Museums to Explore at UT Austin

The University of Texas at Austin has many museums to explore. Each museum offers art, history, or science exhibits that can spark curiosity and new ideas. Students can visit between classes or plan a trip with friends. These museums make campus an inspiring place to discover something new.

The Blanton Museum of Art

The Blanton Museum of Art holds more than 22,000 works of art. The collection spans from ancient to contemporary art. The museum has the most comprehensive collections in Central Texas.

The Blanton also features updated outdoor spaces that opened in 2023. Visitors can walk through colorful murals, shaded “petal” structures, and open gallery entrances. These features create a welcoming and immersive experience.

Plan Your Visit

Visitors can easily plan a trip to the Blanton Museum using the information below. Students can visit between classes or spend more time exploring the galleries and outdoor spaces.

Location: 200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Admission: FREE with UT ID
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday and Sunday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Immersive Art Installations

The Blanton Museum features large-scale installations that surround visitors with color, light, and space. These works are designed to create a full experience, not just something to look at. Visitors can walk through, around, and inside these installations.

Verde que te quiero verde (Green How I Want You Green) by Carmen Herrera. Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Commissioned through funds provided by the Kahng Foundation. Photo by Casey Dunn.

Visitors can see a green and white mural near the Michener Gallery Building. The title translates to “Green, how I want you green.” The title comes from the poem Romance sonámbulo by Federico García Lorca.

“There’s a saying that you wait for the bus, and it will come.
I waited almost a hundred years!” — Carmen Herrera

Carmen Herrera was born in Havana in 1915. She sold her first painting at age 89. Her work is now recognized as an important part of Cuban and modern art history. A major exhibition of her work at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2016–17 increased her recognition.

Austin by Ellsworth Kelly

Austin by Ellsworth Kelly opened in 2018. The building is about 2,715 square feet (about 252 square meters). The structure includes colorful glass windows, a wooden sculpture, and fourteen black-and-white marble panels.

This building is the only structure designed by Ellsworth Kelly. The installation is included with museum admission. Visitors should respect the quiet and reflective atmosphere inside the space.

Current Exhibitions

Current exhibitions on display at the Blanton showcase innovative work from artists working today, a rarely seen collection of modern American masters, and futuristic data-based art.

If Ignorance is Good, Madness is Better (detail), by Tammy Nguyen. 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London. Photo by Studio Kukla.

Tammy Nguyen is an internationally recognized artist. Her work combines figures, plants, animals, and symbolic imagery. She draws from literature, science, and history.

Her work explores themes of ambition, belief, and human limits. She also curates works from the Blanton’s collection. These works include 18th-century engravings and mid-20th-century photographs. The exhibit shows how artists across time explore power, progress, and the natural world.

This exhibit is on view through September 6, 2026.

American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection

“On a Shaker Theme” by Charles Sheeler, 1956. Collection of Charles Butt.

This exhibit includes more than 80 works by major American artists. The works range from the late 1800s to the 1970s. The exhibit is organized into seven sections.

This is the first time the collection is shared with the public. Charles Butt’s collection reflects creativity, civic responsibility, and a commitment to education. The Blanton is one of four Texas museums to host the exhibit.

This exhibit is on view through August 2, 2026.

Permanent Collection

Mission/Missions (How to Build a Cathedral), Cildo Meireles, 1998. Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of the Peter Norton Family Foundation.

The Blanton has the largest art collection in Central Texas. The collection includes more than 22,000 works. Visitors can see modern and contemporary American art, Latin American art, and European paintings, prints, and drawings.

Major installations include Austin by Ellsworth Kelly, Stacked Waters by Teresita Fernández, and Verde que te quiero verde by Carmen Herrera. Rotating exhibitions in the Butler Gallery and other spaces ensure there is always something new to discover.

The Harry Ransom Center

The Harry Ransom Center is a humanities research library and museum. The center holds millions of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and works of art.

Courtesy of The Harry Ransom Center

The collection includes a Gutenberg Bible, artwork by Frida Kahlo, and one of the earliest surviving photographs.

The center also holds archives from well-known public figures. Examples include Robert De Niro, Edgar Allan Poe, E. E. Cummings, Jack Kerouac, Albert Einstein, and Gabriel García Márquez.

Visitors can also explore the Harry Ransom Center’s digital collection online.

Visiting the Center

Visitors can use the information below to plan a visit to the Harry Ransom Center. The museum is easy to access on campus and offers a great option for a quick visit or a longer stay.

Location: 300 W. 21st St., Austin, Texas
Admission: FREE with UT ID
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Sunday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

LBJ Presidential Library

Have you ever wondered what it is like to step inside the Oval Office or sit behind the wheel of a Presidential limousine? You can do both, right here on the UT Austin campus.

The LBJ Presidential Library offers an in-depth look at the life and work of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The library holds 45 million pages of documents, 650,000 photographs, 5,000 hours of recordings, and 643 hours of phone conversations from Johnson’s political career.

Courtesy of LBJ Library

The museum also highlights the life of Lady Bird Johnson. The First Lady’s Gallery includes childhood items, personal keepsakes, and dresses she wore during her time as First Lady.

Location, Admission, Hours

Visitors can plan a visit to the LBJ Presidential Library using the details below. The museum is open every day and offers a flexible option for students to explore at their own pace.

Location: 2313 Red River St., Austin, Texas
Admission: FREE with UT ID
Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Other Museums and Galleries on Campus

Many other museums, galleries, and opportunities to experience art are available at UT Austin. These include:

Each museum or gallery offers a different experience. Art, history, and science come together across campus. Students can meet friends, take a break between classes, and start exploring today. Every visit gives students a chance to discover something new and inspiring.

This blog post was contributed by Jack Taylor, administrative associate of global engagement at the English Language Center.