The McNay Art Museum was founded on Marion McNay’s passion for modern art. A collector from the 1920s to the 1940s, McNay amassed seven hundred 19th- and 20th-century European and American paintings before her death in 1950. She left her collection, along with the mansion that housed it, to the city of San Antonio, together with an endowment to establish the first museum of modern art in Texas.
Today the 24-room Spanish Colonial-revival mansion is the core of the museum, with additions in 1970 and 1994 to provide galleries for a growing collection and an auditorium for special events and museum programming. The collection has expanded to nearly 20,000 works and features Medieval and Renaissance art, 19th- through 21st-century European and American paintings, sculpture, and photographs, and a large collection of prints and drawings of the Southwest.
McNay Art Museum Information
- Public Transportation: Accessible by local VIA bus #8 or #14
- Handiapped Accessibility: Yes
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
- Admission: $8. Students, seniors (65+), and active military pay $5. Admission is free for members and for children 12 and under.
- Free Days: General admission is free on Thursday nights and on the first Sunday of each month (there may be extra charges for special exhibitions).
- Subscription/Memberships: Memberships start at $45 for individuals and $75 for a family. Member benefits include free admission to the museum and most special exhibitions, invitations to members-only openings, discounts on lectures and educational programs, and a museum store discount.
