The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria

This was my first visit to the Contemporary Austin at Laguna Gloria and enjoyed it. I loved the walking trails though the woods and along Lake Austin seeing all the artwork in the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park. I was impressed by all of it including the grounds with the Driscoll Villa, Visitor Center/Shop, Art School and Spread and Co. Café. The only drawback is finding a parking spot along the street since there is no lot on site. However, I did plan my visit by seeing it during the week around lunchtime where easily found a spot and parking is free. It was very relaxing and peaceful felling you were away from the busy Austin city life. The staff was very friendly and like it so much I purchased a membership.

This is about the school administration specifically -- I was enrolled in a weekend class and unfortunately my dog died two days before the class. Knowing that I would be in no shape to attend a class I emailed them immediately letting them know my dog had died and I wouldn't be able to attend the class.Initially, they refused any sort of refund since their policy requires a 8 days notice. I respect and understand that, but this is a really tough and exceptional time for me. I protested via email and they "graciously" offered me $90 credit towards another class that had to be used in the next 6 months. I refused since I will never take classes from their facility again given their cold and callous approach to my loss despite how much I enjoyed the teachers and courses.

We go here at least twice a month. It's our happy place. Since it's an outdoor make sure to wear shoes you're ok getting dirty. There's parking instructions on the website. Thursday are free. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Overall, this place has very cool for all ages if you enjoy nature and art.

I am a teacher and my teacher friends and I are doing some Austin Adult Field Trips this summer that are both budget friendly (#teachers) and fun! We chose Laguna Gloria and we luckily came on a "free day". We knew that teachers got a discount but lucky us to come on a free day! There is plenty of parking and even a cute little coffee/snack shop right when you come in. They have homemade popsicles. We didn't try one but they sounded great!There are several buildings for art classes. We must have looked lost ;) because someone popped over to talk to us and pointed out which way to go to hit the path and find the awesome sculptures along the way. One of my friends had been there before so she was a great docent during our walking tour. The grounds are charming. Down at the peninsula and in the woods, you feel like you are on a tropical vacation. When you pop out down near the estate house you feel like you're in California. :) My friend had attended a wedding here and said it was lovely. I can just imagine how perfect that must have been. It was a fun field trip. I will surely be back again!

Laguna Gloria is probably my favorite museum in Austin. Admittedly, I may be biased since I'm a huge fan of sculpture gardens, but I think this place checks all the boxes!Come on a nice day to walk the lovely grounds with views of Lake Austin and admire the art. On Thursdays, admission is free all day!Most recently, we visited on a Thursday evening for the unveiling reception of Mariposa Relámpago, an awesome piece that was commissioned by the ICA Boston and is making its way around Texas. The base is an old school bus from El Salvador, and the artist attached a number of objects onto it including gongs that can be used for sound therapy. During the reception, 3 gong players did a sound ceremony, and we were able to watch them in action from outside as well as go inside the bus to feel the vibrations. A very unique experience!Laguna Gloria's permanent collection features a variety of different artists as well as sculptural styles and mediums. I love the big silver guy looking up outside the villa as well as the crying Miffy fountain and the swan by the lake. Each piece has signage close to it where you can read information about the sculpture. There's a good amount of space, so even during an event, it doesn't feel crowded. It's a very peaceful place where you can get some exercise, enjoy wonderful art, and spend quality time with those you love.

I love this place so much. I grew up in Austin, but live in Seattle now. This is one of the places that I always go to when I'm in town.I dragged one of my coworkers here since we were in town for a conference. I didn't even know it was free on thursdays! That was just icing on the cake. The people at the front desk were super nice and friendly. I had such a great time. Watching the water slowly lap against the shore of Lake Austin was amazing. All the sculptures were very interesting. The trails are great. Well worth the trip.

This was such a beautiful spot in Austin. My fiancé and I took our engagement photos here and had a great time. Please note that you need an appointment and permission to have a photo shoot here. I liked that the villa had bathrooms upstairs where we could get ready. Afterwards, we grabbed lunch on the property and it was delicious. I would love to come back to walk around and to grab lunch.

The Laguna Gloria is a branch of the Contemporary Austin consisting of a lovely old villa on Lake Austin with landscaped grounds full of sculptures. The house itself can be toured to appreciate the architecture though it is mostly empty. The design is quite nice, though, and you will even find a carved wooden feature over the fireplace that was taken from the Alamo itself.Outside you will find a few stone statues and a fountain that match the age and style of the house, but most of the other sculptures are modern and can be quite odd. There's a 30 foot stainless steel sculpture looking rather alien in front of the house, and there are trails all around the lakefront property with many others, so you'll have to walk a bit to see everything. Don't miss the ones hanging in the trees!There is also an art school with a few small buildings on the grounds where one can occasionally take classes or have other activities. There's also a small gift shop and a restaurant on site.There is an admission charge but there are numerous free days if you check their web site. There is limited space for parking which is usually only a challenge during events, but there is free street parking if you are willing to walk. Be sure to check the schedule because this a popular place to hold weddings or other events that may interfere with the average visit to see the sculpture garden.

Had a wonderful day at the contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria. I took my family on a Thursday in January, the weather was nice and warm. I brought them on this day because every Thursday is free entry to the contemporary Austin Museum,. we walked around on the grounds of the museum, got a very nice view of the lake. All the sculptures around the area were very beautiful, everything was so serene and relaxing. Great experience, you sort of go on a little hike while looking around which was great. Good exercise, family interactive, wheelchair friendly.

We had my daughter's wedding here and it was truly a stunning event. This Italian style villa is breathtaking on its own, but as a wedding venue it is exquisite. It was a true Texas summer day with 100+ temperatures but luckily there was a little cooling room where we were able to chill for a bit. We also had a bartender serving ice cold beer & mixed drinks so there was never a notice of the sweaty foreheads, lol. The staff here were so easy to work with and the vendors on their list were top notch. If you are looking to host an outdoor event, you must check out The Laguna Gloria!