The O. Henry Museum occupies the small Victorian cottage where the short story writer William Sydney Porter — known universally as O. Henry — lived with his wife and daughter from 1893 to 1895. The house has been preserved as a period interior with furniture and objects from the 1890s, and the museum tells the story of Porter's Austin years: his work at the General Land Office, his founding of a satirical newspaper, and his eventual departure under difficult circumstances.
O. Henry's stories, including "The Gift of the Magi" and hundreds of others, are defined by their twist endings — a technique he developed in prison, writing to support his daughter. The museum hosts an annual O. Henry Pun-Off World Championship each May, which draws competitive punsters from across the country for what is, by general agreement, an extremely Austin event.