Visiting the Blanton Museum of Art

There's so much to explore during a visit to the Blanton Museum of Art on the University of Texas at Austin campus. With nearly 21,000 works ranging from Greek pottery to Latin American modern art, you can spend the entire day at the museum and want to come back for more! If you don’t have all day to meander through the museum halls, our informative guide will make sure you see all the hits and get a great experience out of your visit.

Whether you’ve been to the museum before, or you’re a first time visitor, now is the perfect time to check out this beloved Austin museum. The Blanton's $35 million grounds renovation unified  its campus with a central lawn, unique petal-inspired shade structures, and a redesigned check-in area. A new cafe in partnership with Justine's Brasserie is also on the way, set to open late 2026. 

Permanent Collection

While there are rotating exhibits at the Blanton year-round, visitors can always count on the museum's extensive permanent collection to elevate the experience. The permanent collection features international modern and contemporary works, including European paintings, ancient Greek pottery, French and British drawings, modern American mixed media works and more. Here are some of the best pieces to see during your visit.

Ellsworth Kelly - "Austin"
Ellsworth Kelly’s “Austin” has become an attraction of its own in the city. Kelly’s sculpture is a 2,715 square foot stone building, decorated with colorful glass, marble panels and a wooden sculpture. While the building sits just outside of the Blanton, it has been and will continue to be a cornerstone of the museum. We highly encourage you to make the trip and visit "Austin'' this year (pun intended!).

Cildo Meireles - "Missão/Missões [Mission/Missions] (How to Build Cathedrals)"
One of the most iconic and memorable pieces in the entire museum is Cildo Meireles’ “Mission/Missions (How to Build Cathedrals).” The Brazilian artist’s installation is made up of 600,000 coins, 800 communion wafers, and 2,000 suspended cattle bones. Not only is it fascinating to look at, but it also has a powerful message. Meireles comments on Jesuit Europeans' influence in the Americas, using the coins to represent material obsession and the bones and communion wafers to represent religious consequences. Experience it for yourself during your visit.

Teresita Fernández - "Stacked Waters"
Visitors are welcomed to the Blanton atrium with a piece of art that replicates rippling water, as if you're standing at the bottom of a pool looking towards the top. An impressive 3,100 square feet of custom-cast acrylic covers the walls in a striped pattern, moving from a deep hued blue to white as the piece flows up the walls of the museum. "Stacked Waters" mirrors light from the Blanton's atrium skylights, giving the space energy that changes with the weather. 

Butler Sound Gallery

Just north of the Gallery Building, the Blanton is home to the country's first long-term outdoor space dedicated to sound art. The Butler Sound Gallery launched with Bill Fontana's "Landscape Soundings," a piece built from field recordings of Central Texas wildlife and geology gathered across all four seasons. The gallery now features "RPM (revolutions per minute)" by Jennie C. Jones, a work maked of sustained, slowly shifting tones desinged to blend into the surroudning grounds and invite visitors to slow down and listen. 

Like Ellsworth Kelly's "Austin," the Butler Sound Gallery is included with regular museum admission and is open during museum hours — worth building into your visit alongside the indoor collection. 

Events

The museum hosts online and in-person events so you can experience the art and exhibits all the time! Check the Blanton Museum events calendar for more information on public tours, artist talks and curator-led discussions.

Admission and Visitor Information

The Blanton is open Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. Saturday hours run later than the rest of the week, so it's a good option if you want more time in the galleries.

Admission is free every Tuesday, courtesy of the Moody Family Free Day Endowment. On other days:

Parking: The Blanton doesn't have its own lot, but Brazos Garage (210 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) is one block away and the closest option, at standard University garage rates. Trinity Garage, three blocks out, is a good backup if Brazos is full. Rideshares and taxis can drop off at the Museum Drop-Off on Brazos St. Note that Brazos and Trinity garages close to museum visitors on UT home football game days — the Bullock Museum's garage across the street is your best bet on those dates.

The Blanton is an accessibility-friendly museum adapted to allow individuals of all abilities to enjoy the art. For further information regarding accessibility, please visit the museum's accessibility page.

Please check the museum's website for information regarding current hours and parking information.

Experience more of Austin's arts & culture through a variety of museums, galleries and arts performances. Take a look at Austin's other world-class arts attractions and start planning your trip.