The Autry Museum of the American West
Website | Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | +1 323-667-2000
The Autry Museum of the American West allows you to explore West American art, culture, and history. This museum is located in the famous Griffith Park. It features world-class galleries filled with cultural items, Native American art, historic firearms, film memorabilia, interactive areas, paintings, and more.
The Autry Museum of the American West has presented an extensive range of public events and programs, such as festivals, lectures, theater, family activities, films, and music. The museum also performs scholarship, educational, and research outreach. The over 500,000 pieces in Autry’s collection of art and artifacts include one of the most significant Native American materials in the United States, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection.
This museum is accredited by the AAM – American Alliance of Museums, the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, public accountability, and self-regulation. AAM-accredited museums have demonstrated that they have met standards and best practices throughout the years. They have also shown themselves as core educational entities that are great stewards of the resources and collections they hold in the public trust. Of North America’s estimated 33,000 museums, approximately 1,075 are currently accredited.
The Autry brings together the American West people’s stories by connecting the past with the present to inspire the community’s shared future. The museum was co-founded by Jackie and Gene Autry and Monte and Joanne Hale in 1988; the museum has grown to encompass an inclusive representation of art, cultural materials, artifacts, and library holdings. In 2002, the museum merged with the Women of the West, a non-profit organization highlighting the impact of different women’s experiences on American West history. In 2003, after being on the verge of financial insolvency for many years, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian sought a merger with the Autry Museum, and a new organization was formed (now known as the Autry Museum of the American West). Autry’s collections include over 600,000 artifacts, archival materials, and artworks that reflect West America’s interconnectedness of cultures and histories.
The Autry currently spans three campuses in Los Angeles:
- Autry Museum in Griffith Park
- Historic Southwest Museum Mt. Washington Campus
- Resources Center of the Autry (under construction