Austin's only museum dedicated solely to contemporary art, The Contemporary Austin is actually two museums in one (and visiting both doesn't cost extra). Laguna Gloria is a 14-acre outdoor sculpture park on the shores of Lake Austin about five miles from downtown. The Jones Center is right in the heart of downtown on Congress Avenue, with two floors of rotating gallery exhibitions and a rooftop with views of the Texas State Capitol. Both are free every Thursday, and a ticket to one gets you into the other free of charge within seven days.
Courtesy Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria.
Laguna Gloria
On the shores of Lake Austin and a mere 10-minute excursion from the hustle and bustle of downtown sits The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria. This is the perfect place to experience some of the greatest sculptures, installations and designs in Austin.
This branch of The Contemporary Austin is permanently home to The Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park. The museum was designed with the intention of creating a vibrant and engaging collection, while thoughtfully stewarding the local landscape. When entering through the rustic front gate, the first eye-catching piece is Tom Friedman’s “Looking Up” sculpture, a 33.3-foot man covered entirely in aluminum. The aesthetic of the sculpture in front of the welcome center, a 1916 Italianate villa, sets the tone for a stimulating contemporary art experience.
Laguna Gloria is part of The Contemporary’s “Museum Without Walls” program, which aims to provide the public with outdoor exhibits at diverse locations around Austin. The entire museum is outdoors, and a trail extending out from the back door of the visitors center leads you through an alluring circuit of contemporary art. The diverse exhibits include works from local, national and international artists. The time to complete the circuit ranges between 30 minutes to an hour.
If you need a snack while exploring the fourteen-acre art sculpture garden, check out Laguna Gloria's cafe, Spread & Co., featuring a variety of grazing boards, sandwiches, coffee and more.
To make the most of your trip, plan to grab a coffee in West Austin at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters for a pick-me-up on the lake as you head towards the museum. If you're feeling a bit outdoorsy, save time for a quick hike to the top of Mount Bonnell or a visit to Mayfield Nature Park; both attractions are just around the corner from Laguna Gloria.
Courtesy of The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center. Credit to Rebekah Flake.
Jones Center
A brisk 10-minute walk from the Texas State Capitol, on the corner of Congress Avenue and Seventh Street, is The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center. This branch of The Contemporary offers an abundance of potential Instagram posts due to the unique and modern art and design. In 2017, the museum was awarded The Architect’s Newspaper’s Best of Design Award for Adaptive Reuse, and anyone who is fortunate enough to stroll by will see why. Eric Bunge, one of the judges for the competition, described the building as “simultaneously serious and whimsical, the project is a beacon not only for Austin, but for adaptive reuse in general - inspiring for its inventiveness.”
The Jones Center's exterior wall at the corner of Congress Avenue and 7th Street is part of an ongoing public mural program — and you don't need a ticket to see it. The current mural, Man Who Fell to Earth (December 2023–present), is by Austin-based artist Manik Raj Nakra, whose work blends classical Indian iconography and ancient mythology with contemporary pop culture references. This one takes the Greek myth of Icarus as its starting point, weaving in animals, deities, and a nod to the 1976 David Bowie film of the same name. It's a dense, colorful panorama that rewards a slow look, and it's one of the more interesting pieces of public art on Congress Avenue. The museum rotates the mural periodically, so what you see may differ from what's pictured online.
If you are looking to take your art viewing pastime to new heights, head to the Moody Rooftop at the Jones Center, Here, you can find Jim Hodge's seven-feet-tall With Liberty and Justice For All piece, a work in progress. During the day, this structure reflects the colors of the environment around it, giving off iridescent pinks, purples and blues through oscillating mirrored surfaces. At night, the piece remains visible by transforming into a spectacular sculpture of color and light, lit from within.
In addition to these two pieces, the Jones Center features an extensive variety of rotating, temporary exhibitions that change about three times per calendar year.
Plan Your Visit
Hours & Admission
Both locations are closed Monday and Tuesday.
Laguna Gloria is open Wednesday through Sunday, with an extended evening on Thursdays until 9 p.m. — a particularly nice time to walk the sculpture park with solar-powered lanterns lining the paths.
The Jones Center opens at noon Wednesday through Sunday, with Wednesday and Thursday evening hours until 9 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively.
Both locations are free for all visitors on Thursdays, and the Jones Center is also free on Wednesday evenings. Admission otherwise runs $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students; under-18 and military visitors get in free every day. Hours and pricing can shift, so check thecontemporaryaustin.org before you go.
Your ticket to one location includes free admission to the other within seven days — so it's worth planning both into your trip.
Getting there
Laguna Gloria is at 3809 W. 35th St., with free on-site parking. The Jones Center is at 700 Congress Ave. at 7th Street in downtown — street meters and nearby garages are your best bet.
Advanced tickets are encouraged at both locations, especially on weekends. Book at thecontemporaryaustin.org.
Accessibility
Laguna Gloria is proud to be ADA-compliant, allowing those who require mobility aids, families with stroller-age children and more to engage with the rich natural and heritage of the site. A newly-built 340-foot ramp will allow all visitors to access both the upper and lower grounds of the site, which wind along the shore of Lake Austin and are home to many of the permanent outdoor sculptures in the museum's collection.
At both Laguna Gloria and the Jones Center, visitors will find additional accessibility measures to ensure all visitors are comfortable while exploring the museums. Sensory-inclusive experiences like noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, weighted lap pads and dedicated quiet spaces are available. The museums also have a handful of EnChroma glasses for colorblind visitors as well as braille materials for visitors with visual impairments. For more information on accessibility at The Contemporary, visit their website.
