The Texas Governor’s Mansion

Austin master builder Abner Cook was responsible for the design and construction of the Governor’s Mansion Texas.

Approximately a decade after Texas became a state in 1845, the legislature appropriated $14,500 for the Mansion. The building contract was then handed to Abner Cook, who designed the residence in the fashionable Greek Revival style.

He used his own clay pit on the Colorado River, not far from the construction site, to form the bricks that still support the Mansion's walls today, demonstrating his vision and inventiveness.

The years that followed brought a plethora of colourful stories to life within these walls – with plenty of art and antique collections also on display.

1010 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701, USA

Interesting to Know

Where is the Governor's Mansion in Texas?

In case you need it, the Texas Governor’s Mansion address is 1010 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701, United States.

To get there, it’s only an 11 minute walk from Austin’s city center, via Congress Ave and W 9th St. Alternatively, the number 20 and 30 buses from Lavaca/4th both drop you off three minutes away from the building, but it still works out faster to walk.

As for driving to reach the Texas Governor’s Mansion, it’s located in a really accessible spot – just off the corner of Lavaca/W11th. That said, it’s quite a busy area (especially during peak business hours).

What to see at the Texas Governor’s Mansion?

The great thing about visiting here is that the staff there offer (at the time of writing) a free guided Texas Governor's Mansion tour every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which start at 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm, and 3:30pm (for security reasons reservations need to be made a week in advance).

Cool, right? These free Texas Governor’s Mansion tours last around twenty minutes and cover the most interesting parts of the interior. So, if you were wondering “is the texas governor's mansion open for tours?” the answer is, as things are returning to normal following the first wave of the Covid Pandemic, yes!

To schedule a tour, please visit the State Preservation Board's website [https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tgm/tgm-tour/tgm-tour.html]. Visitors may also call the Mansion Reservationist at (512) 305-8524 or email them at Mansion.Tours@tspb.texas.gov.

Aside from the interior, of course, there’s the lovely Greek Revival architecture and spotless garden to check out! In addition to all that, the State Preservation Board has a neat activity book and wordsearch on their website [https://tspb.texas.gov/atxmd/index.html#section3] you can print off for your kids to try while you visit, too!

Can you take pictures at the Texas Governor’s Mansion?

To paraphrase the State Preservation Board’s website: Photography is permitted. However, visitors and the building’s occupants may be walking through the area, so you may be asked to move if you’re blocking access.

Always be wary of taking photographs whenever there’s another visitor or staff member within shot, just in case they wouldn’t like to feature in your photo.

We also recommend not using flash photography around strangers in general, as it can affect those with epilepsy and can also potentially inflict extreme discomfort on people with ASD, as two examples.

Where to park at the Texas Governor’s Mansion?

Free parking is available for 2 hours at a time in the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage at 1201 San Jacinto located between Trinity and San Jacinto Streets at 12th and 13th Streets. Metered spaces are available throughout the complex, including West 10th Street near the Governor's Mansion.

There’s some free parking spots nearby on 110 West 10th Street, too, found here.

Fun things to do near the Texas Governor’s Mansion?

Besides the activities already mentioned, there’s always trying one of our city exploration games/self-guided tours. They’re just the thing for if you’re looking to see some sights and discover the area surrounding the Texas Governor’s Mansion in a whole new light!

Stop, pause and continue at your own pace. Step into a gripping fictional narrative whilst solving bespoke challenges, brought to you by our top-notch team of writers. In doing so, you’ll see gorgeous sights and learn lesser-known facts about each location featured in the game, just by walking!

All this is made possible by our award-winning app.

Walking around outside the Texas Governor’s Mansion and craning your neck to stare at your phone has never been more exciting!