Once Brush Square was a bustling cotton market, but now it's home to the Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig House Museum and the O. Henry House Museum, located between Trinity and Neches on East Fifth Street. Nestled in the heart of downtown Austin, the museums are tucked behind heritage trees in one of the city’s oldest parks.

Photo of the exterior of the Susanna Dickinson Museum.Susanna Dickinson Museum. Courtesy of the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department.

The Joseph and Susanna Dickinson-Hannig Museum's mission is to preserve the home and legacy of Battle of the Alamo survivor Susanna Dickinson and to celebrate Texas’ historical heritage by being an educational resource for the citizens of Austin and its visitors.

O. Henry House Museum offers a look into the life of William Sidney Porter in his Austin years leading up to his controversial prison term. After which, he assumed the pen name O. Henry and set about transforming himself into the famed short story writer who authored such universal classics as "Gifts of the Magi," "The Ransom of Red Chief” and “The Cop and the Anthem.” In 1932, the house was moved to its current location, before opening as the first city-run museum in 1934. 

Photo of the exterior of the O. Henry Museum featuring the historical marker posted out front of the house.O. Henry House Museum. Courtesy of the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department.

Collections

The O. Henry House Museum collections contains personal artifacts, unpublished manuscripts, musical scores, photographs, and furnishings from the Porter family, as well as the beautifully appointed 1880s home. Susanna Dickinson lost everything during the Texas Revolution, including her first husband. Her fifth husband, Joseph Hannig, built her a study rock rubble home in 1869. Today, her home stands as a testament to this tough Texas woman. Featured in the museum is Hannig’s early cabinetry work and Dickinson family heirlooms along with a small research library. You can also access the collections online at: brushsquaremuseums.pastperfectonline.com

Exhibits

The museums display rotating exhibits year-round, including exclusive online exhibits available on each of the museums’ dedicated websites: www.susannadickinsonmuseum.org and www.ohenrymuseum.org

Events

If you’re a word play enthusiast, every year Brush Square Museums host The O. Henry Museum’s Pun-Off World Championships the day before Mother’s Day. This pun-tastic event has been going on for more than 40 years. More details available at www.punoff.com

Hours & Admission

Both the O. Henry Museum and the Joseph and Susanna Dickinson-Hannig Museum are open to visitors weekly, Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission for each of the museums are free and metered street parking is available.