Schedule
Tours will be offered on Tuesday, June 20, 2006. All tours are free of charge. Tuesday tours require advance signup using the links below. The Harry Ransom Center Tour will be repeated on Thursday. Signup for the Thursday tour will take place in Austin at the registration desk. Informal tours of Austin nightlife will also be offered on Tuesday and Thursday evening. Please see the Austin Page for details. First-time Attendees: Please remember that Conference and New Members Orientation begins at 5:00pm on Tuesday at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin hotel, and that you will need time after your tour to make it back to the hotel. Please sign up early to guarantee your preferred time slot for tours. UT Libraries and Archives Tour -- FULL This tour includes four University of Texas libraries and archives, including the Tarlton Law Library, Center for American History, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Tours will include both public and nonpublic areas. About 30 - 45 minutes will be spent at each location. * Please note: Participants will need to make their own way to the lobby of the Harry Ransom Center at the northeast corner of 21st and Guadalupe streets. From there, a guide will escort participants to a shuttle bus that will take the group to their next destination. Part of this tour requires a bit of walking (including about 2 blocks uphill), please remember June is likely to be quite warm in Austin. Participants will also be responsible for their own transportation back to their hotel at the end of the tour. The 'Dillo, Austin's free downtown shuttle, runs regularly between the preconference hotel and the UT campus. Sign up for the UT Libraries and Archives Tour (currently full) Museums Tour - CANCELLED Tour of local museums including the newly opened Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. The guided tour includes approximately one hour for each museum, and will include both public and nonpublic areas. * Please note: Participants will need to make their own way to the lobby of the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art at 1800 N. Congress Avenue at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Participants will also be responsible for their own transportation back to their hotel at the end of the tour. The 'Dillo, Austin's free downtown shuttle, runs regularly between the preconference hotel and the UT campus. Sign up for the Museums Tour (cancelled) Harry Ransom Center -- FULL This tour of the Harry Ransom Center includes both public and nonpublic areas, including Preservation/Conservation. This tour lasts approximately one hour and is offered at 2:00pm and 3:00pm on Tuesday. This tour will also be repeated again on Thursday, June 22, 2006 at 2:00pm; signup for the Thursday tour is limited to 15 participants and will take place in Austin at the registration desk. * Please note: Participants will need to make their own way to the lobby of the Harry Ransom Center at the northeast corner of 21st and Guadalupe streets. Participants will also be responsible for their own transportation back to their hotel at the end of the tour. The 'Dillo, Austin's free downtown shuttle, runs regularly between the preconference hotel and the UT campus. Sign up for the Harry Ransom Center Tour (2:00pm) (currently full) Architectural Library and Archive Tour -- CANCELLED * Please note: Participants will need to make their own way to the lobby of the Harry Ransom Center at the northeast corner of 21st and Guadalupe streets. Participants will also be responsible for their own transportation back to their hotel at the end of the tour. The 'Dillo, Austin's free downtown shuttle, runs regularly between the preconference hotel and the UT campus. Sign up for the Architectural Library and Archive Tour (cancelled) Self-Arranged ToursWithin walking distance of InterContinental Stephen F. Austin HotelWithin walking distance of Harry Ransom CenterTransportation requiredCommercial toursWithin Walking Distance of InterContinental Stephen F. Austin HotelAdvance reservations requiredTexas Governor's Mansion The Governor's Mansion, the most historic house in Texas, sits on a beautifully landscaped city block near the Capitol building. Built in 1856, it is the oldest continuously occupied executive residence west of the Mississippi. The building has been designated a National Historic Landmark. No reservations neededAustin Children's Museum The Austin Children's Museum, founded in 1983 by a grass-roots coalition of parents and educators, originally opened as a 'Museum without walls' with exhibits and programs hosted in schools, parks, recreation centers, libraries, and malls. Walls were built in 1987 when the Museum opened its doors with 5,000 square feet on West 5th Street. A successful $4.8 million expansion campaign was launched in 1997 that led to the creation of the new downtown location at the Dell Discovery Center. More than 800,000 visitors have enjoyed exhibits and programs since the Museum doors opened at its current home. Austin History Center As the local history collection of the Austin Public Library, the Austin History Center provides the public with information about the history, current events, and activities of Austin and Travis County. We collect and preserve information about local governments, businesses, residents, institutions, and neighborhoods so that generations to come will have access to our history. Austin Museum of Art Reflecting the unconventional spirit of Austin, AMOA-Downtown offers informative and informal art experiences oriented towards the interests of a broad general audience. The welcoming and centrally located galleries serve as the Museum's principal exhibition site and present continually changing exhibitions and education programs that showcase an array of twentieth-century and contemporary art. Mexic-Arte Museum Mexic-Arte Museum is dedicated to cultural enrichment and education through the presentation and promotion of traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latino, and Latin American art and culture. Since its founding in 1984, Mexic-Arte Museum has emerged as the official Mexican and Mexican-American Fine Art Museum of Texas. O. Henry Museum The O. Henry Museum offers a look into the life of William Sidney Porter, the man who became famous under the pen name O. Henry. Known as 'the master of the short story,' Porter lived in this 1886 Queen Anne-style cottage from 1893 to 1895. His home has since been restored and now contains artifacts and memorabilia from Porter's life in Austin. The O. Henry Museum is a National Register Property and a National Literary Landmark of the City of Austin. Texas State Capitol and Capitol Visitors' Center The Texas Capitol is an extraordinary example of late 19th century public architecture and is widely recognized as one of the nation's most distinguished state capitols. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 for its 'significant contribution to American history.' The Capitol Visitors Center is located at 112 East 11th Street (southeast corner of the Capitol grounds) in the restored 1856-57 General Land Office building. The three-story castle-like structure reflects the mid-19th century mock-medieval revival architectural style and is the oldest state office building in Texas. Within Walking Distance of Harry Ransom CenterAdvance reservations requiredUniversity of Texas Tower The 307-foot tall UT Austin Tower, designed by Paul Cret of Philadelphia, was completed in 1937. Through the years, the Tower has served as the University's most distinguishing landmark and as a symbol of academic excellence and personal opportunity. The observation deck of the UT Tower offers a spectacular view of the UT Campus and the Austin area in all directions. Thanks to the cooperative effort of students, staff, and the University administration, the observation deck has recently been remodeled and reopened to the public for the first time in nearly three decades. As a part of the renovation process, persons with disabilities now also have access to this monumental view. No reservations neededArchitecture and Planning Library and Alexander Architectural Archive The Architecture and Planning Library is located in Battle Hall, adjacent to The UT Tower and near the center of The University's original '40 Acre' campus. Containing over 84,000 volumes and 210 current periodical subscriptions, the library's collection supports the curriculum of the School of Architecture and that of its Community and Regional Planning Program. The library also serves the academic and research needs of scholars in the disciplines of art history, American studies, and interior design, and is an important resource for architecture and planning professionals. The library also houses the Alexander Architectural Archive which contains documentation for historic and architecturally important projects in and out of the state, focusing primarily on work by Texas architects. Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin, Texas, tells the "Story of Texas" with three floors of interactive exhibits, the special effects show, The Star of Destiny, in the Texas Spirit Theater, and Austin's only IMAX Theatre, featuring the signature large-format film, Texas: The Big Picture. A 35-foot-tall bronze Lone Star sculpture greets visitors in front of the Museum, and a colorful terrazzo floor in the Museum's rotunda features a campfire scene with enduring themes from Texas' past. The Museum also has a Cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and a Museum Store with something for the Texan in everyone. Center for American History The Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin is a special collections library, archive, and museum that facilitates research and sponsors programs on the historical development of the United States. The Center's research collection strengths are the history of Texas, the South, the Southwest, and the Rocky Mountain West, the history of the University of Texas, congressional history, and specific national-in-scope topics, including media history and the history of the professional touring entertainment industry. Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art The Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art is one of the foremost university art museums in the country and the leading art museum serving the city of Austin and Central Texas. The Blanton's permanent collection spans the history of Western civilization with approximately 17,000 works of art from Europe, the United States, and Latin America, and the Museum presents a wide range of special exhibitions and educational programs to the University and surrounding region. LBJ Library and Museum The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum is one of ten presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. The library houses forty million pages of historical documents which include the papers from the entire public career of Lyndon Baines Johnson and also from those of close associates. These papers and the vast administrative files from the presidency are used primarily by scholars. The museum provides year-round public viewing of its permanent historical and cultural exhibits. Special activities and exhibits are sponsored privately by the Friends of the LBJ Library and its parent organization, the LBJ Foundation. Neill-Cochran House Museum The Neill-Cochran House is one of Austin's oldest and most treasured landmarks. Built in 1855 as a suburban estate, this impressive Greek Revival house has survived war, strife, and the immense growth of the University area and the Capital City. Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, a unit of the University of Texas Libraries, is a specialized research library focusing on materials from and about Latin America, and on materials relating to Latinos in the United States. Initially endowed with a superb collection of rare books and manuscripts relating to Mexico, the Benson Collection now maintains important holdings for all countries of Latin America with special concentrations on the countries of the Río de la Plata, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Central America. Tarlton Law Library The Tarlton Law Library is the 7th largest academic law library in the U.S. and the largest in the South and Southwest. Its Rare Books & Special Collections have the papers of Justice Tom C. Clark, the only Texan who has served on the U.S. Supreme Court. Its 8,000-volume rare book collection includes an outstanding collection of over 200 early law dictionaries, an almost-complete collection of the works of John Selden, and a unique collection of law-related fine press books. The library's Law in Popular Culture Collection, a circulating collection, is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Throughout the Law Library and the Law School the outstanding Elton M. Hyder Jr. Collection is on display, with over 4,000 works of art and antiques that focus on the history of the law and create an environment conducive to study. Texas Memorial Museum The Texas Memorial Museum is a natural science museum operating under the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. It was established by the Texas legislature for the 1936 Texas Centennial Celebration. Museum exhibits and public programs are based on the museum's renowned research collection of more than 5 million natural science specimens. Exhibits focus on three areas: gems and minerals, Texas wildlife, and fossils and dinosaurs. Texas State Library and Archives The Texas State Archives preserves and documents the heritage and culture of Texas by identifying, collecting, and making available for research the permanently valuable official records of Texas government, as well as other significant historical resources. Maintaining the official history of Texas government, the State Archives includes archival government records dating back to the 18th century, as well as newspapers, journals, books, manuscripts, photographs, historical maps, and other historical resources. By these records, all three branches of Texas government are accountable to the people. Taken together, the holdings of the Texas State Archives provide a historical foundation for present-day governmental actions and are an important resource for Texas studies. Transportation RequiredElizabet Ney Museum The Elisabet Ney Museum is the former studio and portrait collection created by nineteenth-century sculptor Elisabet Ney. Venerated as one of the oldest museums in Texas, the Elisabet Ney Museum offers visitors a lovingly preserved glimpse into early Texas history and into the life of a creative and spirited woman who lived life passionately in her own inimitable way. Flatbed Press and Gallery Flatbed Press is a publishing workshop which collaborates with artists to produce limited editions of original etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and monoprints. Flatbed also does contract, collaborative printing for other publishers, dealers, artists, and institutions, and is available on a limited basis for open-shop work by experienced artists. Flatbed Gallery is a private art gallery which specializes in original prints, but also exhibits and markets exceptional paintings, drawings, and photographs. Flatbed—founded in 1989 by Katherine Brimberry and Mark L. Smith—is located in Flatbed World Headquarters, an 18,000 sq. ft. warehouse which we redeveloped in 1999 as a community of creative professionals. Visitors have compared the aesthetics of the space to New York City's Chelsea-district warehouse galleries. Located on Boggy Creek in central-east Austin (near the University of Texas at Austin campus) at 2832 East M. L. King, the new facility includes not only a shop, offices, and galleries, but also eight tenants: Gallery 68, Gallery 106, Creative Research Laboratory (Fine Arts Department Exhibition Space of the University of Texas), The University of Texas Graduate and Faculty Studio Annex, Kelley Toombs Design, PUNCHPRESS, and Denny McCoy Studio. This mix of the visual and performing arts in Flatbed provides a '24/7' creative synergy in the building. French Legation Nestled in a quiet, green corner of the bustling modern capital of the State of Texas, the French Legation was originally built in 1840-41 to be the residence of the chargé d'affaires who represented the government of France in the Republic of Texas. The Legation became the home of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Robertson in 1848, remaining in their family until 1949, when it was acquired by the State of Texas. Under the custodianship of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the site has been lovingly restored and furnished with items original to its time period. It is the oldest extant frame structure in Austin. George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center The Carver Museum & Cultural Center is housed in a 36,000 square-foot facility that includes four galleries, a conference room, classroom, darkroom, dance studio, 134-seat theatre, and archival space. The galleries feature a core exhibit on Juneteenth, a permanent exhibit on Austin African-American families, an Artists Gallery, and a children's exhibit on African-American scientists and inventors. Commercial ToursAustin Duck Adventures On your Duck Tour you will roll through downtown and see some of the places that make Austin one of the greatest cities in the country. You will have a Duck's eye view of our State Capitol, Governor's Mansion, Bob Bullock Museum, historic Congress Avenue and music rich 6th Street before 'SPLASHING' into Lake Austin. While you are taking in the sights, your Tour Guide will be entertaining you with historical tidbits and interesting insights into our unique city. You will also be treated to some of the sounds that make Austin 'The Live music capital of the world.' Austin Overtures Sightseeing Tours We specialize in providing Austin in 90 Minutes—a narrated Austin sightseeing tour that familiarizes you with over 30 of Austin's major historical, cultural, significant points of interest in just 90 minutes! This daily scheduled tour with satellite activated narration gives you a comprehensive overview of our great city. Tour departs from the Austin Visitor Information Center at 209 E. Sixth Street in downtown Austin. |
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