What to KnowAutry After HoursFive 2026 dates are coming up, with a variety of music performances and art offeringsMay 7 will feature Western Swing, with live music by The Soda Crackers and dance techniques presented by The Honky Tonk Hunnies; the hours are 5:30 to 9 p.m.Autry After Hours: BBQ, Brews, and Blues with Bobby Warren and Shy But Flyy is up May 21More artists, music, and good times are ahead for the series on June 11, June 25, and July 15$20 general admission; other ticketing tiers are available
Don’t listen to a single soul who tries to sell you on the incorrect notion that a museum after it closes for the day isn’t quite possibly the most magical place on the planet.
After all, movies have been made on this tantalizing topic, and books written, and if you yourself have ever called upon an institution beyond its typical closing time, you know there’s a thrilling crackle in the air.
The Autry Museum of the American West has long been a proponent of this idea, that calling upon an art-filled cultural destination as the sun is setting can have spirit-raising properties.
And to back this up?
There is the Autry After Hours series, which gives visitors the most excellent opportunity to call upon the Griffith Park-based museum, now and then, for evening music, let-loose dancing, art presentations, sips and bites for purchase, old-timey radio plays, exhibit enjoyment, and more.
There are five events on the after-closing-time line-up, with the first 2026 party clicking its boots May 7.
That’s when The Soda Crackers will take the stage, bringing Western Swing sass and strum to the museum. The Honky Tonk Hunnies will be there, too, if you need to polish some of your dance-strong moves.
“The Soda Crackers celebrate the unsung heroes of the Bakersfield sound, the B-side gems that never get played, and the showmanship plus the instrumentation that all the greats brought to the smoky ol’ beer joins and dance halls from years gone by,” shares the museum on its site.
There’s another Autry After Hours coming up in May, with two in June and another in July.
The theme, music, performances, and focus will vary with each new event, with Autry After Hours: BBQ, Brews, and Blues with Bobby Warren and Shy But Flyy up on May 21.
Line Dancing and Cowboy Cocktails, the SAG-AFTRA Radio Players, and a dive into the “Life, Liberty, and L.A.” exhibition are all coming up on select dates; tickets and details are available on The Autry’s site.
And yes: Galleries will be open during these events, at least for most of each evening, adding to that magic-at-the-museum-at-night vibe.