The Briscoe springs into the week with a conversation and tour spotlighting the influence of female artists who inspired progress in Western Art.
Included in museum admission on Saturday, March 8, learn the remarkable stories and transformative artwork of Grace Carpenter Hudson, Kathryn Leighton and Dorothy Brett, three artists who paved the way for those who would follow.
The presentation includes a tour of museum’s “Women of the West Gallery” focusing on Kathryn Leighton’s “The Sioux Fire Maker” and contemporary female artists such as Terri Kelly Moyers.
The event is included with museum admission.
Children 12 and under and active duty military members always receive free admission to the Briscoe, making it a wonderful destination for family fun. Caregivers must accompany participating children for each activity.
Spring into the West without ever leaving the River Walk at the Briscoe Western Art Museum!
Normally closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Briscoe will be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day March 9 – 13!
FREE MUSEUM DAY on Wednesday March, 11.
Unleash your inner beast with WILD crafts, butterfly bike riding, & presentations by Mitchell Lake Audobon and Bat Conservation International!
Each day features different art and craft activities!
The daily come-and-go family programs celebrate the heritage and culture of the American West, including the four pillars of the West: wildlife, Native American heritage, cowboys and vaqueros, and the Tejano pillar, recognizing the influence of Mexican and Spanish heritage. Each pillar will be brought to life in arts and crafts during the Spring Break Roundup.
Different activities will be available each day, bringing the West to life in a variety of hands-on ways.
Spring Break Roundup is included with museum admission, with no charge for craft supplies and no reservations required.
ACTIVITIES
Monday – Friday, Mar. 9 – 13: Hands-on Arts & Crafts, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Head West Monday through Friday and enjoy paper plate weaving, hand print cactus making, sugar skull pinatas, cowboy crafts and more, all while celebrating the four pillars of Western art – cowboys, Native Americans, wildlife and Tejanos!
These drop-in events are included with museum admission:
o Monday, Mar. 9:
Native American Crafts
o Tuesday, Mar. 10:
Cowboy and Vaquero Crafts
o Wednesday, Mar. 11:
FREE ADMISSION & Various Activities!
Including: Crafts, butterfly bike riding & presentations!
o Thursday, Mar. 12:
Tejano Crafts
o Friday, Mar. 13: Full STEAM Ahead, featuring arts and crafts that tie into the pillars and highlight Science, Technology, Education, Art and Mathematics (STEAM).
OTHER ACTIVITIES HAPPENING AT THE BRISCOE
Thursday, Mar. 12: Briscoe Highlights Tour, 2 p.m., included with museum admission
Enjoy a guided tour through the museum’s galleries during this weekly 45-minute tour, with stops at some of the most significant and striking pieces in the Briscoe’s collection. With frequently rotating artworks on display, this tour is ideal for both first-time visitors and long-term friends of the museum.
Black History Month Special Film Screening: Harlem on the Prairie
The Briscoe Western Art Museum will show a special screening of “Harlem on the Prairie” starring Herb Jeffries. Considered the first “All-Black” western musical, Harlem on the Prairie put the spotlight on black actors highlighting the black cowboys of the west! Print Courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.
Herb Jeffries was an American singer and actor. When coming up with the idea for “Harlem on the Prairie” he aimed to create a character that young black children could look up to. After the success of the film, Jeffries continued his role as the protagonist in three more western films starring all black casts.
The Academy Museum recently restored “Harlem on the Prairie”, a film that was unavailable for a long time, and even considered to be a “lost film” by some.
Ronald Davis will give an introduction to the film as well as a presentation discussing the history of Black Cowboys.
Print Courtesy of the Academy FIlm Archive
🎟 The film is included with general museum admission and FREE for museum members.
Ronald W. Davis, II
Curator of American History, Witte Museum
Ronald W. Davis, II is Curator of American History at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas and an African American Studies lecturer in Texas State University’s History Department. He is a PhD candidate in the History Department at University of Texas-Austin. His dissertation, “They Made Me the Best Bronc Rider in the Country, but They Weren’t Trying to Make Me a Rider:” Enslaved and Free Black Cowboys in Texas, 1830- 1865, examines enslaved cowboys, labor, and resistance in antebellum Texas. He co-curated the acclaimed exhibition Black Cowboys: An American Story. As a veteran of the U.S. military, Davis has served in various capacities over twenty-six years through five deployments to Iraq and received a 4th Air Force Aircrew Excellence Award from the U.S. Air Force in 2010. Among other awards, he received The Portal to Texas History research fellowship, and was a featured speaker at The New Mexico History Museum’s 2023 Humanities Festival.
Storytime Stampede
Toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers are invited to join the Briscoe to sing songs, listen to stories about the American West, engage in movement activities, and create themed artwork together. Our story for this month is, Why Cowboys Sleep with Their Boots On by Laurie Knowlton.
Slim Jim Watkins learns to sleep in his britches, bandana, and hat, as well as with his boots on, when, night after night, his gear is carried off by desert critters. With each incident, Knowlton sets up the nocturnal thievery with Slim Jim’s trail-blazing, cattle-herding exhaustion and an unseen (to Jim) varmint
👤 AUDIENCE
For ages 18 mo – 5 yrs
Families and caregivers of young children
⏲TIME & DATE
10:30 – 11:00 AM
Every third Saturday of each month
🎟ADMISSION
Free for members | Free with General Admission
Storytime Stampede
Toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers are invited to join the Briscoe to sing songs, listen to stories about the American West, engage in movement activities, and create themed artwork together. Our story for this month is, Round Is a Tortilla by Roseanne Thong.
In this lively picture book, children discover shapes all around them! Shape by shape, this playful concept book will reinforce the shapes found in every child’s day: rectangles are ice-cream carts and stone metates, while triangles are slices of watermelon and quesadillas. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal.
👤 AUDIENCE
For ages 18 mo – 5 yrs
Families and caregivers of young children
⏲TIME & DATE
10:30 – 11:00 AM
Every third Saturday of each month
🎟ADMISSION
Free for members | Free with General Admission
Locals Day: FREE Admission for Bexar County Residents
The Briscoe Western Art Museum is happy to welcome all residents of San Antonio and Bexar County to come and experience the culture and art of the West for FREE! Our neighbors can enjoy a FREE day of art and culture on the first Sunday of each month.
📅 March 1, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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Scout the Briscoe: FREE Scavenger Hunt
Visitors of all ages can learn about the American West with a FREE monthly scavenger hunt during Locals Day. Embark on a delightful adventure navigating the museum’s 1.4 acre campus and 14 permanent galleries. Solve the clues to uncover the answers to our monthly questions and receive a special discount at our Hendler Family Museum Store.
______________________________
Full STEAM Ahead: Hands-On Education
Families and visitors are also invited to learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s monthly education series, “Full STEAM Ahead” during Locals Day. Work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics- learning experiences. The education program features hands-on activities and workshops all ages will enjoy every first Sunday of the month during Locals Day, 1 – 3 PM.
📅 March 1, 2026 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Locals Day: FREE Admission for Bexar County Residents
The Briscoe Western Art Museum is happy to welcome all residents of San Antonio and Bexar County to come and experience the culture and art of the West for FREE! Our neighbors can enjoy a FREE day of art and culture on the first Sunday of each month.
______________________________
Scout the Briscoe: FREE Scavenger Hunt
Visitors of all ages can learn about the American West with a FREE monthly scavenger hunt during Locals Day. Embark on a delightful adventure navigating the museum’s 1.4 acre campus and 14 permanent galleries. Solve the clues to uncover the answers to our monthly questions and receive a special discount at our Hendler Family Museum Store.
______________________________
Full STEAM Ahead: Hands-On Education
Families and visitors are also invited to learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s monthly education series, “Full STEAM Ahead” during Locals Day. Work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics- learning experiences. The education program features hands-on activities and workshops all ages will enjoy every first Sunday of the month during Locals Day, 1 – 3 PM.
Locals Day: FREE Admission for Bexar County Residents
The Briscoe Western Art Museum is happy to welcome all residents of San Antonio and Bexar County to come and experience the culture and art of the West for FREE! Our neighbors can enjoy a FREE day of art and culture on the first Sunday of each month.
______________________________
Scout the Briscoe: FREE Scavenger Hunt
Visitors of all ages can learn about the American West with a FREE monthly scavenger hunt during Locals Day. Embark on a delightful adventure navigating the museum’s 1.4 acre campus and 14 permanent galleries. Solve the clues to uncover the answers to our monthly questions and receive a special discount at our Hendler Family Museum Store.
______________________________
Full STEAM Ahead: Hands-On Education
Families and visitors are also invited to learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s monthly education series, “Full STEAM Ahead” during Locals Day. Work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics- learning experiences. The education program features hands-on activities and workshops all ages will enjoy every first Sunday of the month during Locals Day, 1 – 3 PM.
Locals Day: FREE Admission for Bexar County Residents
The Briscoe Western Art Museum is happy to welcome all residents of San Antonio and Bexar County to come and experience the culture and art of the West for FREE! Our neighbors can enjoy a FREE day of art and culture on the first Sunday of each month.
📅 May 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
______________________________
Scout the Briscoe: FREE Scavenger Hunt
Visitors of all ages can learn about the American West with a FREE monthly scavenger hunt during Locals Day. Embark on a delightful adventure navigating the museum’s 1.4 acre campus and 14 permanent galleries. Solve the clues to uncover the answers to our monthly questions and receive a special discount at our Hendler Family Museum Store.
______________________________
Full STEAM Ahead: Hands-On Education
Families and visitors are also invited to learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s monthly education series, “Full STEAM Ahead” during Locals Day. Work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics- learning experiences. The education program features hands-on activities and workshops all ages will enjoy every first Sunday of the month during Locals Day, 1 – 3 PM.
📅 May 3, 2026 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Locals Day: FREE Admission for Bexar County Residents
The Briscoe Western Art Museum is happy to welcome all residents of San Antonio and Bexar County to come and experience the culture and art of the West for FREE! Our neighbors can enjoy a FREE day of art and culture on the first Sunday of each month.
______________________________
Scout the Briscoe: FREE Scavenger Hunt
Visitors of all ages can learn about the American West with a FREE monthly scavenger hunt during Locals Day. Embark on a delightful adventure navigating the museum’s 1.4 acre campus and 14 permanent galleries. Solve the clues to uncover the answers to our monthly questions and receive a special discount at our Hendler Family Museum Store.
______________________________
Full STEAM Ahead: Hands-On Education
Families and visitors are also invited to learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s monthly education series, “Full STEAM Ahead” during Locals Day. Work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics- learning experiences. The education program features hands-on activities and workshops all ages will enjoy every first Sunday of the month during Locals Day, 1 – 3 PM.
