3 of the Best Museums in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas has developed a reputation for being a vibrant town with excellent food and a great music scene. While these are excellent reasons to visit Austin, the city also has plenty to offer museum lovers. From local history to contemporary art, Austin’s museums have something for everyone.
Be sure to check out the following three best museums in Austin.
1. Blanton Museum of Art
Located at the University of Texas, the Blanton Museum of Art stands out as the premier art museum in Austin. The museum captures visitors’ attention before they even get to the art collection — the Rapoport Atrium features Stacked Waters, a floor-to-ceiling permanent wall installation featuring variegated stripes of blue that create the illusion of water.
The Blanton’s collection features more than 17,000 works of art from various periods, including ancient Greek pottery and Renaissance paintings. The museum even boasts approximately 30 prints by Goya, including the unfinished El Embozado.
Also showcasing American art, the Blanton has curated a collection of over 4,700 prints, drawings, paintings, and other forms of art from 1875 to the present. This collection includes depictions of the American West, including Oscar Edward Berninghaus’ The Oregon Trail and Alexander F. Harmer’s Early California. The American art collection also features a section devoted to art made in Texas, with artists including Jesse Amado, Regina Tatum Cooke, and David Bates.
In addition to its permanent collection, the Blanton Museum of Art frequently presents temporary exhibitions. Upcoming exhibitions include a video by Liliana Porter in which toy-like characters from her art are animated and set to a score by Sylvia Meyer. Another upcoming exhibition is Ideas in Sensuous Form: The International Symbolist Movement, which will focus on the influential movement from the end of the 19th century.
2. The Harry Ransom Center
Also at the University of Texas, the Harry Ransom Center contains one of the largest collections of original manuscripts. The center features manuscripts by such notable figures as Lord Byron and David Mamet.
The Harry Ransom Center also features an extensive photography collection with more than 5 million prints and negatives. The highlight of this collection is the oldest known surviving photograph. Called the First Photograph, it dates back to circa 1826 and was taken in France by inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.
Other photographers featured in this collection include Henry Fox Talbot, Roger Fenton, Julia Margaret Cameron, Lewis Carroll, and Christina Broom. In addition to featuring the work of renowned photographers, the collection includes 400 pieces of old-style photographic equipment and some 35,000 journals and books covering the technique, theory, and the history of photography.
Also dedicated to film, the Harry Ransom Center has developed a collection of over 10,000 scripts for film, radio, and television, as well as over 15,000 posters and film ephemera. The film collection also includes over 1 million film-related photographs, including set stills and behind-the-scenes photographs. These items make the museum’s film collection an important research repository for those studying film history and culture. Researchers can even view film correspondence and business records, as well as other items from filmmaking, from the silent era to the present.
3. Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
A trip to the heart of Texas wouldn’t be the same without exploring some of Texas’ history. Established in 2001, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum has collected artifacts from the state dating back some 4,000 years. The vast collection of artifacts includes arrow points used for hunting circa 1500 BCE.
Those interested in studying more recent history can find such items as a Spanish colonial trunk and a 13-star American flag hand-sewn sometime around 1790. The museum even features a collection of Civil War-era items, such as a Union drum with an infantry eagle, notes written by Abraham Lincoln for a debate, a US Army officer coatee, and a number of portraits of Civil War soldiers.
Additionally, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum runs a number of ongoing educational programs. These include High Noon Talks, which take place on the first Wednesday of every month and feature both historical and contemporary stories about Texas. Another educational program is the New Perspectives Series, which gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the latest research on Texas from experts and authors.
Also offering children’s programs, the museum welcomes families to stop by family workshops and exploration stations to explore artifacts on Texas history. The museum also features an IMAX theater that boasts the largest screen in Texas as well as the 4-D Texas Spirit Theater, a multi-sensory special effects movie theater that shows programs on Texas history.
The above three museums offer a great introduction to Austin’s museums and cultural offerings. Before visiting, be sure to look for updates on new exhibits and programs, as these museums continually update their offerings throughout the year. You’ll find that the permanent collections and exhibits at these museums will give you a greater appreciation for the local history and culture of this dynamic, ever-changing city.
