Alphonse Dubois de Saligny was sent to Austin to gather more information about the newly established Republic of Texas and ascertain whether the French government ought to recognize it, which it eventually did. However, the capital moved from Austin to Houston and consequently&nbsp;the legation was no longer needed. Saligny sold it before it was completed to a Catholic Bishop who then sold it again to a man named Moseley Baker. Baker then&nbsp;sold it to&nbsp;Dr. Joseph W. Robertson&nbsp;in 1848.&nbsp;The Robertson family (his wife and&nbsp;11 children - 5 girls and 6 boys) and their descendants&nbsp;lived in the house for about a century. Robertson’s last remaining daughters, Miss Lillie Robertson, who died in 1939, and Miss Sarah Robertson, who died in 1940, in their later years
opened the house to the public calling it “Old French Embassy”. Both of them were
very interested in the preservation of the house, and allowed in 1934 the house
to be surveyed for the Historic American Building Survey (HABS). Following
their deaths, the house was sold to the state of Texas in 1950 which then appointed the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT)
as the property’s custodian. As state above, the DRT opened the French
Legation Museum to the public in 1956. Today, the Museum is devoted to sharing
the site’s past and rich cultural history of Texas with the public.



The building was added as a Recorded Texas Landmark in 1967,
listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and in 1974
designated as a State Historical Landmark. In 1981, the site was designated as
a Texas State Archaeological Landmark.

The French Legation Museum is situated in the oldest lumber house in Austin built in 1841.

Website

Book: The French in Texas: History, Migration, Culture 

Book

More Info

Video

This house was built in 1841 to be home of Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, the French Charge de'Affaires (a diplomatic representative of lower status than an ambassador) to the Republic of Texas. The house was never used for its intended purpose because the capital moved from Austin to Houston the same year. In 1848 the estate was purchased by Dr. Joseph W. Robertson, and served as his family private residence for about 90 years. It is the oldest extant frame structure in Austin. It opened as a museum in 1956.

French Legation Museum

Admin

This tour includes twenty museums, galleries, cultural centers, botanical gardens, and historic homes that are all open to the public for tours. Highlights of the tour for history lovers include the Bullock Texas State History Museum, the State Capitol Visitors Center, and the Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Library and Museum. 

Umlauf was born in South Haven, Michigan. His artistic talent was recognized from an early age. His family moved to Chicago when he was eight years old and he attended summer art school at the Art Institute. He studied at the institute for many years before becoming a life drawing and sculpture instructor at the University of Texas in 1941. He taught there for 40 years. His works can be seen in museums across the country including the Smithsonian Institution and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Located in Zilber Park, Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum was established in 1991 to display the works of artist Charles Umlauf (1910-1994), one of the 20th century's best sculptors. He created works with a variety of materials including wood, terra cotta, cast stone, bronze, alabaster, and marble. His subjects were varied as well, including family groupings, animals, religious and mythical figures, and nudes. The collection is comprised of 168 of his sculptures which are displayed inside the museum and in the gardens. The collection also includes works created by the late actress Farrah Fawcett, who was Umlauf's friend and student. Visitors can take guided tours, attend workshops, classes, and lectures, even take yoga classes.  

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum

Additional Information&nbsp; One of the most interesting areas inside Zilker Botanical Garden is the&nbsp;Hartman Prehistoric Garden. The site was established in 1992&nbsp;following the discovery of dinosaur tracks and the remains of an ancient turtle&nbsp;within the botanical garden. Nearly 100 tracks were discovered and are&nbsp;believed to have been left behind by six or seven&nbsp;prehistoric creatures. The tracks were mapped, cast, and re-buried to protect them from the elements.&nbsp;&nbsp; Funds were hastily raised and a number of volunteers joined together to develop a two-acre cretaceous habitat around the site. A life-size replica of an&nbsp;Ornithomimus, the species of dinosaur that likely laid the tracks, was situated at the center of the garden. Developers chose over 100 plant species that likely existed when the Ornithomimus roamed the earth. These included: horsetails, cycads, ferns, liverworts, palms, conifers, magnolias, and ginkgos.1&nbsp;

Zilker Botanical Garden is situated in downtown Austin, TX along the bank of the Colorado River. The garden was developed inside Zilker Park in 1955 as part of a collaboration effort between The City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department (PARD) and the Austin Area Garden Council (AAGC). Zilker Botanical Garden is composed of several independently maintained gardens, each with a particular focus. The gardens draw nearly 100,000 visitors to Zilker Park per annum.  

Zilker Botanical Garden 

The Austin Nature and Science Center was opened in 1960 and was originally located in the Deep Eddy bathhouse; however, the building itself was not very appealing or inviting to the public. This made it so that many activities were outdoors and not inside the actual building. Later in the decade the city proposed moving the center to Zilker Park, but not without controversy. In 1973, a group calling themselves "Friends of Zilker Park" appealed to city council "in an effort to preserve park land...for all Austin Citizens and kill once and for all the Austin Natural Science Association's continued request to erect their million dollar headquarters in Zilker Park."1 Primarily, the group feared that building a center in Zilker Park would take away the limited natural park space. However, most newspaper writers argued in favor of the relocation because of the additional educational benefits of the natural landscape in the new location. People were also concerned about the health and safety of the barnyard animals at the center, which ultimately, did not prove to be an issue. Once the center was established, people came around on the idea and saw the many benefits it provided for the younger generations.So, in 1982, they officially moved and opened the center to the much more appropriate location in Zilker Park. When it was first opened at the Deep Eddy location, the center had few exhibits that included snakes and minerals; however, the Zilker Park location allowed for more exhibits and activities. Now it has expanded to many different experiences and provides education on the endangered Barton Springs salamander along with the importance of the aquifer. The exhibits include birds of prey, fossils, small mammals, snakes, and discovery of the natural environment through guided hikes and outdoor education. Through outdoor exploration, the center also provides education on the geology of the area. Wilderness areas and wildlife are abundant around the location, which also adds to the overall experience of the Center. The flowing water and dense foliage surrounding the Center provide an ideal environment where wildlife can thrive while people can learn and observe. The Austin Nature and Science Center has expanded and improved that accommodates for the changing times through the addition of new exhibits and learning experiences, such as, the nano science and STEM exhibit, the Dino-pit, and many others. The outdoor education programs are important now more than ever due to the degradation of the natural environment, so this is directly reflected in the importance of the center as a whole. They provide new programs and experiences that continue to educate the public and future generations

Founded in 1960, the Austin Nature & Science Center is dedicated to teaching visitors of all ages about science and the natural world. The center features exhibits and numerous programs, including a hands-on nanoscience and STEM exhibit; "dino pit," where visitors can excavate fossils to learn about paleontology; naturalist workshop, in which staff members teach children about about various nature topics; live animal exhibits; summer camps and preschool programs. Other activities like rock climbing and archery are also offered. The Austin Nature and Science Center provides a hands on education experience for children to explore the natural environment and its importance. The center has been established for fifty year and is located at Zilker Park, which is a central location in Austin.


Austin Nature & Science Center

The Austin Public Library has its origins in 1913, when Mayor A. P. Wooldridge petitioned the Texas state legislature to re-designate a vacant lot to be used for a public library. Permission was granted, but the lot remained empty for another decade. In 1925, the Austin Chapter of the American Association of University Women, under the leadership of Grace Delano Clark, began a campaign to create a public library in the city of Austin, Texas. A temporary building was constructed by 1926, and in 1928 voters approved a $150,000 bond to build a permanent structure. In the 1932 architect Hugo Franz Kuehne, one of Austin’s most noteworthy architects, was commissioned to design the library. After one year of construction, the first permanent library in the city’s history opened on March 10, 1933.

The Italian Renaissance style building was created almost entirely by local contributors. The library’s architect, Hugo Kuehne, was an Austin native and first dean of the University Of Texas School Of Architecture. The ornamental wrought iron on the balconies, windows, and doors were made by Fortunat Weigl. Interior woodwork was made by master woodcarver Peter Mansbendel, an immigrant from Switzerland. The tracery frescoes on the ceilings were painted by Jessen and Peter Alidi.

The building served as the main library until 1979, when library functions moved to the John Henry Faulk Library, a newer and far larger facility next door. In 1981, restoration architectural firm Bell, Klein and Hoffman formulated plans to convert the old library into research and archives facilities for the Austin History Center.&nbsp;In 1983, the building was restored, refurbished, and reopened as the Austin History Center. With its prominent location, fine architectural detailing, and continued strong role in the cultural life of the community, the Austin Public Library building survives as a significant local landmark until today.

The Austin History Center, one of the foremost local history collections in Texas, was founded in 1955 as the Austin/Travis County Collection of the Austin Public Library. It houses thousands of documents, photographs, maps, artifacts, and personal histories of the city and region. It contains the Austin Public Library's local history collection as well as the city's historical archives. The building originally opened as the Austin Public Library in 1933 and served as the main library until 1979. The Italian Renaissance structure is considered to be the most prominent public work of Austin native Hugo Kuehne, founding dean of the University Of Texas School Of Architecture.

Austin History Center

The non-profit Mexic-Arte Museum was founded by artists Pio Pulido, Sylvia Orozco, and Sam Coronado in 1984 to preserve and share Mexican culture. Originally located at the Arts Warehouse in downtown Austin, the Museum moved to its current location on Congress Avenue in 1988. The Mexic-Arte Museum's permanent collection includes some 1,500 works of art ranging from paintings and sculptures to masks and photographs. These include the Contemporary Latino Artists Collection, the Serie Print Project Archive, the Ernest F. de Soto Collection, and the Taller de Grafica Popular Collection. The majority of permanent items are ceremonial and decorative dance masks, important components of many Mexican cultural activities. There is also a library containing over 5,000 books dating back to the 19th century. In addition to the permanent collection, the Museum also hosts a number of temporary art exhibits year-round. The Mexic-Art Museum has presented a variety of educational programs and social events throughout the years to share Mexican and Latin American culture. These include an annual Day of the Dead festival and parade, a Catrina Ball, poetry nights, and a Screen It! program that teaches students screen printing.

Founded in 1984, the Mexic-Arte Museum is one of the few Mexican art museums in the country. It promotes and celebrates Mexican, Latino, and Latin American culture through art exhibitions and various educational programs. Since its inception it has grown to be an important part of Austin's thriving cultural scene. The museum's permanent collection is comprised of 1,500 historical and contemporary works, the majority of which are dance ceremonial masks from Mexico. Another large portion of the collection consists of prints, featuring artists such as Alejandro Colunga, Jose Luis Cuevas, and Ernest F. de Soto. The museum, which moved to this location in 1988, also features a library that holds 5,000 books. Programs include guided tours, family days (with free admission), and printmaking classes. Around 75,000 people visit the museum each year.

Mexic-Arte Museum

The Austin Fire Museum is located in the Central Fire Station No. 1, which was built in the 1930s and is still a functioning station. Ladder 1, Engine 1, and Engine 50 all call this building home. The museum features several items on display, including antique equipment dating to the 1870s, uniforms, and memorabilia from the state's first African American fire fighters. It is open on the weekend from 12-5 and during the week by appointment. 

Austin Fire Museum

Author O. Henry was
born William Sydney Porter on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
In 1882, Porter moved to Austin, Texas, where he worked a variety of different
jobs, including on a sheep ranch and as a teller for the First National Bank in
Austin. He also married Athol Estes in 1887. In 1894 Porter was fired from his
job at the First National Bank of Austin over accusations that he committed
embezzlement. The following year he moved to Houston, where he started a
short-lived humor magazine, The Rolling
Stone, before becoming a popular columnnist for the Houston Post. In 1896, federal auditors, after investigating the
Austin bank, indicted Porter on the charges of embezzlement. Porter moved his
wife and young daughter back to Austin before he himself fled to Honduras. In
1897, Porter returned to be with his wife, who was dying of tuberculosis, and
turned himself in to the authorities. 

Porter was sentenced to
five years in prison but was released after three years for good behavior in
1901. During his time in incarceration he wrote and published a flurry of short
stories so he could financially support his daughter Margaret. It was at this
time that he adopted the pen name O. Henry. By the time Porter left prison, he
had become famous as a short story writer. In 1902 he moved to New York, where
he continued to write. His short stories were published in magazines,
newspapers, and compiled into books. Porter’s works were known particularly for
their dry humor and surprise endings. Most of his stories took place in New
York, the southwestern United States, and South America. His most famous works
included “The Ransom of Red Chief,” “The Cop and the Anthem,” and “The Gift of
the Magi.” Despite his literary success, Porter became impoverished due to
alcoholism, and he died penniless in 1910.

The home occupied by
the O. Henry Museum in Austin, Texas was constructed in 1886. The Eastlake
Style house served as a rental property and was originally located at 308 East
4th Street. Porter and his family rented the home between 1893 and
1895, before they moved to Houston. In 1930 the house was planned on being
demolished to make room for a new warehouse. In 1934, activists succeeded in
saving the home and having it moved to its current location at 409 East 5th
Street, where it was restored and converted into a museum honoring Porter. The
museum today contains many period items, including some of Porter’s personal
belongings. It offers guided tours, hosts several literary groups, and is the
site of the annual O. Henry Pun-Off, a spoken word competition started in 1978.
In 1973, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and
a plaque was installed commemorating O. Henry.

This museum honors the life and literary legacy of William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), otherwise known as "O. Henry," a name he made up to mask his identity while he was serving time in prison for embezzlement. Porter earned wide acclaim for the short stories he wrote in prison including "The Gift of the Magi," "The Ransom of Red Chief" and "The Cop and the Anthem." The museum collects and preserves items related to Porter's life. The house itself was built in 1886 and Porter and his family lived here from 1893-1895. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

O. Henry Museum

The museum houses an extensive collection of books, photographs, manuscripts, maps, and other materials that document the history of African Americans. It also hosts exhibitions that focus primarily on black history and culture, featuring photographs and artifacts that illuminate different aspects of African American history and culture. The museum is housed in a 1,720 square foot, city owned building that was originally the main public library in Austin and the first library for blacks in the town. The building was moved to east Austin in 1933, where it became the Austin public library's first branch. The museum was located in a former library that was known as the "Colored Branch" between its establishment in 1926 and 1947, when the building was renamed the George Washington Carver Library in honor of the famous scientist, activist, and educator. Carver was raised in the Great Plains, having attended the segregated schools of Fort Scott and enduring both Jim Crow and rejection from colleges before achieving an advanced degree in Iowa. In the mid-1970s, east Austin residents lobbied for a larger branch library, which was completed in 1980 on a site adjacent to the old building Janie Harrison, Fanny Lawless, Onie B. Conley, and other community members decided that the original building would be an ideal site for a Black-history museum. Renovations of the old library building began in September 1979, and the museum opened to the public on October 5, 1980, and was expanded with a new facility in 2001. The museum provides invaluable support to Black artists by organizing solo exhibitions of their work and has been hosting the Regional Black Artists exhibition since 1983.The Carver Museum's permanent collection consists of paintings, prints, family papers, and memorabilia related to Austin African Americans. The museum supplements many programs within the site. It exhibits educational tours, concerts, storytelling, and other activities. It also operates a Youth at Risk program in which people are taught black-and-white photography during sixteen-week courses that culminate in exhibitions of their work. The museum is funded by the city, government grants, and donations from corporations and private foundations. The Friends of the Carver, a support group that has been operating since the museum's inception, also provides financial support. The museum had developed an ambitious $11.5 million three-phase plan by 1992 to establish a Black heritage and cultural center with a theater and expanded exhibition and storage space. The Carver Museum is a member of the Texas Association of Museums and the African American Museum Association.

The George Washington Carver Museum is the first neighborhood museum in Austin dedicated exclusively to African American history. The museum and center are located next to a public library that was created in 1926 to serve the African American community of Austin in the era of segregation. That library became home to a small museum in 1980. A 1998 bond initiative led to the construction of the expansive museum next to the original library. The museum offers exhibits that share the experiences and contributions of African American residents. The museum is housed in a 36,000-square-foot facility with four galleries, a conference room, a classroom, studio, 134-seat theater, and archival space. The galleries feature a core exhibit on Juneteenth, a permanent exhibit on Austin's African American families, an artists’ gallery, and a children’s exhibit on African-American scientists and inventors.

George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center

Founded in 1984, the Texas Music Museum celebrates the state's rich musical heritage. Its collection is comprised of artifacts, photographs, documents, reference materials, and oral histories. Genres covered are: Texas Historic and Patriotic, Country, Gospel, Classical, Cowboy, Big Band, Western Swing, Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Jazz, Ragtime and Barrelhouse, Soul, and Popular, as well as Texas ethnic music, including Tejano, Czech, African American, German, and Native American. The museum is housed in the Marvin C. Griffin Building.

Texas Music Museum

German migration to
Texas in significant numbers began during the 1830s and continued for the next
few decades. Germans were drawn to the area by reports of land grants, abundant
resources, low taxes, and a warm climate. Many immigrants settled together in
communities, preserving their language and culture for many years. In the
1840s, organizations such as the German Emigration Company helped to establish
German-immigrant towns such as New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, and Castroville. Some
Germans who had previously immigrated to the American Midwest also moved to
Texas. By 1850, Germans made up 5% of the population of Texas. German
immigration to the state died down in the 1890s. Anti-German sentiment during
the World Wars as well as increased urbanization led to a decline in German
culture and usage of the language. Today people of German ancestry still make
up the largest European ethnic group in the state of Texas.

One major problem
facing German immigrants was access to education. For much of the nineteenth
century Texas lacked a free public education system. It did however subsidize
tuition for lower-income students who could not otherwise afford to attend
private schools. Taking advantage of this, German-Texans created the German
Free School Association, a system of free German schools for students throughout
the state. In September 1857, a German Free School was established in Austin.
It was the first school in Austin to be chartered by the Texas State
Legislature. The two-story school building was constructed with volunteer labor
on land donated by civil engineer Wilhelm von Rosenberg. In 1871, a public
school system was established in Austin, leading the German Free School to
close in 1880. Afterwards the building was used as a residence for many years.
In 1948, it was purchased and occupied by local artist Dr. Kelly H. Stevens,
who donated it to the German-Texan Heritage Society upon his death in 1991.
Today the school building is a designated City of Austin Landmark as well as a
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

The German-Texan
Heritage Society was formed in 1978 by a group of Texans who had participated
in the annual symposium of the Society for German-American Studies. The
organization is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history and culture
of Texans of German ancestry. The Society was originally based in the Texas
State University’s German department until 1991, when it made the German Free
School building in Austin its headquarters. The Society houses the Trenckmann
Library, a collection of German-language books as well as documents on German
culture and genealogy. The German-Texan Society also offers German language
classes, lectures, German film screenings, genealogy seminars, and other
programs.

Located in the historic German Free School building, the German-Texan Heritage Society preserves and promotes German-Texan culture through a variety of programs including German-language classes, lectures, festivals, film showings, and other events. It also features a library where visitors can conduct genealogical research on German-Texans and other subjects; the library also houses German language publications. The building itself dates back to 1858 when, upon opening, it was the first chartered school in Austin. 

German-Texan Heritage Society

The Capitol Visitors Center is housed in the restored 1856 General Land Office building, the oldest surviving state office building. The building is located on the southeast corner of the Capitol Grounds. The “castle” was designed by the German architect Christoph Conrad Stremme to serve as the General Land Office (from 1857–1917). William Sydney Porter (O. Henry) worked here as a draftsman from 1887–91. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.The first Capitol structure burnt through the grounds in November of 1881. The same year architect Elijah E. Myers won the competition to design the new Capitol building. The new Capitol building, intended to house the state government, was officially opened after 15 months of construction. The foundation and basement walls, second-floor walls and the copper roof were constructed a few years later. The zinc Goddess of Liberty statue on top of the dome was placed in February of 1888.



While in the Capitol, most people like to see the legislative chambers. The House Chamber, the Capitol's largest room, is located on the western side of the second floor and houses 150 representatives when the House is in session. The original flag from the Battle of San Jacinto and other artifacts are on display in the House Chamber. Also located on the second floor, but on the eastern side, the Senate Chamber still contains the original Senator desks purchased in 1888. A collection of 15 historical paintings adorn the walls of the Senate Chamber. 
 Other points of interest in the Capitol include the original Governor's Office, original Supreme Court Courtroom, and original State Library. Additionally, several monuments, including one dedicated to the heroes of the Alamo, are located on the grounds of the Capitol Complex.

The Capitol Visitors Center is housed in the restored 1856 General Land Office building, the oldest surviving state office building. This building served as the Land Office for about 60 years. Today it is the oldest surviving state office structure and houses the Texas Capitol Visitors Center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. 

Texas State Capitol Visitors Center

Located in Austin's Capitol Complex, the Bullock Museum is a part of the State Preservation Board, a prestigious state agency that also preserves, restores and maintains the State Capitol, the Texas Governor's Mansion, and other Texas landmarks. The museum collaborates with more than 700 other museums, libraries, archives and individuals to display original historical artifacts and produce exhibitions that illuminate and celebrate Texas history and culture. It is the only museum in Texas that tells the complete story of the state’s history from pre-European contact to the present. A link to an online timeline of this history is included at the bottom of the page.The museum houses three floors with themed interactive exhibits: “land” for the first floor, “identity” for the second floor, and “opportunity” for the third floor. The first floor features the 17th-century French shipwreck, La Belle. La Belle was an expedition ship sent down the Mississippi River by French nobleman René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, on a mission to establish a colony and trade routes on the mouth of the Mississippi by the Gulf of Mexico. However, La Belle wrecked in a storm, dooming La Salle’s Texas colony to failure. In 1996, the ship was located and many artifacts, including the ship, were recovered and can now be found on display in the Bullock Museum1.&nbsp;The second floor explores Texas history from 1821 to 1936. It follows the events that shaped Texas during this period such as its revolution, its annexation, immigration, slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Depression, and many others. The Texas Spirit Theatre shows many videos such as footage of the 1936 exposition that showcased Texas’s western identity and future, a 4D film about Pierre Talon, a child survivor of the La Belle shipwreck, and Star of Destiny, a history of Texas narrated by the character of Sam Houston.The third floor shows Texas’s emergence into the 20th century. The artifacts vary from ranching and oil tools to a World War II advanced flight trainer airplane that helped the Women Airforce Service Pilots make their mark on history1. A new addition is the Texas Story Project exhibition, which allows Texans to share their story for everyone to read.&nbsp;















Overall, the museum’s mission is to recognize the power of history to inspire present and future generations, and to interpret the continually unfolding Story of Texas through meaningful educational experiences.

Bullock Texas State History Museum was founded in 2001 by the former Lieutenant Governor Robert “Bob” Douglas Bullock, Sr. (1929—1999). It is a dynamic institution that engages visitors in the exciting “Story of Texas” through a variety of exhibits, films, and programs. The museum features Austin’s premier IMAX Theatre and The Texas Spirit Theatre, which hosts a feature presentation entitled Star of Destiny (special effect/4D theatrical experience on Texas history and culture).

Bullock Texas State History Museum

The Blanton was established in 1963 as the University Art Gallery (UAG).&nbsp;A portion of the cost
for the museum's construction &nbsp;in 1963 was raised&nbsp;from sale of four acres on Galveston island donated years earlier&nbsp;by&nbsp;Archer Milton Huntington, the son of railroad magnate
Collis P. Huntington, in support of the museum’s founding. The museum's collection was created by donations
of eminent persons including the novelist James Michener and his wife, Mari (the
Blanton's new gallery building is named after them), then John and Barbara
Duncan, C. R. Smith, Charles Clark of McAllen and many others. The museum's collections were originally displayed in the
Art Building. In 1972, the museum's permanent collection moved to gallery spaces
in the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (then called the Humanities
Research Center). UAG continued to use the gallery in the Fine Arts Building for temporary exhibits.&nbsp;In 1980, the museum was renamed the Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery,
and in 1997 the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, in honor of Houston Endowment
Inc. former chairman Jack S. Blanton (the company donated $12 million for
expansion of the museum). 



The Blanton collection today comprises more than 17,000 individual
pieces, including the museum’s Latin American collection of modern and
contemporary art which contains more than 1,800 modern and contemporary works, and
represents more than 600 artists from Mexico, South and Central America, and
the Caribbean. Widely recognized for its breadth and depth, the collection is
considered one of the finest in the nation.&nbsp;

Founded in 1963, the Blanton Museum of Art is one of the largest university art museums in the United States and houses the most comprehensive collection of art in Central Texas. Home to some 17,000 works, the museum is recognized for its modern and contemporary American and Latin American art, Italian Renaissance and Baroque paintings, and also its encyclopedic collection of drawings and prints. The museum also serves as a research center of the University of Texas at Austin.

Blanton Museum of Art

The Research and Collections Division is located in Sid Richardson Hall Unit 2, on the main campus of The University of Texas at Austin. It is the Center's main research facility and the repository for the vast majority of the Center's book, manuscript, map, newspaper, photographic, sound, and ephemera collections. These include the Eugene C. Barker Texas History Collection, the George Littlefield Southern History Collection, and the Congressional History Collection.&nbsp;

The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History is one of the premier centers for Texas history and US History. The Center collects and preserves documents and artifacts of key themes in Texas and United States history and makes the items available to researchers. The Center also has permanent, touring, and online exhibits available to the public. 

Dolph Briscoe Center for American History

It was in a letter he composed on August 13, 1965 that President Johnson deeded his presidential and personal papers to the people of the United States, to be housed in the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. On September 6, 1966, Johnson and The University of Texas at Austin reached an agreement that the Library be built on the campus, in partnership with a School of Public Affairs, and the National Archives would maintain the building under the presidential library system.It was Lady Bird Johnson who actively studied the layouts and designs of the four existing presidential libraries and traveled to New York in search for the perfect architect. She then presented her husband with three candidates and the two decided on Gordon Bunshaft. Bunshaft worked on the ten story building's design all through 1966 and construction began the following year on The University of Texas campus.For two years, beginning the day LBJ left office in 1969, the Library operated in the Federal Building located in Austin. Finally on May 22, 1971 the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum was opened to the public, making it the first presidential library to function on a university campus. At the dedication, Johnson said, "We have papers from my four decades of public service in one place for friend and foe to judge, to approve or disapprove." The University of Texas reported that the total cost for building the Library and Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs was around $18 million.The museum houses around 55,000 objects donated by the Johnson family and many close friends and colleagues. Featured are gifts from all over the world as well as artistic masterpieces done by famous artists as well as average citizens. Also on display is the inaugural dress Lady Bird Johnson wore in 1965 and the desk used to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After Lyndon Johnson's death in January 1973, Lady Bird Johnson continued to play an active role at the LBJ Library. Johnson left instructions that his White House tapes not be released until 50 years after his passing, but Lady Bird approved their release to the public in the 1990s.In 2011, renovations began on the Library, bringing new exhibits and materials to light for the public to take a new look at the life and presidency of Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson. The renovated and redesigned library and museum was reopened in time for Lady Bird Johnson's centennial, December 22, 2012. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum offers a fascinating and in-depth look into the life and character of one of America's most fascinating and complex presidents.

Situated on a 30-acre site on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas, the Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Library and Museum is home to 45 million pages of historical documents, 650,000 photos and 5,000 hours of recordings from President Johnson's political career, including about 643 hours of his recorded telephone conversations. A centerpiece in the Great Hall of the LBJ Library is the photo-engraving mural by artist Naomi Savage. Permanent exhibits throughout the museum include: President Kennedy's Assassination, Civil Rights, Social Justice, and more. Around 100,000 visitors from around the world visit the LBJ Library exhibits each year to learn more about the 36th president. 

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum

About&nbsp; The development of the&nbsp;Texas Memorial Museum dates back to the early 1910s when Texas&nbsp;politicians and citizens began to recognize the need for a state-funded museum. It was not until the mid-1930s that their dream became a reality when&nbsp;UT, Austin Chair of Anthropology James E. Pearce and Texas American Legion Historian A. Garland Adair established a state museum to preserve the natural history of the lone star state. Many worked to secure funding for the institution and in 1936 construction began on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin.&nbsp; President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the groundbreaking ceremony on June 11, 1936 and even set off the first blast of dynamite on the newly opened site.&nbsp;The museum opened on January 15,&nbsp;1939 and over 600 visitors passed through the site that year. Today, over 85,000 individuals attend the museum annually.&nbsp; For more information, please see the official webpage of the&nbsp;Texas Memorial Museum at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://tmm.utexas.edu/visit-tmm/" title="Link: http://tmm.utexas.edu/visit-tmm/">http://tmm.utexas.edu/visit-tmm/</a>.

The Texas Memorial Museum, housed on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, holds a wide variety of permanent and rotating exhibits that showcase the natural history of the state. Indigenous birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and dinosaur fossils represent over five million specimens that have been acquired by the museum through geological and paleontological fieldwork conducted by university scientists. Other exhibits highlight current fieldwork and recent acquisitions and include a number of traveling exhibits from neighboring institutions.  

Texas Memorial Museum 

Elisabet and her husband, Dr. Edmund Montgomery, moved to
Texas in 1872. They were drawn to the state because they perceived it as highly
valuing freedom. The couple purchased Liendo Plantation, one of the earliest
cotton plantations in Texas, in 1873 and made it their home. Ney built a studio
in Austin, which she called Formosa, in order to create the statues of Stephen
F. Austin and Sam Houston that she was commissioned to do for the Chicago
World’s Fair in 1893. Today, the Elisabet Ney Museum is housed there. 

She married Dr. Montgomery on November 7, 1863. Montgomery
was a Scottish medical student, scientist, and philosopher. They met in
Heidelberg, Germany in 1853. They kept in touch for the years to come; however,
Ney did not want to get married due to her views on marriage as a fundamentally
unequal contract in which women are subjugated. Although she did eventually
marry, Ney still advocated for equality for women and kept her maiden name. She
once said, “Women are fools to be bothered with housework. Look at me; I sleep
in a hammock, which requires no making up. I break an egg and sip it raw. I
make lemonade in a glass, and then sip it, and my housework is done for the
day.”

This museum honors the life and work of its namesake, Elisabet Ney (1833-1907), a sculptor of world renown who lived and worked in Texas for thirty-five years. Born in Muenster, Westphalia, Germany, She began working with stone at an early age; her father was a stonecutter and she helped him growing up. At the age of nineteen, she began studying at the Academy of the Arts in Munich, where she was the first female sculpture student. She was an accomplished artist before the age of thirty, having already created statues of German royalty and European statesmen. Ney bought the property in 1892 and built the studio shortly thereafter. Her friends established the museum after she passed away in 1907. The studio was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Elisabet Ney Museum

<div>

Plans for the Texas
Military Forces Museum date to 1986, when the Adjutant General’s Department of
Texas began seeking to create a museum dedicated to the Texas Military Forces.
In 1987, the United States Army Center for Military History approved the establishment
of such a museum at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. Texas native and Brigadier
General John C. L. Scribner (1931-2006) was given the task of creating the
museum and collecting artifacts for it. With no money set aside to aid the
project, Scribner managed to develop the museum thanks to donations and
volunteer labor. The museum was housed inside Building 6 on the ground of Campy
Mabry. Constructed in 1918, the building originally served as the camp’s mess
hall. The museum was finally completed and opened to the public on November 14,
1992.

Today the 45,000 square
foot museum holds a large collection of materials ranging from the first Texas
volunteer fighters in 1823 to Texas Military Forces in the present day. The
museum holds over 10,000 physical artifacts including uniforms, weaponry, and
vehicles, some of which remain operational. While most of the items are
connected to the military history of Texas, there are some unique pieces such
as a hat belonging to Nazi Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, a section of the Berlin
Wall, rubble from the World Trade Center on 9/11, and a sword belonging to
Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The museum also includes an archival library
containing many military records, as well as over 6,000 books and 20,000
photographs. Thanks to private donations, the museum remains free and open to
the public. 

</div>

The Texas Military Forces Museum is dedicated to preserving the state's military history. Topics covered include the Texas Revolution, the Volunteer Guard, the World Wars, and the present day Texas National Guard. The role of the Texas military forces in both war and peace is highlighted. The museum, which features exhibits with tanks, planes, jeeps, uniforms, weapons, equipment and other items on display, is located on the grounds of Camp Mabry. In addition, the museum features an extensive archival library with collections such as service cards for every Texan who served in the military during World War I. The museum is free and open to the public.

Texas Military Forces Museum 

<div>In 1961, the site was converted to the Laguna Gloria Art Museum and became an important part of the Austin arts scene. Soon after, the museum began offering art classes, and in 1983, a 5,300-square-foot facility was built specifically for the growing art school. </div><div>In 1992, the institution changed its name to the Austin Museum of Art, and four years later, moved its primary exhibition space to 823 Congress Avenue, in the heart of downtown Austin. Laguna Gloria remained the site of The Art School, and in 2003, the Driscoll Villa was renovated and again became an exhibition space, focusing on local and regional artists. Public drop-in tours of Laguna Gloria, the Driscoll Villa, and historic gardens are held every Saturday and Sunday at 1PM. </div>

Laguna Gloria was the home of businesswoman and philanthropist Clara Driscoll. This 1916 Italianate-style villa on the shores of Lake Austin was the original home of the Austin Museum of Art and still houses some of its collections. The building is now one of two sites of The Contemporary Austin. The land that includes the property was originally owned by Stephen F. Austin, who in 1832 (seven years before Austin was founded) wrote that he wished to build a home there. This never came to pass.

In 1914 the property was purchased by Hal Sevier, editor of the Austin American, with his new wife Clara Driscoll. They completed their villa two years later, inspired by a honeymoon visit to Lake Como in Italy. Clara, an avid gardener, spent many years planting native and foreign plants around the site and designing the terraced gardens that remain to this day. In 1943 Driscoll donated the homesite to be used as a city museum. 

Museums of Austin Texas Tour

French Legation Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information