If you are trying to find things to do in Austin, fortunately exists are great deals of options. As the Texas State Capitol, Austin embodies all things Texas — assuring a packed travel plan. You can find out about Texas history, go to enjoyable tourist attractions, appreciate Latin American art, and experience an outstanding cityscape. As the Live Music Capital of the world, there is no lack of locations to see live music in the city. This activity was certainly among our preferred things to do in Austin.
Leading Things to Do in Austin
Obviously, nature fans will likewise discover lots of things to do in Austin. The city beings in the Texas Hill Nation, surrounded by treking tracks, wildlife, and State Parks. The Colorado River goes through Austin, too– filling tanks like Lake Austin and Girl Bird Lake.
However, let’s take a more in-depth take a look at all the very best things to do in Austin! Austin offers a wonderful balance of indoor and outside activities and you’ll discover things to do in Austin spread out throughout the city.
1. Lease a Boat on Lake Austin
A picnic on the water is a romantic method to begin or end any day. We ‘d extremely suggest utilizing among the lots of boat leasings to work with a motorized boat and check out Lake Austin from the water. Load a picnic and electronic camera, and you have a high-end, independent personal trip.
As one of Austin’s primary tanks, Lake Austin is an essential property to the city. Due to the fact that of this, particular locations are independently owned or near the general public, so you’ll require to focus on indications and any constraints. The very best method to delight in Lake Austin is by boat, as swimming and fishing are restricted around lots of lake locations.
If you do not wish to lease a boat yourself, this directed boat trip on Lake Austin is the best option.
2. Swim in Lake Travis
Lake Travis is where to head if you ‘d choose to go swimming instead of look for boat leasings.
The tank is Austin’s most significant and most excellent sight! The lake’s 271 miles of coastline likewise suggests great deals of swimming areas– particularly thinking about that the entire of Lake Travis is open to the general public.
Lake Travis’ well-known, ultra-blue waters are an outcome of the limestone rock beneath. It is well-worth packaging snorkeling equipment if you prepare a swim, as the waters are understood for their excellent presence.
3. Visit the Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is on every Austin city guide for a great factor.
The 19th-century structure is the house of the Texan federal government and is the biggest state capitol in the United States. To find out about Texas architecture and politics, going to the Capitol is quickly among the very best things to do in Austin.
You can take a complimentary directed trip or go to individually. Assisted trips perform at staggered, set periods. However, if you pick a self-guided trip, you’ll have the ability to visit whenever it fits you.
An excellent method to go to the Capitol is to bundle it together with a little group trip of Austin. This one permits you to avoid the line and is most likely to offer out! You can schedule it here.
4. Texas Memorial Museum
The Texas Memorial Museum brings the lofty title of Austin’s very first state museum. To find out about natural and cultural history in Texas, we suggest paying this location a see.
From fossils to exhibits of the current research study, the museum covers different subjects with momentary, and irreversible exhibitions. The tourist attraction likewise has a series of entryway cost discount rates, with trainees getting substantial rate decreases.
The museum is on the University School and is an academic, intriguing location to invest a number of hours.
5. Zilker Metropolitan Park
Zilker Park is a 358-acre urban green area consisting of Zilker Arboretum, Barton Springs Swimming Pool, Umlauf Sculpture Garden, and The Fantastic Yard.
If you wish to invest a day amused in simply one location, we ‘d recommend selecting Zilker Metropolitan Park. The Barton Springs Swimming pool is filled with water from a neighboring natural spring and is thermally warmed, so best for swimming throughout the year. Close by, the Zilker Botanical and Sculpture Gardens are great to roam on foot.
While you remain in the location ensure to go to the Austin Nature & & Science Center which lies right at the edge of the park.
6. Mckinney Falls State Park
Keep in mind those close-by State Parks we discussed above? Mckinney Falls State Park is Austin’s finest.
Pick Mckinney Falls over Zilker Park if you want to invest an early morning on remote tracks and near wildlife. The park’s embeded in the Hill Nation woods, with Onion Creek to swim and fish along. The forest provides the park a more remote, peaceful feel than Zilker’s open green area.
Pick the Rock Shelter Path for a brief and beautiful walking. This path passes Old Baldy, a 500-year-old tree and popular natural traveler destination to go to in Austin.
If you are a bicyclist or hiker who does not mind passing bikes, the Onion Creek Walking and Bike Path is longer and more difficult. Dive in an air-conditioned van and check out all this location needs to provide. Schedule it here!
7. Listen to Live C And W
Okay, so you went to The Continental however missed out on the c and w night? Do not stress. There are great deals of locations that play live music, and there are constantly show ticket sales to nab up deal tickets.
The Hole in the Wall, Broken Action and San Jac Saloon are all great pub-style locations to get a beverage and listen to nation tunes. While the Moody Theater, Emo’s Austin, and Maggie Mae’s Auditorium are a perfect bigger show and festival-style locations– book ahead to prevent frustration.
Listening to c and w is among one of the most enjoyable things to do in Austin, Texas. So, certainly focus on taking in a performance or live music bar when going to.
8. Trip Austin City Limits
http://it acltv.comAustin City Limits is the longest-running music production on television. To be able to see a taping, routine folks are taken into a lotto system however you can schedule trips of the place. From Monday to Saturday, 90-minute trips are used of the live place to see behind the scenes consisting of the incredible photography from acts that have actually been carrying out here because 1974.
Austin City Limits Celebration
The yearly Austin City Limits Celebration is among the very best outside celebrations in the nation that hosts 130 artists drawing in a quarter million customers each year at Zilker Park. If you wish to attend this celebration, visit their site to purchase tickets.
9. Capture Live Music at The Continental Club
Individuals call Austin the live music capital of Texas, and The Continental Club is called among the most significant clubs in Austin, Texas.
The club has actually been hosting live music because 1955– playing whatever from blues and nation, to rock, and swing. To pay a see, head to South Congress in South Austin. Get in the club under the vintage neon lights, bring up a stool, get a beverage, and delight in the very best of Texan music culture.
10. Austin Zoo
Austin Zoo is a non-profit company that promotes wildlife preservation and saves native and unique animals. The zoo has more than 3 hundred animals, consisting of threatened types like tigers, ring-tailed lemurs, and spider monkeys.
You can find out about the significance of preservation efforts, the history of the zoo, and fulfill animals up close. Ensure to capture the train around the park and go to the petting location to fulfill a few of the friendly domestic animals.
11. Visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
The LBJ Library and Museum is another tourist attraction situated on the Austin school.
The tourist attraction is devoted to Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th United States President. Visitors get an extensive intro to Johnson’s life and the totality of his presidency. You’ll access exhibits on occasions in his presidency, like the Vietnam War, hear voice recordings of Johnson going over concerns, and find out a lot of individual information about the previous president. If you have an interest in politics or governmental history, we ‘d suggest a see.
12. LBJ Cattle Ranch
Nevertheless, we discovered visiting the LBJ Cattle ranch simply beyond Austin to be really intriguing. While a trip of the Texas White Home is momentarily closed due to structural issues, you can still take a driving trip of the cattle ranch.
This was the youth house of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and throughout his time in workplace, he invested 20% of his time working from here. The Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Website is an extremely cool trip through the cattle ranch to see the livestock that are descendants of LBJs animals. Schedule it here!
13. Mayfield Park
Mayfield Park is a 21-acre booking website with strolling tracks often visited by more roaming peacocks than other individuals. If you desire a peaceful day in the city’s West, going to the park is among the very best things to do in Austin.
The park is available for wheelchairs and pushchairs, so it is a great tourist attraction for all visitors to Austin, Texas. And, if you wish to integrate Austin’s nature with history, you’ll value the historical home in the park center.
14. Consume at Franklin Barbecue
When in Texas, attempt the food at Franklin Barbecue. Barbecue grilled meats have actually long been the renowned Austin food, and Franklin Barbecue is the most popular place to attempt this regional specialized.
At Franklin Barbecue, you can purchase brisket, ribs, pulled pork, turkey, and sausage variations by the pound– best for big groups and households. Additionally, order a sandwich loaded with grilled meat of your option or a sweet dessert pie.
Franklin Barbecue lies in East Austin and is a preferred area among Austin locals.
15. The Contemporary Austin, Laguna Gloria
The Laguna Gloria is Austin’s only devoted modern art gallery. Art lovers ought to put the gallery high up on their list of things to do in Austin, as the place uses a wonderful variety of exhibits and artists.
From the Betty and Marcus Sculpture Park to momentary trending exhibits, it is simple to invest half a day going to the Laguna Gloria. While mainly including modern sculptures, you will discover a variety of art kinds to examine and value.
16. Go To the Bullock Texas State History Museum
How familiar are you with the story of Texas? To experience a living history museum, the Bullock Texas State History Museum is among the best things to do in Austin.
The museum has a movie theater, a mix of momentary and irreversible exhibits, and artifacts. So, whether you find out aesthetically, kinetically, or through acoustic info, there will be a lot of chances to take in Texas’ living history.
You can find out about Texan social history– from the initial occupants to the very first European colonizers and the current fights for equality.
17. See the Largest Urban Bat Nest
This addition to our list of things to do in Austin may sound unusual, however it is an enormously excellent phenomenon.
The biggest city bat nest remains in Downtown Austin– best under the South Congress Opportunity Bridge. Every night, over 1.5 million bats emerge from their daytime perches under the South Congress Bridge and require to the sky in a remarkable phenomenon. Animal-lover or not, the city bat nest is something you ought to focus on experiencing in Austin.
For a various point of view on the bats attempt this kayaking trip which takes you best beneath the bridge.
18. Desert Door Distillery
Have you ever attempted Texas sotol? Sotol is an alcoholic spirit and is believed to be the first-ever liquor intoxicated by human beings. Sotol has actually been intoxicated for over 800 years now, however the Desert Door Distillery is the only distillery in the United States.
You can go to for a tasting experience on Thursdays to Sundays. The distillery is a forty-minute drive beyond Austin, situated in the suburban area of Driftwood. Nevertheless, it is well worth making the drive for a see or arranging a transfer.
19. Go To Girl Bird Lake
Girl Bird Lake is another tank for your travel plan! While swimming is restricted, the lake has lots of other outside activities that you ought to attempt.
The Ann and Roy Butler Walking and Bike Path is the well-known loop around Girl Bird Lake. The ten-mile path circles the whole lake border, with combined surface of boardwalk and pavement.
You can get a coffee and delight in taking in the stunning surroundings that is sandwiched in between the cityscape and lake. Or, for runners and bicyclists, you can utilize the circuit to keep liable and fit while on vacation.
Girl Bird Lake likewise runs under South Congress Bridge, so book a boat trip if you desire a special method to see the bat nest emerge.
20. Invest Midday in Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez is a dynamic area, filled with action and hospitality. To experience the suburban area on a time frame, we ‘d suggest costs midday on Cesar Chavez Street, which connects downtown and east Austin.
Do not understand where to begin? Start with a check out to Women & & Their Work, a non-profit art gallery, then purchase tacos to go from Granny’s Tacos– you can unwind and consume your lunch in the Pan American Community Park.
21. Go To the Secret Beach
Everybody likes a trick, right? Although keeping them is seemingly much harder as the Secret Beach is not-so-secret any longer.
Along the river in East Austin, you’ll discover a sand beach where residents sunbathe and swim in the river. If you desire a peaceful beach experience in main Texas, the Secret Beach is your best choice.
You can utilize Google Maps to quickly access the beach through Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River City Park.
22. Take a Bike Trip of Austin
We extremely suggest sightseeing in Austin, however who stated you could not do it on 2 wheels?
Lots of business run bike trips around Austin, providing you info on the city and enjoyable workout at the very same time. Lots of people discover biking simpler than strolling a city too, and it may be a quicker method to travel if you just have a brief go to prepared.
You can ask at the Austin Visitor Center or book trips online like this one on an Electric Bike through Get Your Guide.
23. Have a Video Game of Miniature Golf
Often a little easy going enjoyable is happiness. Miniature golf is an enjoyable household activity, obstacle with good friends, or as a date.
Austin has an unexpected quantity of golf locations, however we suggest Peter Pan Miniature golf. This course has actually been running because 1946 yet keeps including ingenious originalities. Nutmeg a life-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex, struck the ball through a huge Reverse shoe, and objective directly into a whale’s mouth– the Peter Pan course is as whacky as they come.
A video game at Peter Pan is among the most amusing things to do in Austin; unusual and fantastic, it is bound to get a laugh or more.
24. Go Red Wine Tasting at the Austin Winery
Enjoy tasting brand-new red wines? Or simply desire an indulgent, intriguing activity for your travel plan? White wine tasting at the Austin Winery is a fantastic thing to do when remaining in Austin, Texas.
You do not require an appointment to go to the Austin Winery, and the place runs tasting sessions 4 days a week. The tasting menu permits you to sample a generous variety of various red wines, with the alternative to acquire extra treats like cheeseboards and olives.
If red wine tasting is your thing then this White wine Shuttle bus may be right up your street.
25. Go to the Museum of the Weird, Austin
Austin’s motto is Keep Austin Weird and The Museum of the Strange deals with that unusual, diverse, and oddly interesting thing that makes Austin unique.
The tourist attraction self-proclaims to be ‘America’s Strangest Tourist attraction’. From shrunken heads to bigfoot souvenirs, the museum is an amusing area to go to while in Austin. There is likewise a present store next door, simply in case you get influenced to bring any quirks house!
The tourist attraction is open from 10 am till 7 pm every day, so it is a great tourist attraction to go to eleventh hour.
26. See the Austin Murals
Austin has lots of, lots of stunning murals. In truth, the city has many that mural trips have actually ended up being a genuine thing to do.
You can acquire a trip online, go to the visitor center for recommendations, or set out to discover the very best murals individually.
If you boldly pick the latter alternative, these are the murals that you ought to focus on: Greetings From Austin, Will not You Be My Next-door Neighbor, Tau Ceti, and the Austin Texas Mural.
27. Swim in Hamilton Swimming Pool
Hamilton Swimming pool is among the most intriguing swimming areas in Austin.
The swimming pool sits under a 50ft waterfall, where Hamilton Creek plunges over the cliff edge above. Hamilton Swimming pool was formed when an underground river collapsed, and now visitors climb up down to reach the swimming pool level.
Hamilton Swimming pool is an hour’s drive from Austin and is not available by means of public transportation. Nevertheless, if you do not have a cars and truck, it deserves coming by the Austin Visitor Center to check any offered trips.
28. Stop by the Cathedral of Scrap
You have actually most likely seen a great deal of cathedrals in your time. A cathedral made from scrap? Most likely not.
The Cathedral of Scrap is built from over sixty lots of undesirable products– consisting of furnishings, tennis rackets, tires, and even class skeletons.
The cathedral is an extremely eccentric art sculpture and is independently owned. To go to, schedule a visit (512-299-7413), as the sculpture remains in the owner’s yard.
Important Info
A Peek at Austin …
To assist you show up prepared in Austin, it is a great concept to comprehend how the city is set out. In this manner, you can prepare a schedule that makes good sense geographically and logistically! So, let’s have a look at the very best locations within the city limitations.
Downtown Austin
Downtown Austin is cool. The district embodies modern Austin, with live music locations, hip stores, and lots of cultural tourist attractions. Downtown Austin is hectic and finest matched to those who desire a hectic environment.
Secret streets to bear in mind are Rainey Street and Sixth Street. Rainey Street is where to consume, with rows of cottages transformed to hospitality locations. Sixth Street is a night life hotspot, with bars, speakeasies, and roof celebrations galore.
Central Austin
Central Austin has a friendly environment thanks to being house to the University of Texas school.
The location has an everything-you-need design, common of trainee locations and town hall. As a traveler, you can go to different museums on school, see live music, or simply delight in the popular dining establishments and coffee shops.
If you like to be in the town hall and simply get on the city from many tourist attractions, the Central area is for you.
South Austin
On the other hand, South Austin feels more rural. You’ll fulfill more Austin locals here, as the location is property instead of targeted at trainees or travelers.
The very best street to go to is South Congress Opportunity, while South Lamar is an area worth coming by.
South Congress Opportunity is where you’ll discover a well-known Austin mural– a cursive message in red reading ‘I enjoy you a lot’. It is likewise the location to choose shopping requirements, and if you wish to acquire a set of cowboy boots, Allen’s Boots is the area.
South Lamar is an economical and really safe location in Austin, Texas. If you are trying to find a fairly priced meal or an art piece, ensure to go to the area of South Lamar.
East Austin
Those that discover downtown Austin stylish however not rather eccentric enough ought to head to east Austin.
The location is under fast gentrification and advancement– suggesting it still has that interesting, fresh-faced appeal. East Austin is extensively understood for its street art, restaurants promoting sustainable living, and green area.
You might be relaxing by Girl Bird Lake by early morning, taking a street art trip by afternoon, and dining in stylish locations like Cesar Chavez by night.
Now that you have actually begun to develop a schedule of things to do in Austin, these are some additional things for you to think about.
How to Get to Austin, Texas?
Getting to Austin is simple, and the city is well-connected by roadways and flight courses.
The quickest method to get to Austin is to fly into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which links Austin with both the remainder of the United States and the rest of the world.
Navigating Austin
Austin has exceptional public transport within the city limitations. When taking a trip in between areas and tourist attractions, you can utilize the buses or light rail system without counting on a cars and truck.
Nevertheless, when going to tourist attractions outside the city limitations, be gotten ready for restricted or non-existent public transportation.
If you have remote locations you wish to go to in the Texas Hill Nation, we suggest leasing a cars and truck or reserving a trip.
When is the very best Time to Go To Austin?
When evaluating based upon temperature level, March to May and September to October are the very best months to go to Austin. You can anticipate warm weather condition without needing to compete with mugginess and humidity.
Nevertheless, these months are the peak seasons for going to Austin. If you wish to conserve some cash, think about reserving for the shoulder seasons– particularly February and November, when the temperature levels are still fairly cool.
Where to Remain In Austin?
BudgetHostels are excellent for spending plans, so book into the Firehouse Hostel if you are comfy in a dorm room room.The hostel lies in the middle of Downtown Austin– best for simple access to city attractions.Mid-Range Sentral East Austin 1610 is a terrific mid-range lodging option. You have high-ends like a gym and a stylish area however will likewise conserve cash by having complete usage of a kitchen.LuxuryReserve a space at the Fairmont Austin Gold Experience for high-end in Austin. A Luxury hotel with a 7th-floor balcony swimming pool and 5 various on-site dining establishments, the Fairmont makes certain to tick all your boxes.
Austin is a remarkable intro to Texas. The city can keep you amused for a weekend or a week, throughout the year.
Obviously, do not simply drop in Austin! Head North to sign up with Path 66, East to the coast, or West for desert State Parks– Texas is a state that requires checking out.