Goldsmith Hall Visiting Hours, Tickets, and Guide to Austin Historical Sites

Date: 04/07/2025

Introduction: Goldsmith Hall’s Architectural and Cultural Significance

Goldsmith Hall, nestled at the heart of the University of Texas at Austin campus, stands as a prominent symbol of Beaux-Arts architecture, educational innovation, and community engagement. Designed by Paul Philippe Cret and completed in 1933, this limestone-clad landmark is the principal home of the UT Austin School of Architecture, embodying a blend of classical design principles and modern academic spirit. Whether you are an architecture aficionado, a prospective student, or a curious traveler, Goldsmith Hall offers a unique window into Texas architectural heritage and vibrant campus life (UTSOA Visit Us; SAH Archipedia).

Table of Contents

Visiting Goldsmith Hall: Essential Visitor Information

Visiting Hours & Admission

Goldsmith Hall is generally open to the public:

  • Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Admission is free. Some areas, such as studios and resource centers, may have restricted access. Always verify current hours and any special closures on the UT Austin School of Architecture website.

Tours & Special Events

Guided tours, often led by architecture students, provide in-depth knowledge of the building’s history, design, and academic programs. Public events, including exhibitions, lectures, and workshops, are regularly hosted and open to visitors. Check the UTSOA events calendar for schedules and registration details.

Accessibility & Getting There

Goldsmith Hall is ADA-compliant, featuring ramps, elevators, and accessible restrooms. For specific needs or assistance, visitors are encouraged to contact the School of Architecture in advance.

Located at 310 Inner Campus Drive, the building is easily reached via Capital Metro buses, rideshare services, or on foot from downtown Austin.

Parking

Paid parking is available in nearby garages such as San Jacinto, Brazos, and San Antonio Garages. Daily rates typically range from $3–$18. Arrive early during peak periods or campus events to secure a spot (UT Austin Official Parking).

Nearby Attractions

  • Blanton Museum of Art: Renowned university art museum within walking distance.
  • Harry Ransom Center: Home to rare manuscripts and cultural exhibitions.
  • UT Tower: Iconic campus observation deck.
  • Battle Hall & West Mall: Additional architectural landmarks and green spaces.

Historical Background and Architecture

Origins & Construction

Goldsmith Hall was conceived as the flagship building for UT’s School of Architecture. Designed by Paul Philippe Cret, it opened in 1933, reflecting Beaux-Arts ideals—symmetry, order, and classicism—while being tailored to the Texas climate and academic needs. Named in honor of benefactor Francis J. Goldsmith, the building quickly became central to the university’s expansion and reputation in architectural education (SAH Archipedia).

Renovations

A significant renovation in 1988 modernized the facility with updated studios, workshops, and improved accessibility, while meticulously preserving its historic character. Seamless integration of new and old allows Goldsmith Hall to remain a state-of-the-art academic environment.

Architectural Features

Goldsmith Hall’s exterior is defined by its limestone façade, arched windows, and formal tower, mirroring UT’s Mediterranean Revival campus character. Its central courtyard and colonnades foster light, openness, and community. Inside, high-ceilinged studios and hands-on labs encourage creativity and collaboration.


Interior Spaces & Public Artworks

Notable Facilities

  • Studios & Classrooms: Open-plan spaces supporting group work and innovation.
  • Wood Shop & Build Lab: Facilities for fabrication and model-making.
  • Jury Rooms: Spaces for project critique and peer review.
  • Administrative Offices: Home to the Dean’s Suite and faculty offices.

Michael Graves Mural

A highlight of the interior is the Michael Graves mural, a vibrant postmodernist piece created with student participation in 1974. Displayed in the Dean’s Suite lobby, it celebrates architectural creativity and collaborative learning (UTSOA).

Francisco Arumí-Noé Sundial

This functional artwork on the south wall honors a beloved faculty member and integrates seamlessly into the building’s architecture (Wikipedia).

Living Wall

Goldsmith Hall’s “Living Wall” is a vertical garden project demonstrating sustainable design and biodiversity, visible from the building’s exterior and featured on campus tours (UTSOA).


Outdoor & Courtyard Areas

The building opens onto the bustling West Mall—a prime pedestrian route—while its shaded courtyard provides a tranquil retreat for study and relaxation (Reddit).


Visitor Experience & Tips

  • Best Times: Weekdays offer a quieter atmosphere; weekends and event days are livelier.
  • Photography: The façade, courtyard, and Living Wall are top photography spots. Be mindful of ongoing classes.
  • Interactive Features: Look for open workshops and exhibitions listed on the UTSOA events calendar.

Accessibility, Comfort & Safety

Goldsmith Hall and the UT Austin campus are designed for inclusivity. The building is fully accessible, and the campus is generally safe with visible security measures. Hydration stations and rest areas are available; visitors should dress for Austin’s hot summers and bring sunscreen (Austin EMS Safety Tips).


Practical Travel Tips

  • Plan Ahead: The campus is large; wear comfortable shoes and use interactive campus maps.
  • Dining: Food trucks and the Texas Union offer nearby dining options.
  • Campus Policies: Smoking is prohibited. Pets are not allowed inside, except for service animals.
  • Respectful Conduct: Maintain low noise in study areas and avoid disrupting academic activities.

Nearby Accommodation

Numerous hotels, including the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center and Hampton Inn & Suites Austin University Capitol, offer convenient lodging. Short-term rentals in surrounding neighborhoods provide alternatives for longer stays.


Emergency Information

In an emergency, dial 911. For campus security, contact the University Police Department at (512) 471-4441. Familiarize yourself with emergency call boxes and the nearest medical facilities (Austin EMS Safety Tips).


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are Goldsmith Hall’s visiting hours?
A: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM; Saturday 10:00 AM–4:00 PM. Confirm hours online before visiting.

Q: Is there an admission fee?
A: No, entry is free for all visitors during public hours.

Q: Are guided tours available?
A: Yes, by appointment. Check the UTSOA website for scheduling.

Q: Is Goldsmith Hall accessible?
A: Yes, with ADA-compliant features throughout.

Q: Where can I park?
A: San Jacinto, Brazos, and San Antonio Garages are nearby paid parking options.

Q: What else can I see nearby?
A: The Blanton Museum of Art, Harry Ransom Center, UT Tower, and Battle Hall are all within walking distance.


Plan Your Visit

Goldsmith Hall is a cornerstone of Austin’s architectural, academic, and cultural landscape. Enjoy its free access, public art, and inspiring design, and use it as a springboard to discover UT Austin’s historic campus and surrounding city landmarks. Always check the UTSOA website for the latest updates, events, and special hours.

For interactive maps, audio guides, and more, download the Audiala app and follow our channels for up-to-date visitor information.


References

  • Goldsmith Hall Austin: Visiting Hours, Tickets & Architectural History, 2025, Audiala (UT Austin School of Architecture)
  • Goldsmith Hall Visiting Hours, Tickets, and Must-See Features at University of Texas Austin, 2025, SAH Archipedia (SAH Archipedia)
  • Goldsmith Hall at UT Austin: Visiting Hours, Tickets, and Cultural Significance, 2025, UT School of Architecture (UTSOA Visit Us)
  • Goldsmith Hall Visiting Hours, Tickets & Visitor Guide to Austin’s Historic Architecture, 2025, UT Austin Official Parking (UT Austin Parking)

Visit The Most Interesting Places In Austin

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin Central Fire Station 1
Austin Central Fire Station 1
Austin High School
Austin High School
Austin History Center
Austin History Center
Austin Memorial Park Cemetery
Austin Memorial Park Cemetery
Austin Public Library
Austin Public Library
Austin State Hospital
Austin State Hospital
Austin State Hospital Cemetery
Austin State Hospital Cemetery
Austin Women’S Club
Austin Women’S Club
B. J. Smith Property
B. J. Smith Property
Bailetti House
Bailetti House
Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan
Barton Springs Bath House
Barton Springs Bath House
Battle Hall
Battle Hall
Batts Hall
Batts Hall
Becker School
Becker School
Bethany Cemetery
Bethany Cemetery
Blanton Museum Of Art
Blanton Museum Of Art
Boardman-Webb-Bugg House
Boardman-Webb-Bugg House
Buen Retiro
Buen Retiro
Buford Tower
Buford Tower
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Cactus Cafe
Cactus Cafe
Camp Mabry Building 1
Camp Mabry Building 1
Cathedral Of Saint Mary
Cathedral Of Saint Mary
Central Christian Church
Central Christian Church
Circuit Of The Americas
Circuit Of The Americas
Claudia Taylor Johnson Building
Claudia Taylor Johnson Building
Colored Teachers State Association Of Texas Building
Colored Teachers State Association Of Texas Building
Commodore Perry Estate Hotel
Commodore Perry Estate Hotel
Concordia University Texas
Concordia University Texas
Confederate Soldiers Monument
Confederate Soldiers Monument
Crusemann-Marsh-Bell House
Crusemann-Marsh-Bell House
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
Dawson Stone House
Dawson Stone House
Deep Eddy Pool
Deep Eddy Pool
Dell Medical School At The University Of Texas At Austin
Dell Medical School At The University Of Texas At Austin
Denny-Holliday House
Denny-Holliday House
Donnan-Hill House
Donnan-Hill House
Driskill Hotel
Driskill Hotel
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Edmund And Emily Miller House
Edmund And Emily Miller House
Edward Clark House Outbuilding
Edward Clark House Outbuilding
Elisabet Ney Home
Elisabet Ney Home
Elisabet Ney Museum
Elisabet Ney Museum
Elvira T. Manor Davis House
Elvira T. Manor Davis House
Emma West Flats
Emma West Flats
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church
Flawn Academic Center
Flawn Academic Center
Frank Erwin Center
Frank Erwin Center
French Legation
French Legation
Garrison Hall
Garrison Hall
General Land Office Building
General Land Office Building
George W. Davis Cemetery
George W. Davis Cemetery
George W. Sampson Home
George W. Sampson Home
George Washington
George Washington
George Washington Carver Museum And Cultural Center
George Washington Carver Museum And Cultural Center
Gerhard-Schoch House
Gerhard-Schoch House
Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Gilfillan House
Gilfillan House
Goldsmith Hall
Goldsmith Hall
Gregory Gymnasium
Gregory Gymnasium
Hancock Recreation Center
Hancock Recreation Center
Harry Ransom Center
Harry Ransom Center
Henry H. And Bertha Sterzing Ziller House
Henry H. And Bertha Sterzing Ziller House
Herbert And Alice Bohn House
Herbert And Alice Bohn House
Herblin-Shoe House
Herblin-Shoe House
Hezikiah Haskell House
Hezikiah Haskell House
Hippie Hollow Park
Hippie Hollow Park
Hirschfeld Complex
Hirschfeld Complex
Hirshfeld Property
Hirshfeld Property
Hofheintz-Reissig Store
Hofheintz-Reissig Store
Horton-Porter, Goldie, House
Horton-Porter, Goldie, House
Hotel Provident & Heierman Bldg.
Hotel Provident & Heierman Bldg.
Hugh B. Hancock House
Hugh B. Hancock House
Hyde Park
Hyde Park
I. V. Davis Homestead
I. V. Davis Homestead
Ireland And Mary Graves House
Ireland And Mary Graves House
J. Frank Dobie House
J. Frank Dobie House
J. L. Buaas Building
J. L. Buaas Building
Jackson School Of Geosciences
Jackson School Of Geosciences
Jacob Larmour House
Jacob Larmour House
Jacob Leser House
Jacob Leser House
James D. Pfluger Pedestrian And Bicycle Bridge
James D. Pfluger Pedestrian And Bicycle Bridge
James M. And Leana B. Walsh House
James M. And Leana B. Walsh House
Johnson Home
Johnson Home
Joseph And Mary Robinson Martin House
Joseph And Mary Robinson Martin House
Joseph And Susanna Dickenson Hannig Museum
Joseph And Susanna Dickenson Hannig Museum
J.W. & Cornelia Rice Scarbrough House
J.W. & Cornelia Rice Scarbrough House
King-Von Rosenberg House
King-Von Rosenberg House
Kopperl House
Kopperl House
Lake Austin
Lake Austin
Lamar Boulevard Bridge
Lamar Boulevard Bridge
Larry Monroe Forever Bridge
Larry Monroe Forever Bridge
Las Ventanas
Las Ventanas
Little Campus
Little Campus
Littlefield Fountain
Littlefield Fountain
Livestrong Foundation
Livestrong Foundation
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library And Museum
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library And Museum
Main Building
Main Building
Malcolm And Margaret Badger Reed Estate
Malcolm And Margaret Badger Reed Estate
Mary Street Stone House
Mary Street Stone House
Masonic Cemetery
Masonic Cemetery
Mather-Kirkland House
Mather-Kirkland House
Mathews School
Mathews School
Mauthe-Myrick Mansion
Mauthe-Myrick Mansion
Mcclendon-Price House
Mcclendon-Price House
Mckinney Falls State Park
Mckinney Falls State Park
Mexic-Arte Museum
Mexic-Arte Museum
Montopolis Bridge
Montopolis Bridge
Moody Center
Moody Center
Moore-Flack House
Moore-Flack House
Moore-Hancock Farmstead
Moore-Hancock Farmstead
Mount Bonnell
Mount Bonnell
Neill-Cochran House
Neill-Cochran House
Norwood Tower
Norwood Tower
O. Henry Hall
O. Henry Hall
O. Henry Museum
O. Henry Museum
Oakwood Cemetery
Oakwood Cemetery
Okewell
Okewell
Old Lundberg Bakery
Old Lundberg Bakery
Old Rock Store
Old Rock Store
Onion Creek Lodge 220, Af & Am
Onion Creek Lodge 220, Af & Am
Paggi House
Paggi House
Painter Hall
Painter Hall
Paramount Theater
Paramount Theater
Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre
Parque Zaragoza Center
Parque Zaragoza Center
Pease School Building
Pease School Building
Penn And Nellie Wooldridge House
Penn And Nellie Wooldridge House
Pennybacker Bridge
Pennybacker Bridge
Perry–Castañeda Library
Perry–Castañeda Library
Peterson, George A., House
Peterson, George A., House
Philquist-Wood House
Philquist-Wood House
Physics, Math, And Astronomy Building
Physics, Math, And Astronomy Building
Platt-Simpson Building
Platt-Simpson Building
Q2 Stadium
Q2 Stadium
Rainey House
Rainey House
Rainey Street Historic District
Rainey Street Historic District
Randerson-Lundell Building
Randerson-Lundell Building
Red And Charline Mccombs Field
Red And Charline Mccombs Field
Republic Square
Republic Square
Robert S. Stanley House
Robert S. Stanley House
Robert S. Strauss Center For International Security And Law
Robert S. Strauss Center For International Security And Law
Rocky Cliff
Rocky Cliff
Roy-Hardin House
Roy-Hardin House
|
  Saint Mary'S Cathedral
| Saint Mary'S Cathedral
Scarbrough Building
Scarbrough Building
Scottish Rite Temple
Scottish Rite Temple
Seaholm Power Plant
Seaholm Power Plant
Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek
Simpson Memorial Methodist Church
Simpson Memorial Methodist Church
Sixth Street
Sixth Street
Smith-Clark And Smith-Bickler Houses
Smith-Clark And Smith-Bickler Houses
South Austin Museum Of Popular Culture
South Austin Museum Of Popular Culture
Southgate-Lewis House
Southgate-Lewis House
Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Bldg.
Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Bldg.
Sparks House
Sparks House
Splitrock (Burns-Klein House)
Splitrock (Burns-Klein House)
St. David’S Episcopal Church
St. David’S Episcopal Church
|
  St. Edward'S University Main Building And Holy Cross Dormitory
| St. Edward'S University Main Building And Holy Cross Dormitory
Stanley And Emily Finch House
Stanley And Emily Finch House
Statue Of Liberty Replica Monument
Statue Of Liberty Replica Monument
Sutton Hall
Sutton Hall
Swisher-Scott House
Swisher-Scott House
|
  Texas Federation Of Women'S Clubs Building
| Texas Federation Of Women'S Clubs Building
|
  Texas Governor'S Mansion
| Texas Governor'S Mansion
Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
Texas Military Forces Museum
Texas Military Forces Museum
Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Academy
The Academy
The Contemporary Austin
The Contemporary Austin
The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center On Congress Avenue
The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center On Congress Avenue
The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria
The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria
The Domain
The Domain
The Independent
The Independent
The Old Zimmerman Home
The Old Zimmerman Home
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel
Thompson Home
Thompson Home
Tmi Castle
Tmi Castle
Ufcu Disch–Falk Field
Ufcu Disch–Falk Field
Umlauf Sculpture Garden And Museum
Umlauf Sculpture Garden And Museum
University Junior High School
University Junior High School
University Of Texas At Austin
University Of Texas At Austin
University Teaching Center
University Teaching Center
Waggener Hall
Waggener Hall
Walnut Creek Baptist Church
Walnut Creek Baptist Church
Walter And Mae Simms House
Walter And Mae Simms House
Welch Hall
Welch Hall
Wells-Larue House
Wells-Larue House
West-Bremond Cottage
West-Bremond Cottage
West Fifth Street Bridge At Shoal Creek
West Fifth Street Bridge At Shoal Creek
Westgate Tower
Westgate Tower
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
William Green Hill House
William Green Hill House
William Sidney Porter House
William Sidney Porter House
Williams-Weigl House
Williams-Weigl House
Willie Nelson Statue
Willie Nelson Statue
Wooldridge Park
Wooldridge Park
Zach Theatre
Zach Theatre
Zeta Tau Alpha House
Zeta Tau Alpha House
Zilker Park
Zilker Park