Susanna Dickinson Museum

Susanna Dickinson Museum The museum preserves the home and legacy of Susanna Dickinson, a survivor of the Battle of the Alamo. Henry Museum, and the Austin Fire Museum.

The 1869 home of Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig was saved and deeded to the City of Austin in 2003. Joseph Hannig built this home in 1869 for his new wife, Susanna Dickinson. She survived the Battle of the Alamo and carried the news of its fall to Sam Houston, which ultimately led to Houston's defeat of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto and won independence for the Republic of Texas. Fo

r this deed, Susanna Dickinson became known as the "Messenger of the Alamo." Her home was saved, restored and opened as a museum on March 2, 2010, Texas Independence Day. The museum is the only remaining residence of Susanna Dickinson. The home is considered a “rubble-rock” house, a style of architecture brought to the Texas Hill Country by German immigrants. Inside the museum are rare Dickinson family artifacts, as well as furniture produced by Joseph. The couple lived in this house for six years, until 1875, at which point they moved into the area of town known as Hyde Park. Please stop by and let our docents show you the house and recount the vivid stories of the survivors of the Battle of the Alamo. The Museum is part of Brush Square Museums, three historic museums consisting of the Susanna Dickinson Museum, the O. The Dickinson and O. Henry Museums assist in running the Austin Fire Museum, operated by the Austin Fire Museum Hook & Ladder Society.

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Join us this Friday from 2-4pm for our bi-monthly Stitch in Time Club! This FREE textile circle welcomes all ages and sk...
05/27/2026

Join us this Friday from 2-4pm for our bi-monthly Stitch in Time Club! This FREE textile circle welcomes all ages and skill levels. Bring in your projects to work on together with us or start a new one from our vault of yarn!

We also offer FREE validated 2-hour parking at the Convention Center Garage on E 5th Street and Red River Street.

See you there! 🙂

We are having a great time at the Wells Branch Homestead Pioneer Festival!
04/25/2026

We are having a great time at the Wells Branch Homestead Pioneer Festival!

Our very own Brush Square Museums Site Coordinator Emily Collins and Collections Manager Rachel Smith volunteered as par...
04/20/2026

Our very own Brush Square Museums Site Coordinator Emily Collins and Collections Manager Rachel Smith volunteered as part of Texas Association of Museum’s Relic Wranglers to work on the Weslaco Museum’s military collection. We are so proud that they are representing our wonderful sites at TAM's annual conference this year!

Come and create with us this Saturday at our bi-monthly textile event!Bring your unfinished projects or explore new craf...
04/08/2026

Come and create with us this Saturday at our bi-monthly textile event!

Bring your unfinished projects or explore new crafts! Whether you're a seasoned crafter or a beginner, it's the perfect chance to learn new skills, share stories, and connect with others. We provide select materials for crochet, knitting, embroidery, hand quilting, and weaving if you'd like to try something new.

When: Saturday, April 11, 11AM - 1PM

Where: Susanna Dickinson Museum (411 E 5th Street, Austin, TX 78701)

Cost: FREE!

March 6th  1836, the Battle of the Alamo commenced. Because the Texas fighters were so greatly outnumbered, the fighting...
03/06/2026

March 6th 1836, the Battle of the Alamo commenced. Because the Texas fighters were so greatly outnumbered, the fighting only lasted roughly 90 minutes. Susanna Dickinson's first husband, Almeron Dickinson, was one of around 200 Texians that fell to the 1,500 Mexicans led by Santa Anna.

Image courtesy: Texas Historical Commission. [Alamo Plaza], photograph, 1870; The Portal to Texas History, Texas Historical Commission.

The Bandoneon, also known as the Melodeon, was created in the early 19th century as an instrument for religious and popu...
01/17/2026

The Bandoneon, also known as the Melodeon, was created in the early 19th century as an instrument for religious and popular music of the day and reached peak popularity around 1900. This Bandonion was owned by Enrique Esparza, survivor of the battle of the Alamo. You can see this instrument for yourself on display in our rotating gallery inside the Susanna Dickinson museum!

On January 5th, 1854 the first telegraph company in Texas was charted. By 1870 there was an estimated 1,500 miles of tel...
01/05/2026

On January 5th, 1854 the first telegraph company in Texas was charted. By 1870 there was an estimated 1,500 miles of telegraph wire in Texas, and just four years later Western Union owned eighty-nine of the 105 telegraph offices statewide including the South-Western Telegraph Company. Below is the historic Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Building in Austin built in 1886 and remodeled to its current Romanesque Revival style in 1899.

Image courtesy of:
(Left): [Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Building Photograph #1], photograph, Date Unknown; The Portal to Texas History, Texas Historical Commission.
(Right): Texas Historical Commission. [Southwestern Telephone & Telegraph Building], photograph, January 1, 1980; The Portal to Texas History, Texas Historical Commission.

Hi Friends! Below you will find our holiday closures for December and early January. We will be keeping our regular visi...
12/11/2025

Hi Friends!
Below you will find our holiday closures for December and early January. We will be keeping our regular visiting hours on the days we are open!

Closed Christmas Eve - Wednesday, December 24
Closed Christmas Day - Thursday, December 25
Closed After Christmas - Friday, December 26
Closed New Year's Day - Thursday, January 1

We will be at Twin Oaks Library this Wednesday for their Kids Crafternoon series with our annual Gingerbread History Her...
12/08/2025

We will be at Twin Oaks Library this Wednesday for their Kids Crafternoon series with our annual Gingerbread History Heroes program! This event is FREE!

Where: Twin Oaks Branch, 1800 S 5th Street, ATX, 78704
When: December 10th, from 3:00 - 4:30pm

We hope to see you there! 🙂

Our holiday exhibit is up!! Come and decorate your own gingerbread ornament and try to find our Christmas pickle for a T...
12/05/2025

Our holiday exhibit is up!! Come and decorate your own gingerbread ornament and try to find our Christmas pickle for a Texas themed prize!

Address

411 E 5th Street
Austin, TX
78701

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15129743830

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