AutryMuseum of the American West

4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
(323) 667-2000

Founded by Gene Autry, “The Singing Cowboy,” outstanding state-of-the-art museum is a tribute to the spirit that settled the American West. (See VISUAL ARTS, FAMILY, FILM, MUSIC) Second Tue of every month Free. website: www.theautry.org

The Autry Museum of the American West is one of Los Angeles’ most important cultural institutions, dedicated to presenting a broad, inclusive, and multi‑cultural history of the American West. It blends art, history, Native American cultures, film heritage, and contemporary scholarship in a way few museums do.

🕰 Regular Operating Hours

• Tuesday–Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Saturday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Monday: Closed

⭐ Core Identity

The Autry is a Western and American Indian museum located in Griffith Park, directly across from the Los Angeles Zoo. It attracts roughly 150,000 visitors annually and is known for its interdisciplinary exhibitions, public programs, and community partnerships.

Its mission emphasizes connecting the past with the present and telling the stories of all peoples of the American West.

🏛 Founding & Historical Development

1988 — Gene Autry’s Vision

The museum was founded in 1988 as the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, created by actor, musician, and businessman Gene Autry, along with Jackie Autry and Joanne & Monte Hale. Autry’s goal:

“to build a museum which would exhibit and interpret the heritage of the West and show how it influenced America and the world.”

2003 — Becoming the Autry National Center

In 2003, the museum merged with the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, one of the oldest museums in Los Angeles. This dramatically expanded its Native American collections and research capacity.

2013 — Major Gallery Renovations

The Autry redesigned the Irene Helen Jones Parks Gallery of Art and the Gamble Firearms Gallery, shifting from chronological displays to thematic storytelling—mixing paintings, crafts, photography, and multimedia.

2022 — Southwest Museum Campus Closure

The historic Mt. Washington campus of the Southwest Museum was closed to the public after LAFD safety inspections. The Autry continues stewardship of the collection.

🖼 Collections & Notable Holdings

The Autry’s holdings are vast and interdisciplinary:

• 500,000+ objects across art, artifacts, and archival materials (including the entire Southwest Museum collection).
• 21,000+ items at the Griffith Park site alone—paintings, sculpture, textiles, firearms, tools, toys, musical instruments, and more.
• Gene Autry memorabilia, including his iconic Martin D‑45 guitar (the first one ever made).
• “American Progress” (1872) by John Gast, a famous allegorical painting of Manifest Destiny.
• International Gay Rodeo Association archives, making the Autry a leading repository of LGBTQ+ Western history.

🎭 Programs & Cultural Engagement

The Autry is known for dynamic programming:

• Lectures, film screenings, theater, festivals, and family events.
• Native Voices at the Autry, a long-running Indigenous performing arts series.
• Educational outreach, field trips, and collaborative student exhibitions.
• Autry After Hours, seasonal outdoor events and music nights.