Briscoe Western Art Museum

A beautiful museum indeed. Every San Antonian has to visit this place at least once. You learn all about western history… to some it may seem boring, but to others it’s down right fascinating. When you leave this place, you will at least have seen one of the most beautifully constructed buildings in Texas! Entry is very cheap!

Very beautiful museum with a lot of character, entry is very reasonable. However it is a pretty small museum so plan to visit the other historical places around the museum

Wonderful Little museum of art with some very interesting exhibits. The saddles were amazing! I can’t believe how much detail went into them. I came in Round 3:50 on a Tuesday and asked what the admission was. The woman said in ten minutes it will be free! Apparently on Tuesdays after 4 it is free admission. Certainly worth the time!

The museum was a great experience from the décor of the building to the wonderful exhibits. I know was not able to listen to many of the audio and video exhibits just because there were so many of them.
There was also the beautiful pieces done by regional high school students for the San Antonio Stock and Trade show and just hope these very talented kids continue with their art whether professionally or just as a hobby the world needs the kind of talent that they showed.

Lots of great western art in here. They also do regular community events, and bring in special speakers. It’s free on Tuesday evenings – as is parking across the street.

This museum packs a lot into one location. They have paintings, photography, a wide collection of saddles, spurs, and guns, and even a stage coach. I did not have time to do the self-​guided audio tour but quite a few patrons looked like they were enjoying it.

Worth the $ 10 admission per person to this well maintained beautiful museum. Plan on spending at least one hour here to browse three floors of photographs, paintings, sculptures, replicas, artifacts, and more. Many include headphones or videos where you can learn more.

This Museum is great! There are paintings and sculptures and interactive videos. There are listening stations with the video’s. On the first floor there is a library that is targeted to kids with learning opportunities. You can easily do this museum in 2 hours. The gift shop has really classy western items.

Overall the museum is great, and I would definitely recommend it. Here is where they lost one star:
1. I wish there was a bit more information given about each piece of art work, for example the text next to each art piece says the date and artist name, but I’d love to know the location and inspiration and maybe some history about the artist.
2. This is more of a recurrent San Antonio issue not exactly the museums fault, but plays I to the whole experience (… And into problem #3.) Parking on a Saturday is a nightmare. we got turned away from 4 full lots, so finally found one for $ 11 at the tower of the Americas. It was a long walk to the museum on a hot, sunny 99degree day
2. There is no drinks machine. My husband and I are were parched after walking one mile from the parking lot in 99 degree weather with a baby. The only water available was from a small plastic cup from a water dispenser that was almost empty. Why are there no vending machines? We eventually found some fountains where we could refill our cups, but having cups is a bad idea. When we rest them on the baby stroller and go over a bump on the museum floor, water spills all over the floor casting a hazard for other visitors. Please just install a drinks machine. It’s profit for you guys, and doesn’t create a safety issue.

On my second visit to the Briscoe this year, I brought an all girls organization from the middle school I teach at for a field trip. They are taught Texas history in 7^th grade, so I thought it would be interesting for them to be able to see some of the art and artifacts and make more real world connections with what they had learned at school this year. The girls LOVED the museum! The education staff, including Sara, was very friendly, the docents were very kneeled gable and courteous, and everyone working at the museum from security to exhibit staff was very understanding of the girls varied interests.
The collections at the Briscoe were quite impressive, especially since it doesn’t look like such a large place from the outside, but it has been beautifully modeled inside and out and holds some very interesting pieces of Texas history! I think every 7^th grader in San Antonio should be afforded the opportunity to visit and connect their learning, which by the way is entirely possible because Chase bank provides a grant for school groups to attend for FREE! The actual entrance prices aren’t expensive though, and I would say it’s definitely worth a visit, maybe for a hot summer day when you’re looking for a place to explore indoors in the air conditioning.
Places like the Briscoe are why I get offended when locals say there is nothing to do in San Antonio; it’s just that we have so many hidden gems, and part of the adventure is finding them!
5 stars= Driving across town just for this!
4 stars= I would recommend visiting.
3 stars= Average, acceptable, positive.
2 stars= You might be able to drag me in.
1 star= I will definitely not be returning.

Staff does not seem to communicate well with each other. You can ask a question and get different information from different people. Museum seems beautiful, but management needs to be reviewed by the board of directors.

This 1 yr old museum is located in the old San Antonio Public Library building. I was already impressed by this museum when I opened the door and stepped into the well restored historic 1930’s lobby highlighting a large bronze sculpture capturing the spirit of the wild moving west. The museum’s individually themed galleries is spread across three floors and there is no specific path you need to take to view them. The art on display opens a window to the history of the west and it’s people. The lines between history and art bleed into each other. As you enjoy the art with all your senses; you cannot leave without learning more about American history. The museum utilizes recent technology to bring the art on display to life. Many of the exhibits have touch screen displays with headphones that enable you to hear more about the history and artist, and/​or watch the artist creating the piece. One floor even has several comfy lounge chairs that you can sit back and listen to stories and music of the west. I actually liked the Alamo siege diorama that spotlights several stories of individuals from that day. Visually experiencing the siege while listening to the stories brought new meaning from that day in a way I hadn’t experienced before. For only $ 5 for adults this museum is affordable and well worth a visit. It also includes entrance to the small outdoor sculpture garden that you can access down the street or from the river walk. It just has a few pieces on display in a tree covered courtyard. On the first floor there is also a small gift shop.

I came curious and came away impressed. The Briscoe is a fairly new, small museum that presents a broad perspective on the meanings of western heritage.
From the iconic diorama of the Alamo siege (which I admittedly could have done without, to large displays of saddles and spurs (ouch), to a detailed explanation of how a Chuck wagon works — even today! — this museum combines art with artifacts. All along the way are small videos that give what Paul Harvey used to call «the rest of the story.» I was particularly impressed by the diverse and well displayed collection of contemporary western sculpture and paintings.
Admission is only $ 5 with discounts for students, military and seniors. Don’t miss the well stocked gift shop also. One extra kudo — Lots of well placed seating throughout the museum.

Small but seems like a well edited collection. No silly clowns, scalping injuns, saintly cowboys, or talking horses. Gift shop could be great spot for gifts. A worthy escape from the heat for $ 5.

I attended an event here, and I am curious to now check out the museum as a patron — here’s why:
1 — The staff were very professional, with security and docents on the patio and elevator
2 — The venue is conveniently located across from a large public parking garage, and it is right on the riverwalk
3 — Our event was 6 – 9, and the museum happened to also be open until 9pm. Patrons were walking in to the museum and had mentioned it was an interesting one. (The event was in a separate space)
I’ll have to visit the museum itself before I give a fair review of the reason you’re probably going, the art!

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is a relatively new (October 2013 opening) offering along the San Antonio River Walk which offers an opportunity to view some beautiful art (painting, photography, sculpture and items of historical significance) in a relatively small setting and at a decent price. The galleries are small and spaced over three floors accessible with central stairs or a large elevator. The size is perfect for a 1 – 2 hr diversion without rushing or choosing what not to see. There are extremely comfortable leather chairs on the 3^rd floor which are hard to leave!