This realistic French Legation Austin Guide helps you plan your next visit to this historic embassy to Texas.

French Legation is a house museum in Austin, Texas. This State Historic Site preserves an 1841 mansion and its grounds. One of the oldest houses in the Capital of Texas was once a diplomatic residence.

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Almost all visitors to French Legation are puzzled by its name. Does it have to do with the French Foreign Legion? That seems fitting since the foreign corps of the French Army dates back to 1831.

In a way, this guess is not too far from reality. French Legation has a much stronger connection to France than French fries. It was home to a French representative to the Republic of Texas in the 19th century.

In this sense, legation is quite similar to the modern day embassies and consulates. Once the Republic joined the United States, French Legation became a private residence.

Sights & Places of Interest

The Consulate General of France is no longer in Austin. Like most other European consulates you need to go to Houston. But there are still Consulate Generals of Mexico and Ireland in the Capital of Texas.

The public first toured French Legation in 1956. The museum underwent major restoration during the last decade. French Legation reopened its doors to the public in 2021.

This French Legation Austin Guide follows a path of a typical self-guided tour of the museum. It starts at the Visitor Center and Detached Kitchen. The Legation House and park grounds round up the overview.

1. Visitors Center

It is a no brainer decision to start a visit to French Legation with the Visitors Center. This building looks a bit like a carriage house in the mansions of New York and New Jersey.

This resemblance is not by accident. The Visitors Center at French Legation is, in fact, inside of the restored carriage house. The original structure dated back to the 1840s.

But few, if any, items inside the Visitor Center give away its age. It is a modern two-story building. A check-in desk, museum store, and cafe are on the first floor. Museum offices are upstairs.

You could pay your admission fees, buy a souvenir, and grab a bite to eat. You could even get a historic passport at this Visitors Center sometimes.

2. Detached Kitchen

You will see a small building about halfway between the Visitors Center and the Legation House. When you look at from the outside, you might mistake it for a wooden shed with windows.

A handful of Austinites built similar offices in their backyards during the pandemic lockdowns. This building could not possibly date to the 1840s, could it?

Your eyes are not deceiving you. This structure is a 1967 replica of the 1841 detached kitchen. A fire destroyed the original structure in the 1880s.

You are welcome to enter the Detached Kitchen. You might be surprised at what you could see inside of this simple “shed”. Most items in the restored kitchen date back to the 1840s.

The museum staff refers to this building as the Beretta Kitchen at times. This family made a generous donation to the museum. These funds helped rebuild the kitchen and furnish it with the historic items.

Enjoy a beautiful stone fireplace, table, and grandfather clock. It could rival the clock at the Haas-Lilienthal House in San Francisco, California. Copper pans and pots on the walls are other worthy items.

3. Legation House

The Detached Kitchen is just a few steps from the Legation House, the crown jewel of the museum. This mansion dates back to the mid 19th century. Yet, it has also been restored to its former beauty.

The Legation House has a simple design. It cannot compete with the Longfellow House or Ford Mansion, other historic wooden houses. But the bright green wooden shatters give the white house a character.

You should go around the house to the front porch. The main visitor entrance is as far as possible from the Detached Kitchen. You are welcome to enter the Legation House and see its interior.

The whole first floor of the Legation House is open to the public. You will see parlors and bedrooms. But, unlike other house museums in Austin and elsewhere, there are very few furniture pieces.

In fact, all historic items at French Legation could fit in one room of the Gibson House or Hillwood Estate. This is an unfortunate surprise when visiting this museum.

But you should still explore the rooms of the Legation House. A handful of items are certain to draw your attention. Take a look at a paining next to a canopy bed. It shows the Legation House around 1858.

Another room of the house looks a bit like a parlor in the Meeker Mansion. Historic furniture items, candlestick, and a chess set add to this feeling.

It is easy to imagine a reception taking place in this room. The French representative and Texas delegates could have been discussing aid and alliance while playing chess.

You will find large information boards with lots of text in every room. But take a look at the black window hinges instead. Together with the window levers, these items are worth a quick look.

4. Park Grounds

Once you finish your self-guided tour of the Legation House, there will be one more thing for you to see. The grounds of French Legation State Historic Site are an attraction by themselves.

The formal gardens are to the south and east of the Legation House. Museum staff puts a lot of effort to keep the plants, bushes, and trees in an impeccable condition.

You could see blooming flowers if you visit French Legation in the spring. While you might not find any bluebonnets, there would still be lots of plants to see.

A large lawn with live oak trees takes up the rest of the park grounds. Dirt and gravel paths bring you from one wrought iron bench to another. This area feels like most other parks in the Austin area.

The limestone and wrought iron fence looks as if it came from Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve up north. This should not come as a surprise. You could often find both materials in the parks around Austin.

The park grounds are rather small. Do not count on getting a workout there even as a beginner hiker. But a walk in a shade of live oaks is a nice way to escape the city.

Continue with this French Legation Austin Guide. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to French Legation

French Legation is a house museum in Austin, Texas. This historic house and park are in Central East Austin neighborhood. The museum is a block east of Interstate Highway I-35.

Unless you know what to look for, you might not find French Legation easily. This museum is tucked away behind high rise apartment buildings and single family homes.

A car is the easiest way to reach French Legation from anywhere in the Austin area. A drive from Downtown takes under 10 minutes. The Airport is less than 15 minutes away with normal traffic.

There is a small visitor parking lot at French Legation. This parking lot is at the corner of Embassy Drive and 9th Street. It is free but fits less than a dozen of cars.

Still, it is a better experience than at the Blanton Museum of Art or Bullock Texas State History Museum. Free parking is not easy to find in large cities. There is meter parking along San Marcos Street, too.

You could take public transport to visit French Legation. Bus 4 stops a block south of the museum at 7th Street and San Marcos. Bus 2 stop five blocks north.

A single ride costs $1.25. Buy a ticket online or bring coins since you cannot pay with a card on the bus. It might be a good idea to get a day pass at $2.5.

You could also take Metro Rail. This single line train connects Downtown Austin with Leander. A single ride costs $3. A day pass is $7. You could take local and express buses with this day pass, too.

A walk from Plaza Saltillo Station is 0.6 miles (1 km) long. Downtown station is 0.7 miles (1.1 km) away. But this walk goes under a highway overpass and is far less pleasant.

Where to Stay near French Legation

French Legation is close to the center of action in Austin. As a result, finding a place to stay should be a walk in the park.

With that said, there is one hotel to consider next to the museum. East Austin Hotel is just a couple of blocks south of French Legation.

Almost all other places to stay are across Interstate Highway I-35. Check out Hyatt House Austin/Downtown and Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown, an IHG Hotel.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Austin Downtown – University, an IHG Hotel is also worth a look. All of these places to stay are about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from French Legation.

There are even more hotels if you go further west towards Congress Avenue. Consider staying at Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin and The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel.

Paid parking is one of the main downsides when staying in Austin Downtown area. If you drive to French Legation, you should consider places to stay in other parts of the city.

Drury Inn & Suites Austin North is a nice hotel less than 5 miles (8 km) north of the museum. You could reach this place to stay easily by taking I-35.

Tru By Hilton Austin Airport, Tx is a comparable distance southeast. You should pay a visit to McKinney Falls if you stay in this neighborhood. This park is a Hill Country oasis in the city.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

French Legation is open to visitors Tuesday to Sunday. You could walk the park grounds between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. This is more than enough time to explore the park that surrounds French Legation.

The museum has shorter hours. You could see the house and the detached kitchen between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Last admission is at 4:15 p.m. Yet, 15 minutes is about enough to see the highlights.

French Legation charges per person admission fees. Adults (18+) pay $7, children (6-17) pay $4, and kids under 6 visit free. A family ticket for two adults and one child costs $14. $1 for each additional kid.

The museum offers a $1 discount off the admission to seniors, veterans, teachers, and first responders. It is one of the few museums in the Austin area that honors teachers and first responders in this way.

French Legation is a State Historic Site in Texas. But do not think that Texas State Parks Pass will grant you free admission. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department does not run this site.

Instead, this museum is part of the Texas Historical Commission. It is a different agency of the Texas Government. Unless French Legation takes part in Austin Museum Day, there is no way to save on fees.

If you prefer a guided tour to a self-guided exploration, you need to make arrangements ahead of your visit. You could reserve a guided group tour by contacting the museum in advance.

Takeaways: French Legation Austin

French Legation is an interesting house museum in Austin, Texas. It gives you a rare chance to see the interior and grounds of a former embassy. Few other house museums could boast such a role.

If you are fascinated by the Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas, you will find this museum worthwhile. You will learn about the years of the republic and the famous residents of this house.

But some of the views shared in the park brochures and information boards appear a bit one-sided. Moreover, all information about the museum is on massive boards rather than interactive.

There are very few notable pieces in the main Legation House. In fact, the restored Detached Kitchen might have more historic items. This could be an unpleasant surprise when visiting French Legation.

You might be better off heading to the Neill-Cochran House, Flower Hill, or Pioneer Farms to see the interiors. But do not write off French Legation. It could be a worthy stop on Austin Museum Day.

Take a look at this French Legation Austin Video Guide. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.

https://youtu.be/p4IhVMDY1dI

Frequently Asked Questions

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