French Legation Museum
A maison far from home
A little-known gem on two and a half acres of peaceful, well-manicured lawns in East Austin.
The museum is made up of two buildings, the Mansion, originally built in the 1840s to house the French representative to the Republic of Texas, and a replica of the kitchen.
The “mansion” isn’t large or ostentatious by today’s standards, but at the time Austin was just a collection of dirt roads lined with tents and log cabins, so it must have seemed quite luxurious.
Friendly, knowledgeable docents bring its history to life.