UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum

What UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum does

The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art museum and outdoor sculpture garden located on a six-acre site adjacent to Zilker Park and Barton Springs Pool in central Austin, Texas. Founded in 1991 following Charles and Angie Umlauf's 1985 gift of 168 sculptures, their home, and studio to the City of Austin, the museum houses 273 sculptures and 2,000+ drawings by Charles Umlauf — one of the most prolific 20th-century American sculptors — with 59 works on continuous outdoor display. The institution serves general public visitors, families, K-12 students (especially Title 1 schools through the Shaping Space program), accessibility-focused audiences (via Touch Tours for the visually impaired), event hosts seeking distinctive venue space, and art patrons. In 2025 it served 31,948 visitors (including 8,905 admitted free), hosted 7 exhibitions, 36 public events, and 114 private venue events, with 353 volunteers contributing 3,348 hours.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of streams: tiered admissions ($2–$8), memberships with NARM reciprocal benefits, venue rentals ($500–$1,250+ for meetings; up to 250-guest weddings), the Borrow-A-Bronze sculpture rental program ($1,000 per 6-month period), Summer Art Camp, gift shop sales, sculpture sponsorships, and donations/fundraising (anchored by the annual Garden Party). Distribution relies on direct on-site visitation, online booking through TripleSeat (venues) and Hi Sawyer (camps), NeonCRM for donations/memberships, and participation in Texas Association of Museums and NARM reciprocal networks. Technology infrastructure is non-proprietary: standard CMS, CRM, and the Bloomberg Connects digital guide, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities or proprietary platform. In October 2024, Austin City Council adopted the HPEU (Historic Preservation, Expansion, and Unification) Vision Plan to expand the accessible site from six to eight acres, incorporating the historic Umlauf home and studio.

Name

UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum

Legal name

UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum

Website

https://umlaufsculpture.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) art museum and six-acre outdoor sculpture garden in Austin, Texas, dedicated to the work of sculptor Charles Umlauf. It serves general public visitors, families, K-12 schools, accessibility-focused audiences, event clients, and art patrons through exhibitions, education, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (71211), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

Keywords

• Sculpture garden museum
• Art exhibitions
• Art education programs
• Event venue rentals
• Nonprofit cultural institution

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Entry fees charged to visitors. Adults $8, Seniors $6, Military/Teachers/Students $4, Youth $2, Children under 5 free. Museums for All program provides free admission with EBT card.
2. Venue Rentals: Revenue from renting the museum grounds and facilities for private events including weddings, private events, celebrations of life, meetings, and photo sessions. Private weddings accommodate up to 250 guests; meetings in Crenshaw Room are $950 (weekday) or $1,250 (weekend).
3. Memberships: Annual membership program offering free admission, members-only events, discounts, NARM reciprocal benefits across 1,000+ museums. 104 new members in 2025.
4. Borrow-A-Bronze Rentals: 6-month sculpture rental program at $1,000 flat rate. Includes professional delivery, installation, pedestal, and pickup. Supports preservation of Umlauf's art and archives.
5. Summer Art Camp: Week-long summer camp programs for children ages 5-10 with various STEAM-inspired themes. Registration through Hi Sawyer platform.
6. Donations & Fundraising: Donations accepted through online portal. Major annual fundraiser Garden Party with 25+ restaurant partners. Sculpture sponsorship program at various giving tiers. $21,336 given to support artists, musicians, and performers in 2025.
7. Gift Shop Sales: On-site gift shop featuring works from local artisans, open during museum hours.
8. Sculpture Sponsorship: Corporate and individual sponsors can sponsor sculptures at various giving tiers to support community programs. Funds support collection maintenance, educational outreach, and accessibility efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum operates a six-acre outdoor sculpture garden and indoor gallery in central Austin that displays the world's most comprehensive collection of work by 20th-century American sculptor Charles Umlauf, while delivering rotating exhibitions, art-education programs, accessibility-focused tours, venue rental services for weddings and corporate events, a sculpture-rental program (Borrow-A-Bronze), summer art camps, and community events such as Garden Party and StrawFest.

Product overview

UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum is a nonprofit art museum and 6-acre outdoor sculpture garden in Austin, Texas dedicated to the work of Charles Umlauf. The museum offers a core experience combining its Permanent Collection of 60+ sculptures on view and rotating contemporary exhibitions. Educational programs include Summer Art Camp, Family Day, Sculpture Garden Storytime, UMLAUF After Dark, Insights Artist Talks, Shaping Space school outreach, Live With The Curator virtual videos, StrawFest festival, and downloadable At Home Crafts. Venue services encompass private events, weddings, celebrations of life, meetings, and photo sessions. Additional offerings include Membership, Sculpture Sponsorship, Volunteer Program, Borrow-A-Bronze rental, Bronze Care Corps community service, Garden Party annual fundraiser, and a Bloomberg Connects digital guide. The museum also provides Guided Tours including Touch Tours for accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bronze Care Corps: A community service program that trains individuals to clean and wax bronze sculptures, serving the greater Austin community.

Products and services

• Museum Permanent Collection
• Rotating Exhibitions
• 35x35x35 Anniversary Exhibition
• Guided Tours
• Touch Tours
• Summer Art Camp
• Shaping Space School Outreach After-school outreach education program in which teaching artists are sent to Title 1 elementary schools across Austin ISD, Manor ISD, Round Rock ISD, and Leander ISD to deliver hands-on sculpture and nature-based art lessons.
• Venue Rentals Event venue rental services for weddings (intimate ceremonies to receptions up to 250 guests), private events, celebrations of life, meetings, and photo sessions, with bookings managed through TripleSeat and the Venue Manager.
• Borrow-A-Bronze Sculpture Rental Six-month rental program allowing private citizens and companies to borrow Charles Umlauf sculptures from the permanent collection for $1,000 flat, including professional delivery, installation, pedestal, and pickup.
• Bronze Care Corps Community service program that trains volunteers to clean and wax bronze sculptures, then dispatches trained conservators to care for public and private bronze sculptures throughout the Austin area.
• Annual Membership Program Tiered annual membership offering benefits including free admission, members-only events, discounts on programs and gift shop purchases, and NARM reciprocal admission to 1,000+ museums worldwide; 104 new members added in 2025.
• Sculpture Sponsorship Corporate and individual sculpture sponsorship program across multiple giving tiers supporting museum programs, collection maintenance, and educational outreach.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31,948 visitors served in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• National Endowment for the ArtsmajorOthersFederal arts agency providing grant support for select programs including UMLAUF After Dark, Family Day, Summer Camp, and StrawFest.
• Texas Commission on the ArtsmajorOthersState arts agency providing support for programs including UMLAUF After Dark, Family Day, Summer Camp, and StrawFest.
• Austin Parks FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to fund the HPEU (Historic Preservation, Expansion, and Unification) Vision Plan. Provided funding alongside H-E-B and City of Austin.
• H-E-BmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funding partner for HPEU Vision Plan. Also sponsors StrawFest as Harvest Hero sponsor. Support for Austin arts and culture.
• City of Austin (Parks and Recreation Department, Heritage Tourism Division)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity owns the museum property and provided funding for HPEU Plan through Economic Development Department. Heritage Tourism Division contributed to Charles Umlauf home and studio restoration via Heritage Preservation Grant.
• Page Architecture FirmmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead architectural firm for HPEU Plan. Provided in-kind donation to make the plan possible. Led team of consultants including Asakura Robinson, ArchiTexas, Martinez Engineering, and Contour Collective.
• Page Southerland PagemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm that designed HPEU Vision Plan for museum expansion and historic preservation.
• KMFA (KUT Austin)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustin classical music station serving as StrawFest 2025 media sponsor.
• Texas School for the Blind & Visually ImpairedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for outreach programs supporting visually impaired visitors and accessibility initiatives at the museum.
• Frontier BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Summer Art Camp program.
• Frost BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Summer Art Camp program.
• Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACM E)minorOthersProvided Elevate Grant supporting the 35x35x35 anniversary exhibition.
• Preferred Event VendorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended vendors for event planning including event planners, catering, bar service, rental items, AV, entertainment, and floral. List provided upon inquiry.
• Whim Hospitality, Premiere Events, Marquee Event RentalsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved tent providers for venue rentals. No other tent providers allowed on site.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The John Michael Kohler Arts Center: Wisconsin-based arts center with a strong focus on artist-built environments and contemporary sculpture, plus education and community programs. Comparable to UMLAUF as a mid-size, artist-centered museum with a sculpture collection and community/education mission.
• The Contemporary Austin: Austin-based art museum operating multiple exhibition venues including the Jones Center and Laguna Gloria. Directly comparable as a local peer competing for the same Austin visitor, member, and event-rental market.
• Blanton Museum of Art: The primary art museum at the University of Texas at Austin, with a large permanent collection and rotating exhibitions. Comparable to UMLAUF as a fellow Austin art institution serving similar audiences with collection-based programming.
• SculptureCenter: New York City-based nonprofit institution dedicated to sculpture and contemporary art, with rotating exhibitions and artist residencies. Comparable to UMLAUF as a sculpture-specialized nonprofit offering exhibitions, programs, and direct audience engagement.
• McNay Art Museum: San Antonio's first museum of modern art, focused on a single-artist founding collection (Marion Koogler McNay) with grounds including a sculpture garden. Directly comparable as a Texas-based mid-size art museum built around a single patron/artist legacy.
• Laumeier Sculpture Park: St. Louis-based open-air museum and sculpture park featuring a permanent collection of large-scale outdoor sculptures across 105 acres. Comparable to UMLAUF as a sculpture-focused park offering exhibitions, education, and event rentals in a park-like setting.
• Nasher Sculpture Center: Dallas-based museum dedicated to the exhibition, study, and conservation of modern and contemporary sculpture. Highly comparable to UMLAUF because both are single-medium sculpture-focused museums operating in Texas with permanent sculpture gardens and rotating exhibitions.
• Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: Michigan-based combination botanical garden and sculpture park featuring an extensive outdoor sculpture collection alongside indoor galleries. Comparable to UMLAUF in combining sculpture display with garden/horticulture setting and offering venue rentals and education programs.
• Storm King Art Center: A 500-acre outdoor sculpture park in New York's Hudson Valley dedicated to large-scale sculpture and land art. Highly comparable to UMLAUF as an outdoor sculpture garden experience with permanent and rotating sculpture installations, special events, and education programming.

Broad incumbents

• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Walton Family Foundation-supported museum in Bentonville, Arkansas with a large American art collection and surrounding sculpture/garden trails. Broader incumbent in the same category — comparable on collection-based museum operations and sculpture garden experience, though significantly larger in scope and budget.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UmlaufSculpture
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCg-stICzBDaj3KnvZeN8wog
• Facebookfacebook.com/UmlaufSculpture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/umlauf-sculpture-garden-&-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/umlaufsculpture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum