If you grew up playing cowboys and Indians, and still wonder what it would be like to live in the American West, you’ll enjoy a trip to the Autry National Center. This is a result of the merger of Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Museum of the American West, and Women of the West.
The Museum of the American West, once known as the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, shows how tightly woven together the history, culture, mythologies, and people are. It’s named for Gene Autry, known as “America’s Favorite Singing Cowboy”, who had a sixty-year career in radio, movies, and television. The museum was a long sought after dream of Autry’s, which became a reality in 1988.
The purpose of The Southwest Museum of the American Indian, founded in 1907 by Charles Lummis, has been a better understanding, knowledge, and appreciation of the American Indians. Lummis was an American West historian and had aspired to create a “great, characteristic Southern California museum.” It covers the history of the American Indians from Alaska to South America.
Inside the Institute for the Study of the American West, you’ll find two libraries – the Autry Library and the Braun Research Library. They provide access to many items of literature dealing with the American West as well as many collections of the Autry National Center. The institute is also in charge of overseeing the programs and publications of the Autry National Center.
In the past, the Autry National Center has shown exhibits such as the Masters of the American West Fine Art, George Catlin and His Indian Gallery, and the Women of the West series. The current exhibits include Totems to Turquoise and Encounters: The Fur Trade. Plans are afoot for future exhibits such as Yosemite: Art of an American Icon, Art and Costume From the California Historical Society Collection, and How Women Made the West.
Taking a Group Tour at the Autry National Center will take you through the permanent galleries of the museum. On the tour you’ll be able to explore western lands, cowboys, popular culture, and the changes that were brought about by the Civil War. New to the museum are audio guides, which are free to members, and $3.00 for non-members. The audio guides help visitors design their own individualized tour. School tours are also available that are age-appropriate and geared towards the current curriculum.
Admission to The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is free, and it’s open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The Museum of the American West and Institute for the Study of the American West are open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday, and from Memorial Day through Labor Day, on Thursdays they are open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The Museum of the American West charges an admission price of $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for students and seniors, and $3.00 for children from ages 2 through 12.
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