Museum options abound in Austin
Though barbecue, live music and traffic headaches get all the headlines, Austinites also have access to an extensive collection of museums. Whether you’re looking for art, history, Americana, or a place to take young kids on a rainy day, options abound!
Art lovers can head to the Blanton Museum of Art, which hosts an impressive permanent collection, featuring the new Ellsworth Kelly building/sculpture installation Austin, as well as regular special exhibits. Don’t forget that admission is free on Thursdays.
Other art museums include the Contemporary Austin, which has galleries on both Congress Avenue and at the historic Laguna Gloria property on Lake Austin. The Elisabet Ney Museum is located in the Hyde Park-area home and studio of its namesake, an acclaimed German sculptor, who moved to Austin in the 1860s. Her collection includes works that are housed in the Texas State Capitol, the U.S. Capitol, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Another local sculptor whose artistic legacy is still proudly on display is Charles Umlauf, namesake of the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum near Zilker Park. Beginning in 1941, Umlauf was a professor in UT’s art school for 40 years, and in 1985, he and his wife gave their home, Umlauf’s studio and 168 sculptures to the City of Austin. Six years later, the garden opened and continues to present Umlauf’s work in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Venture to the East Side to check out the George Washington Carver Museum, which features artwork focusing on the experiences of African-Americans living in Austin, Travis County, and the United States in general. Just a few minutes away near the shore of Lady Bird Lake is the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center. The center includes two galleries, which feature works by local, regional and national Latino and Latina artists.
If history is more your passion, don’t miss the Harry Ransom Center on the UT campus, which offers free gallery shows presenting different aspects of its immense collection of historical materials. The current exhibit is “Vaudeville!” and will be on display until mid-July. The Bullock State History Museum celebrates all things Texas and in addition to its historic and cultural exhibits, offers a big airy space in which to while away the hours on a hot summer day.
If you’re looking for more eclectic museums where you’re less likely to encounter busloads of schoolkids on a field trip, head to the Austin Fire Museum, located at 401 E. Fifth St. in the historic Central Fire Station No. 1. The museum features 19th to 21st Century uniforms, photographs and memorabilia from the city’s firefighters. If you’re looking for items from Austin’s storied live music legacy, check out the South Austin Popular Culture Center, which houses a collection of vintage posters and live music ephemera from the 1960s through the present day.
For the kids, check out Thinkery, located in the Mueller Community. This community children’s museum offers hands-on, science-based family activities to promote curiosity and lifelong learning. And kids of all ages will enjoy one of Austin’s newest museums, the Austin Toy Museum, located on E. Cesar Chavez, just east of I-35, which features a collection of vintage toys, as well as arcade games that visitors can actually play.
Photo Courtesy of Blanton Museum of Art, blantonmuseum.org
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