It's harder to gain access to the Texas Governor's Mansion than the White House in Washington DC. But it's worth it. Located at 1010 Colorado Street in Austin, the historic house was built in 1854, has been the home of every governor since 1856, is the oldest continuously inhabited house in Texas, the fourth oldest governor's mansion in the United States and was the first designated Texas historic landmark in 1962. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. But it is only open to the public from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. To visit, you must make a reservation a week in advance and provide a driver's license to officials can make a background check. Remodeling in 1914 increased the mansion's size to 8,920 square feet with 25 rooms and seven bathrooms. But there are only two bedrooms, including the Sam Houston Bedroom which contains the original Sam Houston bed as well as several relics and antiques and memorabilia relating to Houston, who was governor from 1859 to 1861. The tour of the Greek Revival building includes 10 rooms that contain the Mansion Collection of fine and decorative arts, including objects representing every governor to live in the mansion. The collection includes a painting of Fall of the Alamo, a state-owned portrait of Sam Houston by Martin Johnson Heade, ceramics, glass, silver objects, porcelain vases, wine coolers, a 19th century French clock and American-made furniture from the first half of the 19th century.

I went and walked around the block that the mansion in on but 3 of 4 sides have walls so you can only see the house on one side so that’s all you’ll get unless you do a background check that takes a week so plan ahead before you show up to Austin.

We made a reservation to tour the governor's mansion on the same day we were visiting the capitol and the Bullock Texas History Museum. This turned out to pretty underwhelming. You have to make a reservation at least a week in advance and give them you're driver's license so they can run a background check. The part you get to see is just the formal rooms with lots of antique furniture. Tour is only 30 minutes long, and our guide was struggling to remember the facts and names that were part of her tour script. If you have time, go ahead and do it, but if you're time limited this is one thing in Austin you could skip.

Absolutely Gorgeous Texas Mansion. Across from Texas Capitol,Austin Texas on Colorado Street. If you go on a Sunday it's easier bc parking is metered and easier to get a space. Worth seeing in person.

My wife and I are on an extended motorhome trip playing golf and sightseeing from California to Alabama. One of our stops was in Austin for 10 days we decided to see the Texas Governors Mansion just after visiting the State Capitol Building which is only a block away from the State Capitol. We had to submit our identification information one week in advance so they could do a background check on each of us to get authorization to enter the Mansion which they did then made an appointment time for us to tour. You are not allowed to bring ANYTHING with you on the tour except your Identification (Drivers License), Camera, Phone. No Purses, Backpacks Etc Etc Etc. They check you in similar to the airport check in through metal detector. You get to enter the ground floor only of the Mansion staying with your guide nd under the very watchful eye of security personnel You view 4 rooms and listen to your guide pass on some of the History of the Mansion about its past and present Occupants, Fires, Weddings,Births, Battle Planning etc. Pretty interesting tour last about one hour no grounds tour. Would not go out my way to do the tour because of the preplanning required to get security clearance in advance if your not going to be visiting other items in the area