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What is the Autry?
The Autry National Center explores the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West, connecting the past with the present to inform our shared future.
About the Autry National Center of the American West
The Autry National Center of the American West is an intercultural center that celebrates the diversity and history of the American West through three interconnected institutions.
The Autry's mission, to explore the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West, is fulfilled through four key initiatives:
All of the exhibitions, public programs, K-12 educational services and publications are designed to work together to examine critical issues of contemporary society, offering insights into solutions and the (contemporary) human condition through the Western historical experience.
Museum of the American West
The Museum of the American West was established in 1988 by legendary recording and movie star Gene Autry to explore and share the comprehensive story of the American West and the multiple cultures, perspectives, traditions, and experiences – real and imagined – that make the West a significant and unique part of the world.
The Museum's collection is comprised of nearly 21,000 paintings, sculptures, costumes, textiles, firearms, tools, toys, games, musical instruments and other historical objects.The Museum presents thought-provoking exhibitions and an ongoing and dynamic mix of programs and events that can be enjoyed throughout the year.
The Museum of the American West is located at the Autry National Center in Griffith Park.
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
The Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the oldest museum in Los Angeles, was founded by Charles Fletcher Lummis. Mr. Lummis was the first city editor for the Los Angeles Times. He was also a photographer, amateur anthropologist, and prolific historian of the southwestern United States who helped popularize the idea of Los Angeles as a multicultural city.
The Southwest Museum’s 238,000-piece collection of Native American art and artifacts is one of the most significant and representative of its kind in the United States, second only to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian. Comprised of 14,000 baskets, 10,000 ceramic items, 6,300 textiles and weavings, and more than 1,100 pieces of jewelry, the collection represents Indigenous peoples from Alaska to South America, with an emphasis on cultures from California and the Southwestern United States.