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    French Legation State Historic Site

    4.7 (31 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Annular solar eclipse October 2023
    LT B.

    Beautiful grounds and nice little shop with tables, coffee and free wifi. And a nice spot to watch the eclipse.

    Rain W.

    We were looking for some neat historical places in Austin and we stumbled across this one and decided to check it out. We did not have a reservation so we did a self-guided tour. The kitchen was not open so it was only the house itself that you could go into. It was ok but the design and furnishings were particularly plain and not something you would associate with French design. There wasn't much there to see and we left pretty quickly. There's a small parking lot that is partially obscured by the construction that now surrounds this historical site. All in all, you can come for about half an hour and see it all.

    East lawn
    Amanda S.

    My 300th review! As I started thinking about what special place I was going to choose for my 300th review the decision honestly came to me pretty quickly ... The French Legation Museum has become a special place to me. I recently got married here last month and it truly was the wedding of my dreams and everything I could have hoped for! When Steve H and I started talking about wedding venues the French Legation was out 1st choice hands down. When we started dating we had a friend that lived in the old houses right by it on San Marcos and we spent a lot of time on that street. We also attended some events at the French Legation and we just new that was where we wanted to get married if we could make it happen. Since the French Legation is a museum they do not provide all the stuff you would need to have a wedding - we had to go through an outside vendor for that. As we started looking at what it would take to make it happen I knew I needed to look at some other venues before I was sure about the FL. We ended up coming back and booking our venue site here. The event coordinator for the museum is Anoush and she was informative, accommodating and super easy to work with. FYI - As most venues in Austin they do book quickly. I booked the venue about a year in advance. On the day of the wedding I used the carriage house to get ready and dressed in along with my bridesmaids. We had the ceremony on the front porch of the house and the reception was on the northwest lawn. Everything was even more perfect than I could have ever imagined! We also had a food truck on site that pulled into the loading driveway, which is between the back of the house and the northwest lawn. It was the perfect spot for people to have a true Austin food truck experience! I am still waiting on all my pics from my photographer and when I get them I will upload more here so you can picture a wedding here. There are many places on the property to take some great shots of any size group! Towards the end of the wedding there was a huge storm that came in quickly. The staff that was working that night was super helpful in helping to get everything inside that needed to get out of the rain. They also were accommodating to the situation and what to do with everything since it was down pouring. I truly could not have picked a more perfect spot to have my wedding - even though it ended in a hurricane (exaggeration...). The French Legation will always be a place I hold dear to my heart because of this! I would absolutely recommend it if you are considering an outdoor wedding venue, surrounded by beauty.

    Mindy H.

    The French Legation Museum was built in 1841 to represent the French government in Texas. Currently, it is the oldest standing wood frame structure in Austin. The house can be toured at certain times during the week for $5, but the grounds are free to explore and play on, even dog friendly. They also have some great fun events throughout the year, especially the summer movie nights. Be sure to check out the unobstructed view of the capital building from stone fence behind the house. If you are a history buff you must take the tour of the house. They have done a superb job of maintaining this special historic Austin gem, and even have some of the original furniture of the Dubois and Robertson family. We were lucky to get a tour from one of the directors right before they closed up. It is rare to find an actual stone basement in Austin, which they used for a wine cellar. The grounds are beautiful, and I enjoyed walking around checking out the whimsical art pieces on the grounds. The museum is conveniently located just outside downtown, in a beautiful historic neighborhood, in East Austin.

    Larry M.

    Another hot spot for weddings, often forgotten on the near East side, this 2.5 acres of two charming buildings from the 1840s and manicured landscaping is an oasis off of San Marcos just a few blocks from the hard core revitalization district of 11th and Waller area. Inside is a small but beautiful restoration of the French Legation from the mid 1800s which housed French representatives in Texas when considering our epic land as a country. (We still do). Lots of little-known history in a peaceful spot off the beaten track. They also host bi-monthly games of Petanque and musical series by candlelight, as well as host meetings for the Alliance Francaise - a cultural find for Francophilies in Texas, whether you can speak the language or not.

    The study area

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    13 years ago

    You must make the Bastille day celebration at the French legation an annual event!! It's so beautiful!

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    15 years ago

    Beautiful grounds. Really nice place to sit out.

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    13 years ago

    This place was awesome! It's so pretty I can see why people have weddings there. The staff was friendly and informative!

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    11 years ago

    Well worth the visit. Nice slice of American and French history. Intimate and impactful.

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    Ask the Community - French Legation State Historic Site

    Review Highlights - French Legation State Historic Site

    The French Legation Museum is really a misnomer for this historic home that teaches visitors nothing about France.

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    Austin Detours - Tour of production at Duchman Family Winery

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    4.9(681 reviews)
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    I toured Austin with Austin Detours. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable. We stopped at many…read moretaco spots to try a range of unique bites. We also saw cool street art!

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    Austin Detours - Salt Lick BBQ  cobbler was to die for!  Food was excellent!  Fall Creek Winery was so yummy if you prefer dry wine.

    Salt Lick BBQ cobbler was to die for! Food was excellent! Fall Creek Winery was so yummy if you prefer dry wine.

    Austin Detours - The Capital

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    Museum of the Weird

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    3.8(374 reviews)
    0.4 miDowntown

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    Museum of the Weird - Hollywood prop

    Hollywood prop

    Museum of the Weird - King Kong for photo op

    King Kong for photo op

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    French Legation State Historic Site - museums - Updated May 2026

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