THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

Texas State Capitol

Address:  Congress and 11th Streets

Phone:  (512) 463-0063

Hours:  Mon-Fri 8:30 am to 4:30 pm; Sat 9:30 am to 3:30 pm; Sun 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm

https://tspb.texas.gov/plan/tours/tours.html

Things are big in Texas - and the State Capitol is no exception. Fifteen feet taller than its equivalent in Washington DC and built from imposing red granite, this Renaissance Revival landmark is impossible to miss. Set in over 22 acres of beautifully landscaped and immaculately kept lawns, it’s a great place to just wonder around on the beautiful terrazzo floors and gaze up at the star-crested rotunda. However, for a deeper understanding of the place join one of the many official tours on offer, from a basic half-hour introduction to specialized theme tours such as ‘Heroes of the Texas Revolution’ or ‘Women in Texas History’.

LBJ Library

Address:  2313 Red River Street, Austin

Phone:  (512) 721-0200

http://www.lbjlibrary.org/footer/plan-your-visit/hours-admission

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, also known as the LBJ Presidential Library, is the presidential library and museum of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th President of the United States. It is one of fourteen presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and located on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. PLAN YOUR VISIT The library is open daily (except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day), 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors 62 and older, $5 for former military, $3 for youth 13-18, and $3 for non-UT Austin college/university students with valid ID. Free admission is given to children 12 and under.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Address:  4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin TX

Phone:  (512) 232-0100

Hours:  9:00 am to 5:00 pm

https://www.wildflower.org/

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin is the state botanical garden and arboretum of Texas. The center features more than 900 species of native Texas plants in both garden and natural settings and is home to a breadth of educational programs and events.

Cathedral of Junk

Address: 4422-4424 Lareina Dr, Austin

Phone: (512) 299-7413

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cathedral-junk

The Cathedral of Junk is just what it sounds like: a bunch of junk built into the shape of a cathedral. It was started in 1988 by Vince Hannemann and has grown over the years through donations from people around both the city and the world. Nowadays, it contains over 60 tons of junk

Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge Bats

Address:  Congress Avenue

http://www.batcon.org/index.php/our-work/regions/usa-canada/protect-mega-populations/cab-intro

Austin has a population of 1.3 million people—and 1.5 million bats. The majority of the latter (and occasionally a few of the former) sleep under Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge and come swarming out to spectacular effect at sunset (there’s even a Bat Fest in August, where live bands play as the bats take flight). Bat-viewing tours are extremely popular, and the best ones are on the water since it’s hard to see as clearly when looking down from the bridge. Plus, it’s a great way to enjoy the Austin city lights from afar. Your best vantage point is either from the comfort of a motorboat chugging toward the bridge or—for those after a more intimate (and energetic) experience—from kayaks or stand-up paddle boards. 

Austin Toy Museum

Address:  314 1/2 Congress Avenue, Austin

Phone:  (512) 220-9582

Hours:  Mon-Sat 11:00 am to 7:00 pm; Sun 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm

https://austintoymuseum.org/

The Austin Toy Museum collection primarily features toys and figurines from the golden age of the '80s and is comprised of over 20,000 pieces. The toys range all the way back to the early 1900s. The museum houses many rare and unique items including prototypes of action figures acquired directly from some of the people who used to work in these great toy companies.  Exhibits include action figures, dolls, merchandise, arcade games, comic books and over 50 video game systems all the way back to the first home console unit.

Museum of the Weird

Address:  412 East 6th Street, Austin

Phone:  (512) 416-5493

Hours:  10:00 am to Midnight

https://www.museumoftheweird.com/

The Museum of the Weird is one of the last true dime museums in the United States.  Originally introduced to the mass public by P.T. Barnum in the 1800s, dime museums became popular forms of entertainment (and pseudo-education) around the late 19th to early 20th century, and were also the birthplace of the sideshow.  The Museum of the Weird includes such curiosities as you might have found in one of those old dime museums — authentic freak animals, real mummies, fiji mermaids, shrunken heads, and life-size wax figures of historic sideshow celebrities (including Barnum himself). These are just some of the many more oddities to peruse in our hallowed halls. The Museum also explores paranormal subject matter like local haunted places and the Texas Bigfoot.  We even have a classic movie monster Chamber of Horrors, including a life-sized King Kong you can have your photo taken with!

Neill-Cochran House Museum

Address:  2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin

Phone:  (512) 478-2335

Hours:  Wed - Sun 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

http://www.nchmuseum.org/

The Neill–Cochran House Museum is a historic home in north-central Austin, Texas. Master builder Abner Cook designed and built the house in 1855 as a suburban estate many years before the surrounding area was settled by other homes and businesses.

Texas Music Museum

Address:  1009 E. 11th Street, Austin

Phone:  (512) 203-4875

Hours:  Weekdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

http://www.texasmusicmuseum.org/

The Texas Music Museum collects and preserves artifacts, documents and reference material surrounding the diverse traditions of Texas music, and utilizes these collections in the presentation of exhibits, educational programs, and performances.  

Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata (Collection of Eclectic Holdings)

Address:  1808 Singleton Avenue, Austin

Phone:  (512) 289-9517

http://www.mnae.org/

Located in east Austin, we are one of the few remaining in-home, family-run museums in America. Our mission is to preserve endangered modes of collection, offer a venue where the public can share objects and their stories, and contemplate diverse processes of collecting. Curated and hosted by husband and wife, Scott and Jen Webel, the Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata is a knowing yet earnest homage to the dime museums and crowd-pleasing sideshows of P. T. Barnum, from an era when popular culture was being formed in the streets and boardwalks of an industrializing age.

Bullock Texas State History Museum

Address:  1800 Congress Avenue, Austin

Phone:  (512) 936-4649

Hours:  Mon - Sat: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Sun:  Noon to 5:00 pm

https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit/plan-your-visit#hours

From the Kennedy Assassination to the Alamo, Texas has a past that's rich in both incident and influence. Previously its own country (yep, in 1936 until 1845, it was the Republic of Texas), there's much more to the Lone Star State than first meets the eye. At the Bullock Museum, you'll find over four centuries of Texan history, with an abundance of artifacts on display in the exhibits, including an impressively renovated shipwreck, uncovering the past has never been so easy. Whether you're intrigued by tales of the Bush family, space exploration or trials of the Buffalo soldiers, this is one of the best museums in Austin. Plus, some of the exhibits are interactive, meaning it's fun for the littl'uns, too. 

Blanton Museum of Art

Address: 200 East Martin Luther King Blvd., Austin

Phone:  (512) 471-5482

Hours:  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

https://blantonmuseum.org/

The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin is one of the foremost university art museums in the country, and has the largest and most comprehensive collection of art in Central Texas. The Blanton’s permanent collection of more than 17,000 works is recognized for its European paintings, an encyclopedic collection of prints and drawings, and modern and contemporary American and Latin American art.  As the primary art collection for the city of Austin, the Blanton Museum of Art is a major resource for the community. The Blanton showcases art from across the ages, from ancient Greek pottery to abstract expressionism. With a year-round schedule of traveling exhibitions, art lovers are sure to discover new and old favorites at the Blanton.

Mexic-Arte Museum

Address:  419 Congress Avenue

Phone:  (512) 480-9373

Hours:  Mon-Thurs 10:00 am to- 6:00 pm; Fri-Sat 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Sun Noon to 5:00 pm

http://www.mexic-artemuseum.org/

Mexic-Arte Museum is dedicated to cultural enrichment and education through the collection, preservation and presentation of traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latino, and Latin American art and culture to promote dialogue and develop understanding for visitors of all ages.

Zilker Park

Address:  2100 Barker Springs Road

As the home of the annual ACL Music Festival, the Trail of Lights, summertime’s free Blues on the Green concert series, plus dozens of other outdoor activities, Zilker Park—just south of downtown—is an ATX institution. Pretty much year-round, you can explore the sprawling playground, stroll through the stunning Umlauf Sculpture and Zilker Botanical gardens, rent a canoe or kayak the tranquil waterways (including Lady Bird Lake). And don’t miss out on a cool-off at Barton Springs Pool during the hotter months (and let’s be real: that’s pretty much every month in Austin). One of our favorite activities? Posting up with a blanket, some Topo Chico and plenty of snacks for a picnic in the park. 

Lady Bird Lake, owned and operated by the City of Austin and the Lower Colorado River Authority, stretches 416 acres in downtown Austin, TX. The lake's primary purpose is to serve as a reservoir for flood control, however Lady Bird Lake also serves as the best place in Austin to kayak, canoe and stand up paddle board. The lake is a popular stop for recreation and is directly connected to many of the things considered 'must-do's in Austin, TX. The Lady Bird Hike and Bike Trail is the best place in town to walk, jog, run or bike.  

Texas Governor's Mansion

Address:  1010 Colorado Street, Austin

Phone:  (512) 305-8524 for reservations that must be made in advance

Hours:  Wed - Fri 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

The Texas Governor's Mansion, is a historic home for the Governor of Texas in downtown Austin, Texas. It was built in 1854, designed by prominent architect Abner Cook, and has been the home of every governor since 1856. Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Phalen Abbott are the 40th family to live in the Texas Governor's Mansion and Abbott is the 41st governor to live in the mansion full-time.  The Mansion which is the most historic house in Texas, sits on a beautifully landscaped city block in Austin near the Capitol building. Built in 1856, it is the oldest continuously occupied executive residence west of the Mississippi. The building has been designated a National Historic Landmark.  Ten rooms in the Texas Governor’s Mansion contain the Mansion Collection of fine and decorative arts curated by Friends of the Governor’s Mansion.

Bremond Block Historic District

Location:  ·  Between West Seventh, West Eighth, Guadalupe, and San Antonio streets

Phone:  512-478-0098 or 866-462-8784

Tours:  Sat & Sun 11:00 am. 48 hour reservation required

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/texas/articles/a-visual-tour-of-austins-historic-bremond-block/

The Bremond Block Historic District is a collection of eleven historic homes in downtown Austin, Texas, constructed from the 1850s to 1910.  The Bremond Block  is one of the few remaining upper-class Victorian neighborhoods in Texas. The individual homes have been preserved intact in almost unaltered form.

Austin Aquarium

Address: 13530 US-183 #101, Austin,

Phone: (512) 222-5586

Hours:  10:00 am - 7:00 pm

https://www.austinaquarium.com/

The Austin Aquarium houses a collection of over 8,000 living animals fetched here from the Oregon shores and Indonesian Islands. The aquatic animals are provided with the replicas of their natural habitat in this aquarium. There are 35 exhibits represent the life of aquatic animals. You can feed the sharks, rays, birds, and fish and know about a variety of reptiles kept in the aquarium. The aquarium also hosts various educational programs and tours.

Austin Whiskey Company

Address: 440 East St. Elmo Road, Austin

Phone: (512) 276-2700

Get an exclusive 30 minute behind-the-scenes look at a truly grain-to-glass distillery where we do it all in-house: milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, barreling and bottling! Learn a little about the history and a lot about the craft of whiskey made by hand from local Texas farmers’ grains.

End in our tasting room where you’ll sample a variety of amazing whiskey expressions.