This realistic Laguna Gloria Austin Review helps you plan your next adventure in this sculpture park and art museum.

Laguna Gloria is part of The Contemporary Austin art museum. This open-air sculpture park houses modern and contemporary sculptures and installations.

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Sights & Places of Interest

Visitors come to Laguna Gloria in Tarrytown to test the limits of their imagination. They try to find meaning in abstract works and admire realistic takes.

Laguna Gloria has been an art museum since 1961. The main museum collection moved to the Jones Center on Congress Avenue. But the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park is still at Laguna Gloria.

This Laguna Gloria Austin Review follows a typical visitor path through this sculpture park. It covers most of the art installations in the open-air museum.

1. Looking Up

You will enter a large lawn shortly after checking in at the Visitor Center. There is a fountain and a couple of art installations in front of Driscoll Villa.

Chances are you will notice Looking Up by Tom Friedman right away. This 32.5-ft (9.9-m) steel sculpture is just too tall and shiny to overlook.

The size is only one reason to admire this installation. This sculpture is now even more relevant than before after the release of 2021 movie Don’t Look Up.

2. Miffy Fountain

Once you had a chance to reflect on Looking Up, you should take a walk around the lawn. Both Last Conversation Piece and Miffy Fountain are posing difficult questions.

The first installation by Juan Muñoz depicts a few bronze figures. They seem to be engaged in a heated conversation or a dance. Yet, they faces are stone cold. Why do the figures behave in such a way?

Miffy Mountain by Tom Sachs is a rabbit or a Hello Kitty like sculpture. Water is coming right from its eyes. What emotions do you feel looking at this sculpture? Is it going through a difficult time?

3. Water Woman

You could choose from a few routes as you continue walking through Laguna Gloria. This Laguna Gloria Austin Review follows a clockwise loop path. This route goes downhill through the Amphitheater next.

A steep staircase brings you from Looking Up statue to the lakeshore. As soon as you make it downhill, you will see Water Woman by Wangechi Mutu. It is hard to imagine for a better place for this sculpture.

You will see this bronze mermaid from the back. Water Woman is enjoying the sun on the shore, ready to go into the water at any moment. This sculpture could remind visitors of the exhibits at the UMLAUF.

4. Iron Tree Trunk

The next installation at Laguna Gloria is just a few steps inland from Water Woman. But these two installations could not be more different from one another.

Iron Tree Trunk is a cast iron installation by Ai Weiwei. This is a great case where the name is the best descriptor. Get ready to see a brown tree trunk. The sculptor succeeded if they went for realism.

Unless you know that it is an installation, you might confuse it with a real thing. There are plenty of similar looking dead trees in Pedernales Falls and Colorado Bend.

5. Luna

The realistic theme continues as you keep exploring Laguna Gloria. You will soon approach the very first art installation in the museum.

Luna is a sculpture by Ursula von Rydingsvard. Made of urethane resin, it allows for the sunlight to pass through. As a result, the sculpture shines differently depending on weather and time of the day.

It feels as if Lake Austin washed away a limestone cliff like the ones at Muleshoe Bend or Inks Lake. Only a part of this cliff is still standing strong at Laguna Gloria.

6. Garden Sculpture Blue & Garden Sculpture Grey

You will see a two-piece installation right across from Luna. Sarah Crowner created both Garden Sculpture Blue and Garden Sculpture Grey.

These concrete sculptures follow in part an outline of an oak leaf. But they are not quite as realistic as either Luna or Iron Tree Trunk.

See what emotions this installation elicits in you. This could be a start of a self-reflection exercise. Even better, you will have a bit of time to think about these sculptures.

7. Temple of Love

There are no exhibits at Laguna Gloria for a while. Beyond self-reflection, this is a good time to enjoy nature. Laguna Gloria is more than a typical open-air art museum. It is also a community park.

Its dirt paths through oak groves give beginner hikers an easy way to cover a mile (1.6 km) or so. Even better, the art exhibits will keep the walk more interesting than a typical destination hike.

You will arrive at the Temple of Love as soon as you start wondering about the next attraction. It is a round gazebo in a grove. A bench in the shade makes it a great place to rest and take pictures.

8. Swan Mother

Cherish the shade around the Temple of Love. You are about to enter an open area once you take the stairs down. Wear sunscreen and a hat to make the rest of the visit more enjoyable.

The next few exhibits at Laguna Gloria are a lot more abstract. Take a look at Swan Mother by Clare Rojas. This statue is one of the more recent additions to this sculpture park.

You could still find some similarities between this lakeshore sculpture and real swans. But it requires putting your imagination to work.

9. From the Sun to Zürich

Your mind would have to work even harder as soon as you see the next installation. From the Sun to Zürich by Carol Bove could incite different thoughts in each visitor.

Some visitors would see a winding road in this painted stainless steel structure. Others would adore its abstract nature. And a handful of people might not get it at all and question its existence.

Either way, you could count on getting some reaction from nearly every visitor. If you explore Laguna Gloria as a group, it could be a good time to compare notes.

10. Time Span

There is a shortcut that brings you from Swan Mother to the paved path and Driscoll Villa. But it could make sense to continue walking on the peninsula along the lakeshore.

This is your chance to see the most remote installation in this sculpture park. Time Span by Nancy Holt uses common construction materials.

Most houses in Texas use a combination of steel, concrete, and stucco. While this work is quite abstract, it is an interesting take on the concept of time.

11. Common Crossings

An abstract meaning of the common life items is also in the center of the next art installation. Common Crossings by Marianne Vitale is a collection of a handful of items.

All of them are steel railway switches. Instead of putting them on the ground, the artist put them up. They stand half buried into the ground.

It is an ingenuous way of reusing old industrial objects. But there will always be a few visitors who would argue about the artistic value of such an exhibit. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

12. Road Angel

You should not miss the next art installation as you are making the loop around the peninsula. Road Angel by Terry Allen is somewhat hidden from the main path.

Do not fear taking a short detour into the bushes. You will see one of the highlights of the sculpture park at Laguna Gloria.

The bushes hide a massive Chevrolet coupe. But the size of this bronze sculpture is only part of its appeal. Both head and taillights work. So is the audio. Together, they help this installation come to life.

13. to see if time was there

There are just a handful of sculptures left for you to see in this area of Laguna Gloria. These installation give a different meaning to the ordinary objects. You will soon reach two of these sculptures.

Check out Missing Truffaut by Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler and to see if time was there by Anya Gallaccio. The former installation is a wooden pole with a light, a poster, and voice mail.

The latter exhibit is a carved limestone with an inclusion of other stones. It looks like a stump of a giant tree. In a way, this sculpture resembles natural fossilized trees in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.

14. The stairs

As you get closer and closer to Driscoll Villa, you will arrive at the stairs by Monika Sosnowska. Each visitor should decide for themselves what this steel installation looks like.

A giant eye with lashes, the sun with rays, a blooming flower are just a few most common examples. This thought-provoking sculpture is a great way to return to the Villa.

You will get a first good look at Lake Austin shortly after passing The Stairs. It is only fitting that the building on the other shore has a giant eye and an exquisite boat garage.

It is hard to know for certain if it helps Laguna Gloria to have such artistic neighbors. But, whether intentional or not, these details make a visit to this museum even more memorable.

15. White Snow #3

Once you arrive at Driscoll Villa, there will be few installations to see. You could stop by Raised Laguna Discussion Platform (Job #1073) by Liam Gillick.

Or use an accessible path to Save on select landscape & outdoor lighting: Song to mind uncouples by Jessica Stockholder. Both of these installations are eye-catching landscape design elements.

Before you wrap up your visit to Laguna Gloria, you should head to White Snow #3. This sculpture by Paul McCarthy is a somewhat surprising take on Snow White fairytale.

16. Driscoll Villa

There is no doubt that most if not all visitors come to Laguna Gloria to explore the art installations. There is plenty to see in the permanent collection and the visiting exhibitions.

But any visit to Laguna Gloria would not be complete without a stop at Driscoll Villa. This Italianate mansion dates back to 1916. It looks a bit like Ca’ D’Zan in Sarasota, Florida.

Driscoll Villa is much smaller than its Venetian Gothic cousin from the Sunshine State. But it offers visitors a way to see this style first-hand without going to Florida or Italy.

The reception room, hallway, staircase, and interior balcony are open to the public. Feel free to go inside the building and admire its design. The main hall looks as if it had Frank Lloyd Wright influence on it.

Windows take a special place among the elements of Driscoll Villa. You will see rectangular, arch, and ornate windows. All windows at the mansion are beautiful. But few could rival the entryway window.

It looks just like the Rose Window at Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas. As if to make the resemblance more striking, there are quite similar window bars.

Continue with this Laguna Gloria Austin Review. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Laguna Gloria

The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria is a museum in Austin’s Tarrytown neighborhood. The sculpture park is at the western end of 35th Street.

This open-air museum is on the eastern shore of Lake Austin. Most of the art installations and walking paths are on a scenic peninsula.

The museum is a few hundred feet (meters) from Mayfield Park and Preserve. Covert Park at Mount Bonnell, another Austin highlight, is less than 5 minutes from Laguna Gloria.

A car is a must for visiting this art museum. It gives you freedom to reach the sculpture park and stop by other nearby sights. Laguna Gloria is 15 minutes from Downtown and 25 minutes from the Airport.

The museum offers free parking to its visitors. But the parking lot is quite small. It fits about a dozen cars. You might need to park along 35th Street if there are no open spots.

You could try reaching the museum by public transport. At $1.25 each way or $2.5 for a day pass, it is the cheapest way. But it will not be an easy path.

Bus 335 is the only route that stops anywhere near the museum. It connects Exposition Boulevard with Mueller. The nearest bus stop is a 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from Laguna Gloria.

There is a pedestrian walkway for the whole duration of the path. But you will be walking next to the cars flying by. Most drivers go above the speed limit of 30 mph (48 kmh).

This walk has 92 ft (28 m) in elevation gain when you go back from the museum. On the bright side, it could be a nice workout. Keep in mind that you would walk another a mile (1.6 km) in the sculpture park.

Where to Stay near Laguna Gloria

Laguna Gloria is in a residential part of Austin. As a result, there are no places to stay near this museum. You could choose from staying in the Downtown, Domain, Mueller, or UT areas.

AC Hotel by Marriott Austin-University might be the closest hotel to the museum. If you choose to stay on campus, check out Hampton Inn and Suites Austin University Capitol, too.

If you prefer to stay closer to the center of action, you should consider places to stay in Austin Downtown. Take a look at Austin Proper Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels.

Canopy By Hilton Austin Downtown should also be in the running. Both places to stay are under 15 minutes if you drive to Laguna Gloria.

Since you will likely visit this museum by car, free parking could be an important factor in your decision. In this case, take a look at the places to stay in the Domain.

Most of these hotels offer free parking. Check out Hyatt Place Austin Arboretum Domain Area and Residence Inn by Marriott Austin The Domain Area.

There are other solid choices like SpringHill Suites by Marriott Austin The Domain Area. How about Homewood Suites by Hilton Austin NW near The Domain?

You could be exploring art installations less than 15 minutes after leaving these hotels. This drive time assumes no traffic. You will spend 25 to 40 minutes in your car during morning or evening rush hours.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

Laguna Gloria is part of The Contemporary Austin museum. This sculpture park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. But you have all other days of the week to see the exhibits.

Admission hours at Laguna Gloria differ by day. The museum has extended hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every Thursday. Laguna Gloria is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on all other days.

The museum charges admission fees per person. Adults pay $10 while students and seniors pay $5 each. Children under 18, military, and essential workers visit Laguna Gloria for free.

Museum members could also enjoy free admission year round. There are different levels of membership to the Contemporary Austin. Their cost ranges from $50 to $10,000 a year.

You do not need to spend a fortune or wait for Austin Museum Day to visit Laguna Gloria for free. In fact, this museum has free admission every Thursday.

The admission day with the longest hours is the best time to visit. But Thursdays at Laguna Gloria manage to get even better. You could join a free guided tour at 7:30 p.m. then.

If you visit Laguna Gloria on a Saturday, you could take a guided tour at 10 a.m. This is a great way to learn about the exhibits from the experts.

Takeaways: Laguna Gloria Austin Review

Laguna Gloria is great outdoor art museum in Austin, Texas. Modern and contemporary art lovers would find this museum an amazing destination.

Large sculptures and art exhibits on the shores of Lake Austin are a sight to see. 1916 Driscoll Villa does not have a ton of historic furniture pieces. But its interior and grounds are very beautiful.

If you are not sure about this museum, head to Laguna Gloria on any Thursday evening. You could visit the museum for free then. A free guided tour could help you see the installations from a different lens.

You could extend the visit by stopping at Mount Bonnell and Mayfield Park. The Texas Military Forces Museum is less than a mile (1.6 km) away, too. These sights could be great additional stops on your trip.

But you might want to skip Laguna Gloria if you do not find contemporary art too exciting. A visit might not be worth the stress of finding parking at the tiny museum lot.

Take a look at this Laguna Gloria Austin Video Review. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.

https://youtu.be/xQRGVZFV5KM

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