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Emily Regalado
English 114B
Professor Kubler
16 February 2015
Project Space Essay
The Autry National Center stands on the grounds of Griffith Park, a highly
publicized park, and lays next to the Los Angeles Zoo, also, a highly toured public space.
It was built to publicize Western artifacts, and convey the distinctions between the old
and the new country. While The Autry was built to emulate Western culture, it had a more
collected theme surrounding it, from the surrounding gardens, and serene location. One
could affirm a rustic feel, but it is rather simplistic and the rural theme is not portrayed.
Although it is not as much of a highly populated attraction compared to other museums, it
helps distribute the nonchalant vibe throughout. School children and adults alike, whom,
go for more than just the cowboys, visit the space.
The Autry, named after Gene Autry, was not an anticipated project for Los
Angeles; it was proposed but had difficulty being brought on by the surrounding cities,
such as Burbank and Los Angeles itself. It was presented as, [an] opportunity to bring
this cultural museum to our cities. (Murphy). Jackie Autry, wife of Gene Autry, was the
proposer of this project and insisted on it staying in Los Angeles; that is, she had received
offers as far as Oklahoma City. Shortly after it was built, the city of Burbank was to
accommodate the museum, and make sure it was to level up to similar attractions. It was
crucial that this museum would appeal to the public as much as other tours would.
Popularity of The Autry has grown profusely since its opening in 1988, and those

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who have visited know that it is more than cowboys, guns, and war. Since it had its
minor setback in its early planning stages, it was noted that this would be a place known
to be more than a museum, relative to strictly artifacts. It was designed to appeal to the
public through multiple attractions. It's not these [artifacts] who give the Autry its
feeling of elegance, it's the building itself, the way the exhibits are displayed and the
overall stature given to the subject of the West itself. If you're expecting another rough
and ready display of cramped buildings with faded fabrics and dull metals, you will be in
for a shock. The wood is polished, the colors vibrant and the metals rich and gleaming.
(Summons). A visitor can go in expecting it to be like any other museum in Los Angeles.
This museum is interactive, and is completely modernized. Whether it is its appearance,
or various activities it offers, it is a different experience. It is thought of as a diamond in
the rough to the public. Although it is not entirely as glorious and as appealing to the
public from the outside as it is inside, it is a place that people would be more inclined to
go even after a visit.
As The Autry was built directly over Griffith Park land, the issue of less land from
the park came in discussion. The Los Angeles Zoo already existed, and that alone
removed acres of wide space from the park. Jackie Autry insisted that she, [understood]
the loss of parkland to the citizens of Los Angeles, but it would compensate for tourist
attraction. A discrepancy with environmentalists and the public, the park space would
lessen but it would appeal more to the public. While on site, it was evident that there were
far less people occupying this space, compared to its neighboring sites such as the park
and the zoo.
The negativity that seems to surround the museum is its location. The museum is

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opposite to the zoo, a botanical garden, and is part of a park. It was an ongoing issue
since the space took up 1.5 acres, a large part of the park off in order to build, and is in
plans for expansion. That location was strongly opposed by environmentalists and
residents who feared it would destroy the beauty of Burbank Park. (Simon). Since its
proposition in the 1970s, the structure had always been a setback.
Tourists commonly visit the park, but exploring the museum is usually a random
act. Based on interviews my partner and I conducted, 2 out of 3 people we interviewed
visited because it is quiet place, referring to the lack of occupants. One of the interviews
stated that it was, like getting out of the city without really leaving it. Another
interviewee, Tony Padilla, was not initially there to tour, he mentioned how he loved
going there as a child. He felt that it was a place to unwind, being surrounded by the
wildlife, and loved the nature and tranquility. Based on these interviews it would be fair
to conclude that it is a place to go relax and unwind. More or less I can say that it is a
space that could appeal to any person, whether they want to go for the nature, or just to
visit and learn about Western Culture. A docent, when interviewed by The Tribune all the
way from Washington, said, "It is history through a certain perspective, and when they
interact with the visitor, the visitor has another perspective and there is a dialogue that
happens. There is a spark, and there is that beauty of learning." (ONeil).
With all of the negativity surrounding the park, it was published that, The Autry
was one of the worst museums, earning it the Orange and Lemon Awards. The Autry
Museum won the Los Angeles Business Counsel's New Public Projects Award in 1989,
and the Blue Ribbon Award of Merit from the Society of American Registered Architects
in 1991. It's a shame The Times chose to publish a short-lived obscure Lemon Award and

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failed to note the positive awards won by the Autry Museum building. (LA Times).
The Autry National Center is a public space that has a positive impact in Los
Angeles. It is a place that can appeal to people in different ways, and it is place that has
fairly easy access and a place for every person. Like all public spaces, it will have its
negative connotations, and those who will criticize it. It is place not publically known for
being tranquil, but those who have visited can come back ad view it just as that. Some
can identify it as a quiet place, away from the busy Los Angeles scene. It is for people of
all ages and has a potential interest to any person.

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Works Cited
"Autry Museum: Home Edition." Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext),
(1992): 5. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
Murphy, Dean. "Proposal for Autry Museum Meets 2nd Setback."
Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext): 8. Mar 16 1985. ProQuest. Web.
17 Feb. 2015.
O'Neil, Megan. "Old West Stays Alive at the Autry National Center."
McClatchy - Tribune Business NewsJan 13 2012. ProQuest. Web.
18 Feb. 2015 .
Summons, Trevor. "Autry Center More about West than the Man." The Sun.
Sep 21 2006. ProQuest. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
Simon, Richard. "Promoters of Autry Museum have Griffith Park in Sights."
Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext): 1. Aug 15 1985. ProQuest. Web.
17 Feb. 2015.