A New Way to Explore Laguna Gloria on Foot

A weekend visit to Laguna Gloria now comes with a new way to experience the property. The Contemporary Austin has launched “Listening to the Land – Laguna Gloria,” a free multimedia walking tour that combines audio and augmented reality with the site’s art, architecture and history. The tour is delivered through a free app, giving visitors another layer of context as they move through the 14-acre property beside Lake Austin.

Laguna Gloria is one of The Contemporary Austin’s two locations and is home to the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park. The grounds also include the restored 1916 Driscoll Villa and the Gatehouse Gallery. Rather than treating the sculptures and buildings as separate stops, the walking tour connects them with the story of the land and the people who shaped it. The property’s history reaches back to Stephen F. Austin, who wrote in 1832 about wanting to build a home there. Clara Driscoll later helped define the place, including its terraced gardens, after she and her husband, Hal Sevier, purchased the property in 1914. The villa was completed two years later.

That mix of landscape and history is part of what makes the tour different from a standard museum visit. You can walk through the grounds while listening to the site’s past, then use the augmented-reality features to engage with the setting in a more interactive way. Laguna Gloria is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the property sits next to Mayfield Park, another historic Austin destination. The tour offers a way to spend time outdoors while still engaging with contemporary art and local history.

The Contemporary Austin is the only museum in Austin dedicated exclusively to contemporary art, and Laguna Gloria is its “Museum Without Walls” site. The new tour fits naturally into that approach: the setting itself becomes part of the experience. For a weekend cultural plan, visitors can set aside time to explore the sculpture park, see the Driscoll Villa and Gatehouse Gallery, and follow the app-based tour at their own pace. Laguna Gloria is located at 3809 W. 35th St., Austin, TX 78703. The tour is free, although visitors should check The Contemporary Austin’s official information before heading out for current access details and app instructions.