Welcome to the Susanna Dickinson Museum
The 1869 home of Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig was saved and deeded to the City of Austin in 2003. Joseph Hannig built this home in 1869 for his new wife, Susanna Dickinson. She survived the Battle of the Alamo and carried the news of its fall to Sam Houston, which ultimately led to Houston's defeat of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto and won independence for the Republic of Texas. For this deed, Susanna Dickinson became known as the "Messenger of the Alamo."
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About the Museum
The museum is the only remaining residence of Susanna Dickinson. Her home was saved, restored and opened as a museum on March 2, 2010, Texas Independence Day. It is considered a “rubble-rock” house, a style of architecture brought to the Texas Hill Country by German immigrants. Inside the museum are rare Dickinson family artifacts, as well as furniture produced by Hannig. The couple lived in this house for six years, until 1875, at which point they moved into the area of town known as Hyde Park. Please stop by and let our docents show you the house and recount the vivid stories of the survivors of the Battle of the Alamo.
The museum is part of Brush Square Museums, two historic museums consisting of the Susanna Dickinson Museum and the O. Henry Museum.
Staff
- Emily O'Connor, Museum Site Coordinator
- Hannah Bancroft, Culture and Arts Education Coordinator
Susanna Dickinson Museum
On Exhibit: "Ties That Bind: Marriage, Divorce and Women's Lives in 19th Century Texas"
The City of Austin’s Susanna Dickinson Museum announces the opening of a new exhibit titled "Ties That Bind: Marriage, Divorce and Women's Lives in 19th Century Texas." The exhibit will be on view during regular open hours listed below at the Susanna Dickinson Museum beginning Friday, July 17th, 2026, through February 2027.
Susanna Dickinson lived an extraordinary life. Known as the "Messenger of the Alamo," her life has often been overshadowed by the legacy of her role in the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution. But what do we really know about Susanna Dickinson? And what was life like for women in nineteenth-century Texas?
This exhibit examines the roles and rights of women in Texas through the lens of their daily lives. From marriage and children to labor, property, and legal status, women responded to the demands of everyday life in nineteenth-century Texas. Their stories reveal how women navigated expectations, built lives for themselves and their families, and adapted over time.
- Highlighted Events and Tours
The museum provides guided tours and programming that explores the rich and diverse history of Texas.
- Susanna Dickinson Biography
Learn more about woman who became known as the "Messenger of the Alamo."
- Online Collections
The O. Henry and Susanna Dickinson Museums' online collections database features photographs, digitized copies, and descriptions of the museums' objects and archives.
- Get Involved
The Susanna Dickinson Museum and O. Henry Museum are collectively known as the Brush Square Museums. To learn how you can support the museums, through financial or volunteer means, please contact the museums’ advocacy group, the Brush Square Museums Foundation.