Heat is hell, guns are cool.

Here ya go, snowflake:

Before the glory days of the 1930s, only a rare few buildings in Austin offered the luxury of air conditioning. A privileged few movie theaters, hotels/motels, and even one department store, Scarbroughs, kept their customers cool while the rest of us sweated our balls off. Those businesses were smart enough to advertise their "free AC," a sign of the times.

Nowadays, every snowflake has access to air-conditioned spaces. If you're too lazy to enjoy the Texas heat, you can take refuge in one of the many art galleries, but their hours are all over the place, and they don't offer much.

Your best bet? Museums. Austin has some decent ones dedicated to history, literature, and science. But let's focus on the art museums, shall we?

Blanton Museum of Art: More Than Just Shiny Metal

That fancy new Capitol Mall has a sweet metal art piece by Ellsworth Kelly, "Austin," which is pretty rad. But don't forget to actually go inside the Blanton Museum. Check out the blues of Teresita Fernández’s “Stacked Waters,” then hit up the temporary and permanent collections.

blantonmuseum.org

The Contemporary Austin: Keeping Downtown Cool

The Contemporary Austin's Laguna Gloria location is beautiful, but it can get a little toasty. Head to their downtown Jones Center instead for some sweet video and film installations alongside their art. While you're there, check out Manik Raj Nakra's mural, "Man Who Fell to Earth." It's out-of-this-world cool.

thecontemporaryaustin.org

Mexic-Arte Museum: Austin with a Mexican Twist

Director Sylvia Orozco has done a bang-up job keeping this museum true to its roots, showcasing Mexican and Mexican-American art. You'll find traditional high and low culture, and everything in between. Screw the critics, the art's damn good.

mexic-artemuseum.org

Women & Their Work: Empowering Ladies Since the '70s

This place has been fighting the good fight for women artists since the '70s, and their new spot on East Cesar Chavez Street is pretty sweet. It feels like a refined museum, and they even let you collect art and hang out in their garden. Girl power!

womenandtheirwork.org

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum: Outdoor Art with an Indoor Twist

Don't let the "garden" in the name fool you. The Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum has a freakin awesome indoor gallery that always delivers. They showcase sculptors who might get snubbed elsewhere, and their outdoor garden is pretty sweet too if you go early or late.

www.umlaufsculpture.org