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McNay Art Museum

6000 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX 78209 · San Antonio, TX

Why you should go…

Ohio heiress Marion Koogler McNay left her 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival mansion and collection to found Texas's first museum of modern art, opened in 1954. Inside you'll find Picasso, O'Keeffe, Cézanne, and a deep theatre-arts collection; outside, 25 landscaped acres of oaks, fountains, and sculpture invite slow wandering. The tiled courtyard with its koi pond is one of San Antonio's prettiest rooms. Thursday evenings bring free admission, and the grounds open daily from early morning.

  • #art
  • #museum
  • #gardens
  • #modern art
  • #mansion

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to McNay Art Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    The Witte Museum

    Under $25

    Texas nature, science, and history under one roof, dinosaurs, cattle drives, and hands-on galleries.

    1.8 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family favorite

    San Antonio Botanical Garden

    Under $25

    38 acres of Texas wild, native trails, a glass conservatory complex, a family adventure garden, and seasonal blooms year-round.

    1.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    San Antonio Zoo

    $25–$50

    A beloved 100-year-old zoo in Brackenridge Park with 3,500 animals, a mini train, and giraffe feedings.

    1.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Free

    Japanese Tea Garden

    Free

    A century-old quarry transformed into a free sunken garden of koi ponds, stone bridges, and a 60-foot waterfall beside Brackenridge Park.

    2.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    The DoSeum

    Under $25

    San Antonio's hands-on children's museum, spy academy, robots, water works, and pure play for under-11s.

    2.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Iconic

    San Antonio Museum of Art

    Under $25

    5,000 years of world art, Egyptian mummies to Latin American folk art, inside the castle-like former Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach.

    3.6 mi awayMore like this