O. Henry Museum

O. Henry Museum The museum is the historical home of William Sydney Porter, the short story writer known as O. Henry There he embraced his pen name, O. The Dickinson and O.

William Sydney Porter rented this Queen Anne-style cottage in the early 1890s. Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, he moved to Texas in his early 20s. In Austin, Porter worked day jobs as a draftsman in the General Land Office and as a teller at the First National Bank. In 1898, Porter was found guilty of embezzling money from the bank and was sentenced to five years in federal prison. Hen

ry, and had time to write. Upon his release, he moved to New York, where he regularly published stories, among them “The Gifts of the Magi.”

The house became a museum in 1934, and in 1999 it became a National Literary Landmark. Each year since 1978, the museum has hosted the Pun-Off World Championships, a wordplay competition that has received praise from CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and The Paris Review. The museum offers an array of programming, including exhibits, events, and reading and writing workshops for adults and children. Visitors can enjoy free guided tours highlighting Porter’s extraordinary life, while learning about the history of Austin. The Museum is part of Brush Square Museums, three historic museums consisting of the Susanna Dickinson Museum, the O. Henry Museum, and the Austin Fire Museum. Henry Museums assist in running the Austin Fire Museum, operated by the Austin Fire Museum Hook & Ladder Society.

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It's only a few weeks away from the 29th annual Austin Museum Day! We are back this year with beeswax candle making at t...
08/27/2026

It's only a few weeks away from the 29th annual Austin Museum Day! We are back this year with beeswax candle making at the O. Henry Museum and collage journaling at the Susanna Dickinson Museum.
Over 35 institutions are participating in the 29th annual Austin Museum Day. Plan your Museum Day schedule by visiting austinmuseumday.org

Why suffer outside, when you can take a tour and enjoy our A/C for free?We're open Saturday and Sunday 12-5pm!
08/22/2026

Why suffer outside, when you can take a tour and enjoy our A/C for free?
We're open Saturday and Sunday 12-5pm!

Check out this behind-the-scenes look into the life of our own Collections Manager, Rachel Smith! Museum staff don't onl...
08/14/2026

Check out this behind-the-scenes look into the life of our own Collections Manager, Rachel Smith! Museum staff don't only work hard to present amazing objects on exhibit, but also to protect them from disasters of all kinds. Shout out to all the museum workers out there conserving and protecting our cultural heritage! 🙂

Our August programming just dropped! All of our programs are free and open to all ages! Austin Arts, Culture, Music and ...
08/05/2026

Our August programming just dropped! All of our programs are free and open to all ages! Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment

Finally we want to say thank you to our last Honorable Mention Priyanka Ranganathan! 🏅 We hope to see you all again next...
08/05/2026

Finally we want to say thank you to our last Honorable Mention Priyanka Ranganathan! 🏅 We hope to see you all again next year!

We also celebrate our honorable mentions in this 2026 Lone Star Limericks competition. Congrats Michele McDonald! 🏅
08/04/2026

We also celebrate our honorable mentions in this 2026 Lone Star Limericks competition. Congrats Michele McDonald! 🏅

Congratulations to our 3rd place winning limerick by Joel Kravitz! 🥉
08/03/2026

Congratulations to our 3rd place winning limerick by Joel Kravitz! 🥉

Showing off our Lone Star cowboys, here is our 2nd place winning limerick, written by Holly Jahangiri! 🥈
08/02/2026

Showing off our Lone Star cowboys, here is our 2nd place winning limerick, written by Holly Jahangiri! 🥈

First up in our spotlight from this year's Lone Star Limericks competition - top voted limerick by Michael Fursa! 🏆
08/01/2026

First up in our spotlight from this year's Lone Star Limericks competition - top voted limerick by Michael Fursa! 🏆

Address

409 E 5th Street
Austin, TX
78701

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+15129741398

Website

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