Dolph Briscoe Center for American History

The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History is a research facility at the University of Texas in Austin that houses archives dedicated to preserving documents about Texas and American history. The building contains millions of photographs, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, and recordings that visitors and scholars can access through its reading rooms.

The Arno Nowotny Building that houses the center was the first structure built on the University of Texas Austin campus when it was established. This early building became the foundation upon which the university and its collections grew over the decades.

The exhibition galleries rotate displays showing how ordinary Americans lived and organized themselves through social movements. You can see photographs and documents that reveal the struggles and achievements of different groups across the country.

Access to the collections is available through reading rooms in Sid Richardson Hall, where researchers and visitors can view millions of documents and photographs. It is helpful to check ahead if specific collections are available, since some materials may have limited access or require advance notice.

The center holds the largest collection of United States presidential photographs and congressional papers anywhere outside Washington, D.C. This rare assembly makes it an important destination for scholars studying federal politics and governance history.

GPS coordinates: 30.28521,-97.72917

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:22