What is the current status of the Southwest Museum?

The Autry remains committed to identifying a steward who believes in the promise of the Southwest campus. We have engaged the full expertise of our civic and philanthropic partners to identify all potential solutions to rehabilitate and revitalize the Southwest and welcome back the public.  

The Autry and its partners secured the services of architect and historic preservation advocate Brenda Levin to evaluate options for restoration and a process to welcome back the public. These options require significant financial resources to comply with the City of Los Angeles retrofitting ordinance.  

The Autry alone cannot secure the tens of millions of dollars that will be needed to welcome back the public; a partner with sufficient resources who understands the cultural importance of this property is essential.  

What is the status of the collections once housed at the Southwest campus?

The collections once unsafely stored at the former museum at the Southwest campus are now housed properly at the Autry’s state-of-the-art,100,000-square-foot Chrystina and James R. Parks Research Center in Burbank.  

Over the years, overcrowded storage rooms, poor climate controls, water leaks, pests, and dust imperiled the artifacts, advancing the deterioration of objects of great cultural, historic, and educational value.  

Following the merger with the former museum, the Autry began a multi-year effort to inventory, catalog, conserve, and rehouse more than 400,000 objects, including art, artifacts, cultural materials, and library materials. This critical and costly undertaking was performed by teams of dedicated collections, library, and conservation professionals, working in collaboration with Native communities.

Can collections still be displayed at the Southwest campus?

Stewarding the collections at the Chrystina and James R. Parks Research Center in Burbank ensures their long-term care and protection. At the Research Center, the collections are made accessible to tribal communities and researchers who wish to spend time and study the materials created by their predecessors when they are not on public display.  

The Parks Research Center has indoor and outdoor spaces that facilitate the specific needs requested by tribal representatives during their visits.  

Access to Native materials is governed by the 2025 revision to the Native Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and by the Autry’s Management of Native Collections policy, which requires that researchers secure the consent of respective Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs) before viewing most items or publishing them. The “duty of care” aspect of NAGPRA requires direct consultation with THPOs on the storage, treatment, and handling of Native American items.