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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
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.
