Texas Union - The Living Room of Campus

A stop on UT Austin Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Paul Cret designed this building too, and it opened in 1933 as a place for students to eat, meet and argue. Alumni paid for it through a campaign led by the Texas Exes, and it has been the social heart of campus ever since.

Inside you will find food, study spaces, a ballroom, a bowling alley and the Cactus Cafe, a small listening room that has hosted folk and singer-songwriter shows for decades. Outside, the West Mall in front of the Union has long been where students gather, hand out flyers, rally and speak their minds.

Look at how the building fits its neighbors: the same limestone and red tile as Battle Hall, but with a busier, more public feel. If you are a prospective student, step inside and imagine the long afternoons you might spend here between classes. Then glance back down the West Mall toward the Tower to see how Cret designed the whole route as one composition.

Getting here: Continue west along the West Mall toward Guadalupe Street. The Texas Union is the large building on your right.

Did you know?: The Union's fundraising campaign was led by Thomas Watt Gregory, a university alumnus who had served as U.S. Attorney General under President Woodrow Wilson.

Photo op: Stand at the west end of the West Mall and frame the Union's arched entrance with students streaming past.

More on Wikipedia: Union Building · Cactus Cafe · Thomas Watt Gregory

Texas Union - The Living Room of Campus

Stops on this tour