A major stop on national art circuit tours, the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas in Austin is ranked among the top 10 university art museums in the country. Highlights here are the Suida-Manning Collection of European paintings that features 250 works by the Continental masters and the collection of 20th-century American Art assembled by novelist James A. Michener. Michener's wife Mari made the current museum building a possibility with her five million dollar donation. There is also a large collection of Latin American Art consisting of more than 500 key works. The permanent exhibitions on show at the museum include Stacked Waters by Teresita Fernandez, a piece of installation art in the museum's atrium. Changing exhibitions often have themes that focus on aspects of American history and scenery as depicted in art, as well as displays of current artists' work.

Address: University of Texas (at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Congress Avenue)

E-mail: info@blantonmuseum.org

Website: www.blantonmuseum.org

Telephone: (512) 471 7324

Transport: The free Dillo has a stop outside the campus. The Museum is also directly served by regular bus routes 1, 5 and 7

Opening times: Tuesdays to Fridays 10am to 5pm (9pm on Thursdays), Saturdays 11am to 5pm, Sundays 1pm to 5pm. Closed on major public holidays

Admission: $9 (adults), $7 (seniors of 65 years and older), children under 12 are free. Other concessions available. Admission is free on Thursdays