

Do you have a Lost and Found?

If you’ve already left the museum, please call the museum’s Reservations desk at (512) 469-6201. You must be able to provide the approximate date the item was left and be able to describe the item in detail. The museum’s policy is to hold items for 14 days. After that, the items will be donated to shelters and thrift stores.

May I bring my pet to Thinkery?

Thinkery welcomes service animals—other animals or pets are not allowed except as part of museum programs. 

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.
• Dogs or therapy animals whose function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals according to ADA, even with a doctor’s note.

What is your adult to child ratio?

We require a 1:5 adult-to-children ratio on our exhibit floor. Children must be supervised al all times. No security can take the place of adult supervision.

If a child (or adult) in my group is sick, can we still visit the museum?

For the health and safety of all our guests, we ask that any child or adult with an elevated temperature or an illness that may be contagious (such as pink eye, a cold, or the flu) not visit Thinkery until they are fully recovered.

A good rule of thumb: if you’re too sick to go to school (or work), you should plan to visit Thinkery another time.

Is food available? Can we bring food?

A snack area is available inside the museum with tables and chairs, as well as a healthy food vending machine. You are welcome to bring food, however no food, drinks or gum are permitted in our exhibit spaces. There are also several other options for food within walking distance (and more to come as the Mueller neighborhood expands).

Do I have to wear shoes?

Yes. Shoes must be worn at all times, unless otherwise specified in a gallery space.

Can I bring balloons?

Balloons are permitted inside the building.

Is smoking allowed?

The Museum is a non-smoking facility, including e-cigarettes, and chewing tobacco.

What if I have a meeting at Thinkery?

Business visitors must check in with a Guest Services staff member at Admissions.

What are your cleaning procedures? How do you prevent the spread of germs?

We are committed to keeping the museum clean and safe for guests. 

• A professional cleaning team is on-site during Thinkery operating hours to sanitize and clean the restrooms, cafe, and common areas.
• Deep cleaning takes place when the museum is closed. The floors are mopped and vacuumed, restrooms are cleaned, and surfaces are sanitized.
• The air in the building is always circulated with fresh air to maintain clean, healthy air.
• Signs are displayed throughout the Museum to remind visitors to wash their hands.
• Hand sanitizer stations are located on each floor, throughout galleries and near all restrooms.
• Staff are required to consistently wash their hands.
• All surfaces that hands touch are cleaned daily to eliminate the spread of germs.
• Visitors are welcome to notify Thinkery staff if an area or object needs attention.

You can find more detailed information and tips for keeping kids (and adults) healthy at Thinkery here.

Are weapons or firearms allowed at Thinkery?

Thinkery is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our visitors. As posted at Thinkery’s entrance—and in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas—for the safety of our children, no weapons (including concealed or open carry) are allowed. With the exception of law enforcement, anyone possessing a weapon will be asked to remove it from our premises immediately. 

Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun.

Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with an openly carried handgun.

If a child (or adult) in my group is sick, can we still visit the museum?

For the health and safety of all our guests, we ask that any child or adult with an elevated temperature or an illness that may be contagious (such as pink eye, a cold, or the flu) not visit Thinkery until they are fully recovered.

A good rule of thumb: if you’re too sick to go to school (or work), you should plan to visit Thinkery another time.

Can we visit the Museum if my child has not received the MMR vaccination?

Thinkery strongly supports the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that all children receive vaccinations. We request—but do not require—that Thinkery guests are vaccinated for MMR and other transmittable diseases; proof of vaccination is not needed to gain entry.

What are your cleaning procedures? How do you prevent the spread of germs?

We are committed to keeping the museum clean and safe for guests. 

• A professional cleaning team is on-site during Thinkery operating hours to sanitize and clean the restrooms, cafe, and common areas.
• Deep cleaning takes place when the museum is closed. The floors are mopped and vacuumed, restrooms are cleaned, and surfaces are sanitized.
• The air in the building is always circulated with fresh air to maintain clean, healthy air.
• Signs are displayed throughout the Museum to remind visitors to wash their hands.
• Hand sanitizer stations are located on each floor, throughout galleries and near all restrooms.
• Staff are required to consistently wash their hands.
• All surfaces that hands touch are cleaned daily to eliminate the spread of germs.
• Visitors are welcome to notify Thinkery staff if an area or object needs attention.

You can find more detailed information and tips for keeping kids (and adults) healthy at Thinkery here.

General admission tickets are non-refundable. Exchanges may be made with a minimum 24 hours notice of the original date. In the event of an emergency closing by the Museum, the ticket purchaser will have the option of an exchange or refund

Tickets sold for one-time programs are non-refundable. This includes Thinkery21, Family Night, Noon Year’s Eve and Parents’ Night Out.

Camp fees include a $75 non-refundable fee. Refunds, less the $75 non-refundable fee, are given for cancellations made before May 18, 2020. There are no refunds offered for cancelled registrations after May 18, 2020. If you are registered for camp and need to change weeks or sessions, there will be a $50 administrative fee once the change is approved. If the camp you are registered for is cancelled due to low enrollment, you will be refunded your tuition payment in full.

If you are interested in booking additional camp weeks, please call (512) 469-6201 or register online! The camp you sign up for is uniquely yours—sessions are not transferable to other campers.

Memberships are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Learn more about Memberships

Museum Store returns or exchanges can be issued for most items within 30 days of purchase. Items must be accompanied by the receipt.