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UT News

Winter Break Guide to History and Science on Campus

Explore these campus destinations to learn about monumental moments in history and scientific discoveries.

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LBJ Presidential Library

Ladies and Gentlemen...The Beatles! at LBJ Library

Photo courtesy of the LBJ Presidential Library.
LBJ Presidential Library 2313 Red River St.
Hours Every day 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Holiday Closures LBJ Library will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.
Cost
UT faculty, students, staff: Free
Adults: $8
Seniors (62+): $5
College students with valid ID: $3
Youth (13-17): $3
Children 12 & under: Free

At the LBJ Presidential Library on campus, visitors can explore the millions of historical documents, thousands of photos and hours of recordings from President Johnson’s political career. It’s a great stop for anyone interested in politics or the culture of the 1960s. Permanent exhibits explore the civil rights movement, the assassination of President Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, and a replica of the Oval Office that duplicates President Johnson’s office at 7/8th scale.

This year’s traveling exhibit goes beyond just presidential history:

Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles!

On view through January 10.

Curated by the GRAMMY Museum® and Fab Four Exhibits, the collection explores the impact The Beatles’ arrival had on American pop culture, including fashion, art, advertising, media and music, from early 1964 through mid-1966, when the British band was at its peak of popularity.

On display are more than 400 pieces of memorabilia, records, rare photographs, tour artifacts, video and instruments from private collectors and the GRAMMY Museum, including the original Ludwig drum head Ringo Starr played on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It even includes an oral history booth where visitors can leave their own impressions of the timeless group.

Texas Memorial Museum

Texas Memorial Museum

Photo courtesy of the Texas Memorial Museum.
Texas Memorial Museum 2400 Trinity St.
Hours Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Holiday Closures The Texas Memorial Museum will be closed Dec. 24 – Jan. 4.
Cost
UT faculty, students, staff: Free
Adults: $4
Military, active or retired: $1
College students with valid ID: $2
Children 2-12: $3
Children under 2: Free

The Texas Memorial Museum’s exhibits focus on dinosaurs and fossils, Texas wildlife, gems and minerals, and a working paleontology lab where visitors can interact with scientists as they prepare fossil finds. Spotlighted in the exhibits are spectacular specimens found in Texas, including the largest flying creature ever found — the Texas Pterosaur, with a wingspan of nearly 40 feet — and the 30-foot Onion Creek mosasaur that swam the shallow sea that once covered most of the state 80 million years ago.

If the dinosaurs don’t pique your interest, then check out the giant 1,778-carat blue topaz gemstone, which weighs more than a full can of a soda, or the 140 mineral and gem specimens collected across the world by a former Texas legislator who served under General Douglas MacArthur during World War II.

Due to holiday closures this museum is only open before Christmas Eve, so come early!

The Harry Ransom Center

HRC Gutenberg Bible

Photo courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center.
Harry Ransom Center 300 West 21st Street (21st and Guadalupe)
Hours Monday – Wednesday, Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.
Holiday Closures The HRC will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1.
Cost Admission is free. Your donation supports the Ransom Center’s exhibitions and public programs.

Explore the arts and humanities at the Harry Ransom Center, with cultural materials like the Gutenberg Bible and the First Photograph on permanent display, and the current exhibition celebrating Shakespeare and his plays.

Frida Kahlo’s “Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird.”

On view through Dec. 31, 2015.

In the Ransom Center lobby, visitors can see Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s “Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird.” The Ransom Center celebrates the homecoming of this famous and frequently borrowed work of art. The painting was most recently on view at the New York Botanical Garden’s exhibition, “FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life,” which had record-breaking attendance of more than 525,000 visitors.

Shakespeare in Print and Performance at HRC

Image courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center.

Shakespeare in Print and Performance

On view Dec. 21, 2015 – May 29, 2016.

No writer is more central to the English literary tradition than William Shakespeare. For centuries, his works have intrigued and inspired generations of readers, audiences and scholars. Four hundred years after his death, the Harry Ransom Center commemorates Shakespeare’s legacy by presenting a selection of rare and unique materials relating to his plays. These materials, primarily drawn from the Ransom Center’s collections, demonstrate how much we can learn about his historical context, sources, texts and productions of the plays from early printed books and theatrical archives.

For information about parking, visit the Parking and Transportation Services website, check out the campus parking map and look for special-events parking updates.