Margaret & Eugene McDermott Learning Center

Visit the Margaret and Eugene McDermott Learning Center, a restored 19th-century carriage house, when you finish your tour of the garden.

The Margaret and Eugene McDermott Learning Center is used as a multi-purpose educational facility supporting diverse programs – from live animal demonstrations to photography exhibits.

John Driskill, the founder of Austin’s Driskill Hotel, built this historic carriage house in 1885. The carriage house was originally located behind the Driskill mansion at 2612 Whitis Avenue, which today is located just north of the campus of The University of Texas of Austin.

The mansion and carriage house were sold in 1891 to Emerson Monroe Scarbrough, founder of Scarbrough’s Department Store. The structure originally housed horses that pulled carriages and delivery wagons. It later housed a fleet of Model T Fords that delivered goods for the department store.

The carriage house was moved to the Wildflower Center on June 14, 2001, and was restored on-site. The restoration, which was overseen by Gregory Free and Associates, returns the building to its original appearance. Margaret Scarbrough Wilson and Lemuel Scarbrough donated the carriage house and relocation costs to the Wildflower Center.

The restoration of the structure was made possible by a gift from esteemed Dallas philanthropist Margaret McDermott and was renamed the Margaret and Eugene McDermott Learning Center on October 11, 2002.

RENTABLE VENUE

Capacity: 70 people

 

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