DOWNTOWN. If you have kids to entertain, don't miss this museum. Exhibits are slyly educational and lots of fun. Austin Kiddie Limits, for example, lets your rising rocker or budding crooner experience the thrill of live performance, while Funstruction Zone encourages problem-solving and hones math skills. The Japan and Nature exhibit offers an impressive look at the country through a child's eyes, and Creation Station stimulates creativity with a variety of multi-media art projects. Rising Star Ranch, geared for the under-two set, includes pint-sized versions of a ranch house and barn.

NORTH AUSTIN. Housed in a Mediterranean-style villa built in 1916 and surrounded by lush gardens, this branch of AMOA features art by diverse 20th-century artists from Austin and around the world. Among its permanent holdings are works by Robert Rauschenberg, Chuck Close, and Ed Ruscha. Past exhibits have included the presence of modernism in Texas art (traditionally a stronghold of naturalism), the art of Dr. Seuss, and the photography of Annie Leibovitz. The museum also has a downtown branch.

CONGRESS AVENUE. This offshoot museum was opened in 1996 to handle overflow from the original Laguna Gloria location. It now presents 12,000 square feet of space dedicated primarily to important 20th-century visual art. The museum has more visibility in its downtown location than its parent does, and it offers tours, lectures, and performances. A museum store also sells terrific books, gifts, and more.

BARTON SPRINGS DISTRICT. Sort of a combination museum, zoo and park, the Austin Nature and Science Center is a must-see. Located at the edge of Zilker Park, the center features several native Texas animals such as porcupines, coyotes, snakes and owls; science labs where kids can learn more about the natural world; and a fun "eco-detective" trail. But the center's crowning glory is its unique Dino Pit exhibit, a fantastic hands-on exhibit where kids can dig for fossils (reproductions of actual fossils found in Texas) and compare dino trackways.

UNIVERSITY AREA. The Blanton ranks as the nation's largest university art museum, and its outstanding permanent collection ­ the largest in Central Texas ­ is comprised of more than 17,000 pieces, from priceless antiquities to more modern works. Strong holdings of American, Latin American, and European art, along with prints and drawings, comprise the backbone of the collection, which is also bolstered by new acquisitions of contemporary works.