Hill Country · Historic Sites & Museums

Neill-Cochran House Museum

The Neill-Cochran House Museum preserves an 1856 Greek Revival Austin landmark and the city's only intact slave quarters, interpreting local life, architecture, enslavement and social change from Austin's early decades into the twentieth century.

Photography: Larry D. Moore · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Plan the visit

Neill-Cochran House Museum at a glance

Where is Neill-Cochran House Museum?: Neill-Cochran House Museum is near Austin, Texas, in Travis County.
When is the best time to visit Neill-Cochran House Museum?: Year-round house museum; spring and fall are most comfortable for combining the interior tour with the grounds and a walk toward the UT campus.
Do I need to plan ahead for Neill-Cochran House Museum?: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. First-floor historic rooms and restrooms are wheelchair accessible, but preservation constraints prevent elevator access to second-floor rooms.
Who manages Neill-Cochran House Museum?: National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Texas

The place

Why Neill-Cochran House Museum belongs on the list

The Neill-Cochran House Museum gives Austin history a physical scale that downtown towers and government buildings cannot. Built in the 1850s by master builder Abner Cook, the house survived dramatic changes in the city and now interprets architecture, household life and the people whose labor sustained the property across slavery, war, Reconstruction and later urban growth.

The surviving slave quarters are especially important. They allow the museum to address urban enslavement in Austin through an original structure rather than only documents or retrospective interpretation. Guided programs and exhibitions use the property to connect individual lives with the economic and social systems that shaped the young city.

The museum is just west of the University of Texas campus, making it a strong historical contrast to the Ransom Center, Blanton and other university institutions. Accessibility is partial because the historic second floor has no elevator, so visitors with mobility needs should review the museum's current guidance before arriving.

The details

Plan the visit

Nearest town: Near Austin, Texas
Best season: Year-round house museum; spring and fall are most comfortable for combining the interior tour with the grounds and a walk toward the UT campus.
County: Travis County
Address: 2310 San Gabriel St, Austin, TX 78705
Entry & reservations: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. First-floor historic rooms and restrooms are wheelchair accessible, but preservation constraints prevent elevator access to second-floor rooms.
Accessibility: First-floor historic rooms, exhibits and restrooms are wheelchair accessible; second-floor rooms do not have elevator access because of architectural and preservation constraints.

Official visitor information

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Quick answer

Planning a visit to Neill-Cochran House Museum

What is Neill-Cochran House Museum?: The Neill-Cochran House Museum preserves an 1856 Greek Revival Austin landmark and the city's only intact slave quarters, interpreting local life, architecture, enslavement and social change from Austin's early decades into the twentieth century.
When is the best time to go?: Year-round house museum; spring and fall are most comfortable for combining the interior tour with the grounds and a walk toward the UT campus.
What should I know before arriving?: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. First-floor historic rooms and restrooms are wheelchair accessible, but preservation constraints prevent elevator access to second-floor rooms.
Where is it?: Near Austin, Texas, in Travis County.

Field notes

What to know before you go

Conditions, closures, fees and availability can change. Use these notes to plan, then confirm the latest details with the official site before making the drive.

Don’t miss

1856 Greek Revival architecture
Intact slave quarters
Austin social history
Furnished historic rooms

Good to know

Best time to go: Year-round house museum; spring and fall are most comfortable for combining the interior tour with the grounds and a walk toward the UT campus..
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. First-floor historic rooms and restrooms are wheelchair accessible, but preservation constraints prevent elevator access to second-floor rooms.
Accessibility: First-floor historic rooms, exhibits and restrooms are wheelchair accessible; second-floor rooms do not have elevator access because of architectural and preservation constraints.

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