History of the Browning Hangar

A Family, a War, and an Airport

The old Mueller Airport opened for commercial service in 1936 on the east side of Austin. Three years later, in 1939, Robert and Emma Browning opened Browning Aerial Service in one of the hangars — offering airplane sales, maintenance, and pilot training.

Robert Browning was a daredevil and barnstorming pilot who became a respected flight instructor. Emma Browning was a qualified pilot in her own right and managed the business operations. Together, they played a central role in developing early aviation associations, including what became the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum later recognized Emma as the "Grande Dame of Aviation."

The hangar that would carry their name was constructed in 1943. Because of wartime steel shortages, it was built using glue-laminated wooden trusses — an engineering solution that gave it the graceful curved roofline it still has today.

Decades of Change

The hangar stood through the full run of Mueller Airport's history. In 1983, termite damage to the base arches caused the roof to begin sagging, requiring the addition of steel tie-rods to stabilize the structure.

When Mueller Airport closed in 1999 after more than six decades of operation, the hangar was vacated along with everything else. For several years it sat unused as the city decided what to do with the land.

Restoration

In 2005, the city undertook a two-year engineering study and full reconstruction of the hangar. It was painstaking work: the sides and doors were removed, along with materials containing lead, asbestos, and termite damage. Board by board, new curved wood was shaped and laid to match the original design.

By 2007 the restoration was complete. A protective roof cover had been installed, a decomposed granite floor added, and the open-sided structure had been given a second life as a public gathering space — a centerpiece of the new Mueller development rising around it.

The Hangar Today

The Browning Hangar now hosts everything from farmer's markets to concerts to community events. And several times a week, pétanque players set up their circles in the decomposed granite and play until long after dark.

The wide covered space provides shade in the summer and shelter in the rain, making it one of the most dependable year-round playing venues in Austin. The surrounding Mueller development offers food trucks, restaurants, a park, and a pond — everything you need to make an evening of it.

For current play times, see the Weekly Play page.

Weekly Play Schedule