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Overview

The Los Angeles architectural firm of Widom, Wein and Cohen designed this museum of Western art and memorabilia for a site in the Pine Meadow area of Griffith Park. They designed the building for Gene Autry (1907-1998), a country and western singer and star of Hollywood Westerns, who went on to own his own film production company, several radio stations and interests in two baseball teams, the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League and the California Angels of the American League.

Building History

The Autry Museum of Western Heritage was renamed to the Museum of the American West after a large merger occurred (2003) among three cultural organizations. The museum's web site related the institution's history: "The Autry National Center, formed in 2003 by the merger of the Autry Museum of Western Heritage with the Southwest Museum of the American Indian and the Women of the West Museum, is an intercultural history center dedicated to exploring and sharing the stories, experiences, and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West. Located in Griffith Park, the Autry’s collection of over 500,000 pieces of art and artifacts, which includes the collection of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, is one of the largest and most significant in the United States. The Autry Institute includes two research libraries: the Braun Research Library and the Autry Library. Exhibitions, public programs, K–12 educational services, and publications are designed to examine critical issues of society, offering insights into solutions and the contemporary human condition through the Western historical experience." (See "What is the Autry?" Accessed 12/02/2010.)

Building Notes

Tel. 323.667.2000 (2004).

PCAD id: 2249