Two new museums open in Austin

Take a walk through the history of hip hop or let some illusions bend your mind.

A line of spray paint cans on a shelf next to photography

The museum’s hip hop exhibit includes ephemera from its Miami location, plus never-before-seen artifacts.

Photo by ATXtoday

Austin’s arts scene just keeps growing.

Two new museums, The Domain’s Museum of Illusions and East Austin’s Museum of Graffiti, officially opened over the weekend. We got a first look at the new locations before they opened to the public — here’s what to know.

Museum of Graffiti: The Art of Hip Hop

Okay, first a caveat for this one. Although the Museum of Graffiti went all out for its new spot at 809 E. 6th St., it’s a temporary pop-up. The Miami-based museum’s exhibition is and running in the Capital City until Tuesday, March 28.

The Museum of Graffiti’s first-ever pop-up honors graphic designers, artists, and photographers behind the most iconic hip hop album covers and labels, in addition to showcasing artwork from well-known graffiti artists.

Austin’s own Sloke One contributed murals for the pop-up, some of which will stay even after the pop-up closes.

Artists featured in the exhibit include:

The museum is open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Tickets are $12 for people aged 13 and up — reserve yours here.

The Museum of Illusions

This mind-bending new museum at The Domain features dozens of illusions that will trick your brain into believing the impossible.

Although the museum certainly fits our city’s unofficial motto to keep it weird, the project began in Croatia in 2015. Now, Museums of Illusions exist in dozens of cities worldwide, including nine in the US. This museum marks the second in Texas — Dallas was the first — and a Houston location is also on its way.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Float next to South Congress’ iconic “i love you so much” mural
  • Stumble through a brain-bending, rotating tunnel
  • Gaze into an infinite sculpture of mirrors
  • Pose in perspective-shifting rooms

The museum is open from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday, and from until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets cost $24 for adults, and $20 for children ages 5 to 12 — reserve yours here.

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