O. Henry Museum
The O. Henry Museum is the former residence of William Sydney Porter, otherwise known as O. Henry, the short story writer who authored such classics as “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Ransom of Red Chief,” and “The Last Leaf.” The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret artifacts and archival materials relative to Porter for literary, educational, and historical purposes. Through exhibits, programs, and tours, the museum focuses on Porter’s Austin years, during which he wrote his earliest stories. The museum is included in the National Register of Historic Places.
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Past Events
48th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off Delivered a Verbal Supplement
The City of Austin’s O. Henry Museum, in collaboration with the Brush Square Museums Foundation, presented the 48th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships on May 10, 2025 at Brush Square Park, behind the O. Henry Museum. Additional details about the event can be found on the event’s official website: www.punoff.com.
As one of Austin’s oldest “weird” events, the O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships is an internationally renowned spoken word competition focused on the art of the pun. For 48 years, punsters have gathered in Austin, TX for a battle of wit and wordplay in honor of famous wordsmith and short story writer, William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry. In the 1890s, Porter and his family lived in the Queen Anne-style cottage on 5th Street that now houses the O. Henry Museum.
This year's winners were:
Punniest of Show Winners 2025
- 1st Place (Gary Hallock Memorial Award ): Erika Ettin
- 2nd Place: Emma Miller
- 3rd Place: Toby Miceli-Gwiazdowski
PunSlingers Winners 2025
- 1st Place: Blake Bauserman
- 2nd Place: Arun Debray
- 3rd Place (tie): Jarred Abel and Toby Miceli-Gwiazdowski
MMMVP Award (McClughan Memorial Most Viable Punster)
- Kyle Goulston
- O. Henry Biography
Learn more about the man born William Sidney Porter (PDF).
- 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 O. Henry Museum and its neighbor, the Susanna Dickinson 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.
O. Henry Museum
Learn all about the O. Henry house and museum.