Everyone knows that great concerts can be held in Austin, but it’s also a city where you can get a glimpse of Frida Kahlo’s paintings, Elisabet Ney’s graceful sculptures, and works that transcend the genres of up-and-coming contemporary artists.
Austin has a great lineup of museums, many of which can be visited without a dime. Here are guides to some of Austin’s famous museums, and when you can visit them for free. Holidays can affect time. Check out the individual websites before you go.
Thursday
Blanton Museum of Art
200E.Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Visit the Brunton Museum with a vast permanent collection featuring works by Mexican villagers Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orosco, an eclectic combination of contemporary rotating exhibits, and access to Ellsworth Kelly’s immersive installation “Austin”. Is worth the regular $ 12 admission fee. But if you’re looking to avoid the charges, you can visit Brunton on Thursday. Every Thursday, the University of Texas Museum is exempt from admission. Immediately head to see Luis Jimenez’s wild sculptures and 1960s pop art exhibits.
(Blantonmuseum.org)
Jones Center in Hyundai Austin
700 Congress Avenue.
Don’t miss the Jones Center, a contemporary Austin downtown campus. It’s thanks to Jim Hodges’s “Freedom and Justice for All” (work in progress). This is a colorful block letter engraving that spells out famous phrases placed visible from the street. Inside, the Jones Center has two exhibition floors, filled with similarly eye-catching contemporary art, and a rooftop with stunning views. Every Thursday, the museum is exempt from admission, and if it stays open until 9 pm, you can see everything for free.
(Thecontemporaryaustin.org/jonescenter)
Modern Austin Laguna Gloria
3809 W. 35th St.
If you don’t have enough contemporary art at the Jones Center, we’ll be waiting for more at Laguna Gloria, the waterfront campus of Contemporary Austin. Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park are located on the grounds of Laguna Gloria. This is an exciting collection of sculptures by contemporary artists. The museum’s large sculptures imitate everything from tree trunks to old cars. Check them out on Thursday when Contemporary Austin gives up admission to the premises.
(Thecontemporaryaustin.org/lagunagloria)
Sunday
Mexic-Arte Museum
419 Congress Avenue.
Since 1984, the Mexico-Arte Museum has brought cutting-edge art from Mexican, Latin American and Latin American artists to downtown Austin. Today, the museum has “MX 21-Resistance, Reconfirmation, Resilience” and exhibits dedicated to the history, culture and future of Mexico. Exhibiting works by artists such as Delilah Montoya and Sergio Sanchez Santa Maria, exploring the patience of the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the existence of Mexican culture in the United States. Visit the Museum of Arte, Mexico on Sundays for free access to the show. ..
(Mexic-artemuseum.org)
every day
Women and their work
1311E.Cesar Chavez Street
According to a 2018 peer-reviewed data analysis, the collection was 87% male and 85% white at 18 major museums in the United States. Women and their Work, a gallery in East Austin, has been trying to challenge that reality since 1978. The gallery specializes in exhibiting art created by women, especially those who live and work in Texas. Today, Women and their Work is hosting a “Pattern Language” by Egyptian-born artist Rehab El Sadek, who has lived and worked internationally in Austin. You can see “Pattern Language” and all other exhibits of Women and their Work for free. We are accepting donations.
(Womenandtheirwork.org)
George Washington Carver Museum, Center for Cultural Genetics
1165 Angelina Street
The George Washington Carver Museum started out as a library. Built in 1926 on the corner of 9th Avenue and Guadalupe Street, it moved to East Austin in 1933 after a black resident petitioned the city for a library in the neighborhood. Therefore, before being renamed in 1947 after the inventor and scientist George Washington Carver, it became known as the “colored branch” of the Austin Library system. Today, the building functions as a museum celebrating the cultural contributions of African-Americans. The museum is free and currently hosts an exhibition displaying the work of the first cohort of the Small Black Museum Residency Project.
(Austintexas.gov/department/george-washington-carver-museum-cultural-and-genealogy-center)
Elisabet Ney Museum
304 E. 44th St.
In the late 19th century, the sculptor Elisabet Ney left his studio in Berlin and moved to Austin. Today you can visit the house in Hyde Park where she lived. Inside is the world’s largest collection of Ney’s works, including busts and statues of iconic leaders. Until January 9th, the museum will also be exhibiting photographs of Marie Erie, a contemporary artist born and raised in Texas. Admission to the Elisabet Ney Museum is free.
(Austintexas.gov/department/elisabet-ney-museum)
Harry Lansom Center
300 W. 21st St.
It’s not natural to see Frida Kahlo’s paintings for free. So what are you waiting for if you haven’t visited the Harry Lansom Center yet? The museum’s archives include Carlo’s “Self-portrait of a Thorny Necklace and Hummingbird,” as well as paintings by literary figures such as Tennessee Williams and Ansexton. The Harry Lansom Center, part of the University of Texas at Austin, is always free to access.
(Hrc.utexas.edu)
Austin Nature and Science Center
2389 Stratford Drive
Visit the Austin Nature and Science Center to enhance your next trip to Zilker Park. Located at the western end of Zilker, this center provides Austins with an interactive and educational exhibit of nature, teaching the general public everything from sundials to prehistoric creatures. The Center’s Wildlife exhibits spotlight animals native to Central Texas, and the Tree Trail provides a place to catch the shade while learning about plants native to Austin. Admission to the Austin Nature and Science Center is always free.
(Austintexas.gov/department/austin-nature-science-center)
