Beginning Friday, March 13, the Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas in Austin is temporarily closed and will reopen, if the situation allows, on Tuesday, May 5. This includes the galleries of the Michener Building, “Austin” by Ellsworth Kelly, and the Blanton Café and Museum Shop.
We will post updates on our website and via social media when we have news to share. You can find University of Texas COVID-19 updates and guidance here.
We look forward to seeing you when we reopen.
The Blanton Museum of Art, located on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, is the primary art collection for the city of Austin. Home to “Austin” by Ellsworth Kelly and more than 19,000 other works, the Blanton showcases art from across the ages, from ancient Greek pottery to abstract expressionism. With a year-round schedule of temporary exhibitions, art lovers are sure to discover new and old favorites at the Blanton.
10am - 5pm
11am - 5pm
1pm - 5pm
Closed
10am - 9pm
Free
$12
$10
Free
$5
Free
$5
Free
Free
Paid parking is available to Blanton visitors for the discounted rate of $4 in the Brazos Garage on Brazos Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (you must bring your ticket into the museum to pay and get the discounted rate). The Brazos Garage has space allotted just for Blanton members and visitors, even if the Lot Full or Card Only signs are on. Contact the parking attendant via the intercom if you have trouble accessing these spaces.
The Trinity Garage is three blocks from the museum on the corner of MLK and Trinity and is the closest UT Garage to the museum if the Brazos Garage is full.
Please note that there is no parking in either the Trinity or Brazos garages on UT home football game days. On home volleyball game days, the Brazos Garage will charge a prepaid $15 cash admission fee. On these dates during select hours, the Blanton’s typical discounted garage rate will not be available.
For more information on parking please call 512.471.5482 or email visitors@blantonmuseum.org.
Download Parking MapThe Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, located across the street from the Blanton, has an underground parking garage that charges $10 per vehicle for all-day parking.
The Brazos Garage has a large number of accessible parking spaces on the ground floor near the entrance and the exit. The Blanton is happy to help facilitate your arrival; please call the Visitor Services Desk at 512.471.5482 for assistance.
Bicycles and scooters can park at the bike racks available at the south end of the Smith Building, near the Blanton Café. Don’t forget to bring your own lock and park in this designated area!
Refer to Admission [above] for pricing details.
Buy Your TicketTickets are available online, however when you arrive, all visitors must check in with Visitor Services at the main ticket desk to get their receipt and paper ticket for the Ellsworth Kelly Austin building.
On Thursdays, you will not need to pay admission, just check in at the Visitor Services desk before going to Austin.
Please note that Thursday admission is FREE. Please do not purchase tickets for this day as we are unable to process refunds.
Image Credit:
Tavares Strachan
You Belong Here (Yellow), 2012 (detail)
Blocked-out neon and glass
Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas at Austin
Gift of Anthony Meier in honor of Jeanne & Michael Klein, 2014.
Admission is always free every Thursday. On the third Thursday of each month, the Blanton remains open until 9pm. See below for any special programming during Third Thursdays.
Please note that the Blanton is modifying some of its programming schedule in 2020. The print pop-ups will be on hiatus after Lone Stardom on January 16, 2020, but will return in the summer. Check back to the Blanton’s events calendars for more details.
*Please note that these listings are available as soon as details are confirmed.
Free admission every Thursday is made possible by The Moody Foundation.
The Blanton is convenient to a number of Cap Metro transit lines. Routes: 1, 3, 7, 10, 18, 19, 20, 801 and 803 will get you there! The closest stops are:
#5992: 112 MLK / Congress
#2522: 311 MLK / San Jacinto
#4657: Museum Station (Northbound)
#5866: Museum Station (Southbound)
#5940: 1609 Lavaca / 17th
#501: Guadalupe / 16th
#915: 1806 San Jacinto / MLK
#866 Trinity / 17th
#498: Guadalupe / W. 21st St
Plan your trip (online): http://www.capmetro.org/planner
Plan your trip (on your smart phone): http://www.capmetro.org/app
The easiest approaches to the Blanton on a bicycle are via MLK from the east and west, Speedway from the north, and Lavaca or Trinity from the south. The Faulkner Plaza at the Blanton Museum of Art is a pedestrian-friendly dismount zone. Bike racks are available near the Blanton Café.
An Austin B-Cycle station is located directly across MLK from the Blanton at 1881 Congress Ave.
Dropping Off: The most convenient drop-off for the Blanton is at Jester Circle and Brazos Street.
Parking: The closest parking to the Blanton is at the Brazos Garage, at 210 E. MLK Blvd. See “Parking,” below, for more information.
A complimentary wireless Internet access service – “utguest” – is available as a courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin. “utguest” provides campus visitors basic WiFi Internet access (web and VPN). Visitors simply select “utguest” to connect (no accounts, codes, coupons, or charges are required).
Please note, Brazos Garage Parking is affected during UT Home Game Days. Please check dates* below when planning your trip to the museum.
No Events
*Please note that these listings are available as soon as details are confirmed.
The University of Austin at Texas and the State of Texas are currently going through a variety of construction projects nearby. Stay updated and see how this may affect your travel plans by clicking on the below links:
The University of Austin at Texas – Construction Advisory
State of Texas Capitol Complex – Project Overview and Master Plan
As part of The University of Texas at Austin, the Blanton Museum of Art is subject to Senate Bill 11 (Concealed Campus Carry), in effect from August 1, 2016. For questions concerning concealed carry on campus, please refer to the University Handbook of Operating Procedures and the Campus Carry website.
The Blanton is a member of Austin’s Cultural Campus — a pedestrian-friendly cultural destination comprised of the the Blanton, The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Harry Ransom Center, the LBJ Library and Museum, and the Texas Memorial Museum, offering exhibitions, performances, shopping, dining, and more!
