We loved our visit. I didn't know anything about the art before coming here but was very pleasantly…read moresurprised. I'm drawn to classically influenced, figurative sculpture, rather than highly abstract contemporary styles. Umlauf's work was precisely that -- it focused on the human form primarily and touched upon themes of religion, war, love, beauty. There were some pieces that took my breath away, particularly the refugee mother and baby pieces. The garden itself is small (you'll likely spend an hour here, at most) but very pleasant to stroll around. The trees were bare when we visited but I can see it being even lovelier in spring/summer. Very reasonable admission fee ($8 per adult). Children 0-4 are free. Super friendly staff. The woman working the front desk was very kind to us and made our family feel so welcome (we brought our two small children). Small parking area but it wasn't crowded when we came (despite it being a weekend afternoon). If you're visiting Austin and you like classical and figurative sculptural work, make sure you add this spot to your itinerary.

A friend of mine was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend and he then committed suicide. Today my…read morefriend's family had a celebration of life ceremony for her. This celebration of life ceremony was a deeply moving and beautifully planned tribute to her life well-lived. The ceremony took place in UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum. The grounds are serene and peaceful with art sculptures sprinkled throughout the garden. UMLAUF is strategically hidden behind Zilker Park in Austin, TX. The garden was a perfect place for my friend's celebration of life. She would have loved the tree canopy, small ponds, and the bronze and stone works in the garden. My friends passing caused me to think about life, death and the dash in between the two. The commentary today came from her younger brother, two friends and her aunt. Their glowing remarks intertwined with snippets of humor helped to soften the moment. One of the comments from her brother is that you need to keep in touch with family and friends, tell them you love them and do not miss those very important moments. Those thoughts resonated with me. Sometimes in this microwaveable society, we do not make time to be intentional and spend uninterrupted time with family and friends. I committed today to be more intentional from this day forward. When my mom and sister passed, I was selected by our family to do the eulogy, which is one the hardest things you can possibly do in life. How can you capture one's life in 15-20 minutes? What topics are most salient to discuss? Inevitably, my mind drifted to gratitude. I am so grateful for my family who loves me unconditionally. I am grateful to all my friends and especially those friends who have been riding with me for 25+ years. "The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." Eleanor Roosevelt

Very unique! If you are going to Austin, make arrangements for a tour. This house has been…read morefeatured in a lot of different books and magazines.

Keep Austin Weird is one of those phrases that is synonymous with Austin (in addition to barbecue)…read more There is so much interesting art here in Austin that you should consider looking into when visiting Austin, with Casa Neverlandia being one of them. Casa Neverlandia is a three story, colorful home located behind Goodwill Baptist Church, that was created by James Talbot, or as he referred to himself as "Talbot" when we met him for a private tour of his home. Casa Neverlandia originally started out as a one story home built in the early 1900's. Mr. Talbot purchased this home and started to transform it into what you see now in my photos and what you find online. According to Mr. Talbot, he grew up in a military family, traveling all around the world and living in some unusual places that includes a treehouse in Honduras. He has a college degree in architecture and has always been fascinated with building things, as you can see with his home today. To him, he builds this home for himself to reflect upon his spiritual side but also include some unique things for his physical needs, as he lives rather a green lifestyle. My husband and I, along with our little girl dog (yes Mr. Talbot allowed for us to bring our little dog with us) met Mr. Talbot outside of his home on a Sunday afternoon. We were lucky to be the only couple, as another couple was supposed to come but was told the date just didn't work with their schedule. Please note that it cost $15 per person for this tour and you can contact Mr. Talbot via phone or email to schedule a tour. At the front entrance of his home are numerous of doorbells, xylophones and bells. I believe there is over 40 of these things but Mr. Talbot says he can never have enough. He describes the mosaic tiles outside of the home, the snake, the outdoor patio seating area with the clouds element and so forth. Then inside, we see his living room with a beautiful and inviting fireplace and pit to help radiate heat for the first floor, indoor seating area that is meant to be an air alter with cool colors of green and a unique bookcase. We see some current artwork that he has for sale (no obligation to buy) that includes gorgeous hand beaded work and other things and then make our way to the small music room. Next, the kitchen has a lot of function to it more so than just design. Then we make our way up stairs. On the 2nd floor is a room that has a Thai like theme with the bamboo wall panels and red lacquered beams. This room has high ceilings and utilizes natural lighting since there is no lights in this room. Mr. Talbot says this is the room for parties and entertainment for guests. Then up one more floor is Mr. Talbot's room, which was featured on numerous of TV shows, magazines and books. From his bedroom, that has a safari theme to it, you can see a glimpse of downtown Austin. We were then lead to his bathroom where he is currently working on a bath tub with some kind of ocean wave like theme. Being that he has a background in architecture, he is able to create the structure of things the way he wants it. From his bedroom, we walk across a narrow plank bridge to his tree house or a tower. Climb a very narrow ladder and we are on the top of that tower and see great views of Austin. We eventually take a few narrow ladders down to the bottom, now in his backyard. From here, he takes us into his studio (built in the early 90's) and shows us what he is currently working on, which looks like a large clam shell. He uses soda cans that he has collected around Austin to decorate the shell. He also shows us this ocean like mural that will go with this clam shell. Then we eventually make our way outside. He tells us that he saves the rain water in large barrels, as he considers himself camping in his own home. He dresses up or down according to the weather and has a very low electric bill each month and water bill. Mr. Talbots has told us on the tour that he doesn't consider himself to be done with Case Neverlandia, as he is always building and changing things. And said that Casa Neverlandia may be different the next time we come back to Austin for another tour. Our tour lasted about 75 minutes, but we did make small talk with Mr. Talbot throughout. It was well worth our time to come out here and check out Casa Neverlandia and hope you will consider it too, especially if you are looking for something off the beaten path. You can see some of Mr. Talbot's artworks around Austin and a few other things in other states. Casa Neverlandia truly was a highlight of our visit to Austin and am so glad we were able to get a tour. Again as mentioned, it cost $15 per person for a tour and you can call Mr. Talbot at (512) 442-7613 or email him at talbot@talbotworld.com to inquire for a tour.

If I could bottle the feeling of being a weird little kid who just wandered into something magical,…read moreMuseum of the Weird would be it. This place might honestly be my favorite spot I've ever visited. I love oddities, and they are surprisingly hard to find all together like this. Walking through here felt like running away to the circus in the best way. Every room has something that makes you stop and stare. Shrunken heads, two-headed specimens, medical oddities, freak show history, UFO lore, Movie props and replicas! and so much more. I appreciated that it felt more like a cabinet of curiosities than a haunted house vibe. The exhibits are thoughtfully laid out, and there's a genuine feeling of love for weird history here. It doesn't feel cheesy. You can take your time, read signs, and really soak it all in if you want, or just wander around wide eyed and delighted like me. If you're into oddities, curiosities, circus history, strange science, or just being a little weird inside, this place is an absolute must while you're downtown. I left smiling and already wanting to go back. Honestly, if this is your thing at all, you'll get it immediately. One small but important thing to note, especially for the rest of my disabled community: there is no bathroom on site. While they do let you leave and come back if needed, that still means stepping out and trying to find a restroom on a very busy downtown Austin street. It was honestly really stressful and upsetting for me. However...that didn't ruin the experience for me because I love it so much, but it's definitely something to be aware of and the only reason this lands at 4 stars instead of 5.

It is something to do when it's hot. The AC works except in the wax room. It smells awful!!!…read moreThey encourage you to take pics with King Kong which involves getting on knees and climbing up thru the hand. Well my dress had a dark brown wet stain on it as I stood up. Looked like poop -it wasn't but it sure looked like it. Bathroom out of order but they let me in and stain still there. So $25 for 2 to get in and I possibly ruined a brand new dress. Wasn't impressed at all by the place.

A good gallery to enjoy rotating modern art exhibitions…read more Every last week of the season is free, a good way to explore and get introduced to something new! We saw 3 different exhibits in one and it was a great time. The staff is very friendly and welcoming, especially valuable for when this is your first time visiting and you're not familiar with art/museums in general!

One of two locations (Laguna Gloria on West 35th Street is the other), The Contemporary Austin --…read moreJones Center offers a stunning exterior mural ("Man Who Fell to Earth" by Manik Raj Nakra) but not much inside. Though it spans two floors, it's a small museum with little content. The few exhibits included lacked breadth: one consisted of variations of the same work. While the $10 admission does cover both locations, it definitely isn't worth it for Jones Center alone.

I was so looking forward to this and then was incredibly disappointed. I paid for both shows. The…read moreMonet show was enjoyable and lasted about 45 minutes, but the Van Gogh show only lasted about 20 minutes. There was little motion added to his art like they did with Monet, and the area was stuffy despite big fans being in the building. The website said an hour for the show, so I thought that meant one hour for each. Extremely overpriced for what you get.

Thankful that this experience was a comped ticket experience, but even so, what a waste of $12 on…read more3-hours (minimum) parking in the lot....y'all, by the time you pay to park, you'll want to leave. We were in and out within eight or ten minutes max, and that was because we dragged out each step to make the most of the time and effort it took to get here. Literally felt like walking through an AI drafted experience that scraped info from Wikipedia...they clearly didn't even consider hiring a quality UX designer to ensure that the paragraphs were properly formatted.... Hopeful it wouldn't be a complete of waste, we thought maybe we could get some cool photo opps with the Van Gogh sunflower projection show...they didn't even have the right show playing. Bruh. 0 stars. Trust the look on the ticket check-in clerk's face...yep, turn around.

The artist at The Cathedral of Junk recommended this museum. I looked it up and didn't know exactly…read morewhat to expect. When my friend and I arrived at this home nestled on the east side, we were warmly greeted by Scott and Jen. They showed us around their garden and then brought us back to their museum which was located in the back of their property. This museum definitely keeps Austin weird. Jen and Scott eagerly told us stories behind their collections. There was a strand of Willie Nelson's hair, parts from the original Ferris wheel, a taxidermy flamingo head and so much more. Some tips: -You need to schedule a tour on their website. -The suggested donation is $10. They accept cash and Venmo -The museum area gets hot, so dress accordingly. They will be kind enough to offer you fans -parking is on the street by the house

Go here! Bring your friends and family! This small museum, housed in an East Austin family room, is…read morea great collection of oddities, mysteries, and jokes. The exhibits are interpreted by the residents with humor and flexibility to suit the tour-goer. The "Impermanent Collection" is enhanced by special themed exhibits, back yard gardens and art, and a bevy of family pets ( Siamese guppy!!). The museum is supported by your donation or purchase of memorabilia.

After my experience yesterday at a contemporary art gallery, I decided to venture out and expand…read moremy art gallery network. This curiosity led me to West Chelsea Cellars Contemporary gallery on 6 th. Street. They also have a presence in New York's Chelsea district. The gallery focuses on contemporary art pieces, highlighting works of artists such as Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst. They also focus on emerging and mid-career artists. I was immediately greeted at the entry by a gallery staff member. He then told to peruse the art works at my leisure. The building is spacious with a great deal of room between the exhibits. The floor to ceiling windows facing 6th street generates a great deal of natural light. The art works are in a large range of price points, provided upon request.

I have been to this location twice and had a good experience everytime. The artists showcased are…read morealways amazing! The set up always sync up with the art. Eventbrite is a great way to check out their public exhibitions. I highly recommend if you want a calm activity and enjoy seeing art.

Great supporter of the local art culture.. overall pleasant experience..Likely no other place you…read morewill find quite like it..