55 Best Sights in Austin, Texas

This 12-mile series of hike-and-bike trails follows the contour of Barton Creek and the canyon it created west along an 8-mile-long area from Zilker Park to west of Loop 360. The popular Greenbelt features even more sought-after swimming holes when the creek is full (very rain-dependent, it's usually in spring and fall). Several access points will get you on the riverside trails, including at Zilker Park, Loop 360, Twin Falls, Scottish Woods Trail Falls (near the intersection of MoPac and Loop 360), and Scottish Woods Trail (at the trail's northern border, off Loop 360).

No visit to Austin is complete without a ceremonial dip in the sacred waters of Barton Springs. The hallowed crown jewel of the Zilker Park area, this historic spring-fed pool maintains a constant 68° temperature year-round, and the chilly waters attract hordes of people from all walks of life. It's an idyllic paradise for free-spirited people-watching and unique experiences, like the nightly and full-moon (when revelers howl at the moon in unison) free swims and the annual Polar Bear Plunge held on New Year's Day. Weather can affect operating hours throughout the season, so be sure to check their website in advance.

One of the largest university art museums in the United States, with 200,000 square feet that includes two buildings and the adjacent Ellsworth Kelly Austin installation, the Blanton is the city's de facto art collection. There are more than 19,000 various works on display (from ancient Greek pottery to abstract expressionism) and a year-round schedule of incredible traveling exhibitions. As part of an ongoing "New Grounds" initiative, the Blanton campus (featuring outdoor and indoor event spaces, classrooms, a museum shop, and a café) will soon include additional public art installations, such as a massive mural by Cuban-American artist Carmen Herrera that will span both sides of the entrance. Admission is free on Thursday.

The 38th lieutenant governor of Texas, Bob Bullock—a potent political force in his day—lobbied hard to establish a museum of state history during his years of public service. Bullock didn't live to see it happen—he died in 1999—but his dream came true in 2001 with the opening of this fascinating museum just a few blocks north of the Capitol. Now, over 9 million visitors from around the world have toured the museum's 34,000 square feet of exhibit space that showcases "The Story of Texas." See exhibitions of archaeological objects, historical documents, and touring shows from regional museums throughout the state. You can also check out educational and family-friendly programs, or get tickets to a show at the 400-seat IMAX theater.

This stunning architectural site and museum is just off of the Hike and Bike Trail, overlooking Lady Bird Lake. Dedicated to celebrating notable Latino artists and empowering a new generation of Mexican-Americans, the museum has a phenomenal education department and offers popular youth and family programs. While there is no permanent collection on display, you’ll find traveling exhibits. Various live performances and community events, from flamenco recitals to Día de los Muertos celebrations, are also hosted here.

This 744-acre state park is 13 miles southeast of downtown Austin. Per the name, the park has two waterfalls (visitors should exercise extreme caution near the water, as people have drowned here). You can hike or bike nearly 9 miles of trails, including the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail (2.8 miles), with its paved, hard surface that's good for strollers and road bikes. The Rock Shelter Trail (only for hikers) leads to where early visitors camped. Other popular activities in the park are fishing, picnicking, camping, and wildlife-viewing (including bird-watching and sightings of white-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, and armadillos).

This sleek modern-day art gallery celebrates everything that rocks—both in terms of beautiful geologic finds and of some of the world's most iconic rock and roll performers, who are featured in the gallery of fine art photography. The marriage of the two is truly a sight to behold. While walking the whitewashed halls of this contemporary domain, you'll see beautiful displays of geodes, crystals, minerals, and other forms of natural history as well as never-before-seen images of the likes of Miles Davis, David Bowie, Paul Simon, and Austin's own son, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Rising to a height of 785 feet, Mount Bonnell offers the best views of Austin from its location several miles northwest of the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Stop by during the day for a glimpse of the sweeping panorama of rolling hills, the Colorado River and the 360 Bridge, and the downtown skyline in the distance. It's a short but steep climb up from a parking area near the road (more of a diversion than a serious hike); at the top, you'll find first dates, nature photographers, families, picnickers, and just plain old tourists here.

Built in 1888 of Texas pink granite, this impressive structure is even taller than the U.S. Capitol (yes, everything is bigger in Texas). The building dominates downtown Austin, and the surrounding grounds are nearly as striking. Stand in the center of the star on the ground floor under the rotunda and look up, up, up into the dome—it's a Texas rite of passage. Catch one of the free historical tours, offered 9:30–4 on weekdays and 12:30–4 on weekends. You can also go on a self-guided tour of the building and its grounds.

Austin is home to the largest urban bat population in the world, with as many as 1.5 million of them taking up residence in the capital city every year. Every night starting in late March and continuing through fall, locals and visitors congregate all along (and underneath) Congress Avenue to watch the Mexican free-tailed bats take flight from under the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge into the air for their nightly feeding ritual. While you’re waiting for the bats, make sure not to miss the view to the west as the sun drops below the jagged skyline. Paid parking is available on-site at the Austin American-Statesman parking lot. 

Originally known as the Austin Museum of Art, the Contemporary Austin's Jones Center is a striking downtown presence that features a wide array of contemporary art exhibits and hosts various special events that are open to the public, including "rooftop sessions" featuring outdoor film screenings as well as live musical and artistic performances. Advance reservations are recommended. Their sister site Laguna Gloria, in nearby west Austin, is also worth visiting for the outdoor sculpture gardens and overall ambience. 

Set on a lush Lake Austin peninsula, this 1915 Mediterranean-style villa was once home to Clara Driscoll, who led the fight to save the Alamo from demolition in the early 20th century. In this lovely environment, the villa is surrounded by impressively kept grounds (which include lakeside walking trails) and a stunning collection of outdoor sculptures and rotating exhibits of world-renowned artists. An art school shares the idyllic setting of this building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and there's now a gift shop and on-site café, Spread & Co., that help elongate an afternoon visit to this scenic spot. Advance ticket reservations are currently required in advance.

Many local legends attach themselves to Austin's most famous tree. At least 500 years old, the live oak tree on Baylor Street (between 5th and 6th Streets) is the last survivor of a sacred group of trees known as the Council Oaks, used in ceremonies and meetings by Native American tribes. The tree's name derives from a legend that Stephen F. Austin negotiated the first boundary agreement between local tribes and settlers underneath its branches. In 1989, a disturbed individual attempted to poison the tree with a powerful herbicide and was later apprehended. Intensive efforts to save the tree were successful, although nearly two-thirds of the Treaty Oak died and it is now a shadow of its former self. Still, it's well worth a visit to pay your respects to this venerable survivor.

The centerpiece of the University of Texas campus is a living piece of Austin history. Still functioning as a university administration office, the 27-floor tower (which shines with bright-white and burnt-orange lights on special occasions and game days) houses rich regional and national experience from the 1930s on. Self-guided tours (complete with 360-degree views of the campus and city from the observation deck) are available, but advance reservations are required.  

Across from Zilker Park, this botanical garden has more than 28 acres of horticultural delights, including butterfly trails, bonsai and Japanese gardens, and xeriscape gardens with native plants that thrive in an arid southwestern climate. It's a lovely urban oasis that is best enjoyed outside the peak of Texas summer heat. There are also various family-friendly programs and hands-on learning opportunities here, as well as a lively seasonal calendar of special events and festivals.

The former site of temporary Franciscan missions in the 1700s and a former Native American gathering place is now Austin's everyday backyard park. The enormous 351-acre site that sprawls along the shores of Lady Bird Lake includes Barton Springs Pool, numerous gardens, a meditation trail, and a Swedish log cabin dating from the 1840s. In the spring, the park hosts a kite festival as well as concerts in the park's Zilker Hillside Theater, a natural outdoor amphitheater beneath a grove of century-old pecan trees; in July and August, musicals and plays take over. And, of course, the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival rules here every year in October. 

Depending on when you visit this lush green park, you’ll have a totally different experience. If you manage to make it here for a concert, the venue has one of the finest views of the city skyline as a stage backdrop—during a festival like SXSW, it's easy to see why Austin’s the Live Music Capital of the World. Free concerts can get packed, so if you’re there for the music, make sure to arrive early. On any random day of the week, however, you’ll find that the open green space is the perfect place to stretch out and read a book, catch a pick-up game of frisbee, or snap a photo of the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial statue along the hike-and-bike trail.

The home of municipal government since 2004 and the anchor of the Second Street District, City Hall is a striking modern showcase of the New Austin, loaded with energy-saving features like solar panels and decorated with modern art. The People's Gallery, for instance, is a public art exhibit that showcases local artists year-round, free of charge (weekdays). The angular, four-story limestone-and-concrete building is clad in 66,000 square feet of copper. A cascading 40-foot waterfall flows inside and back to Lady Bird Lake just across the street, and bands play on the outdoor amphitheater and plaza during free Friday concerts in the spring and fall. Tours are available by appointment.

Next door to the O. Henry Museum and the Susanna Dickinson Museum, this hidden gem is housed in Central Fire Station No. 1, Austin’s busiest firehouse. The small museum has a collection of items from the “horse-drawn era" of 19th-century firefighting—leather fire helmets, brass firefighting nozzles, and bugles—as well as various other pieces of equipment that date through today. Displays cover specific incidents, local firefighting companies, Austin fire stations, and historic photographs, and are available to view on weekend afternoons or weekdays by appointment. 

Part of the Austin Public Library system (and located in the beautiful and historic Central Library building), this is the central repository of all historical documents relating to Austin and Travis County. It contains a host of items, including over a million photographic images, from a priceless collection of all things relating to Austin, with regular exhibitions showcasing aspects of local history. Reservations for research are strongly recommended. 

Adjacent to Zilker Botanical Garden on the western edge of Zilker Park, this complex has an 80-acre preserve trail, interactive exhibits in the Discovery Lab that teach about the ecology of the Austin area, and animal exhibits focusing on subjects such as bees, birds of prey, and native wildlife. Parking is available under the Mopac Bridge.

A number of high-style Victorian homes built between the 1850s and 1910 fill this area just a few blocks from the State Capitol. They were once owned by wealthy Austinites, including several members of the Bremond family of merchants and bankers. The homes are not open to the public but inquire at the Austin Visitor Center about self-guided walking tours.

Named in honor of former governor Dolph Briscoe, the Briscoe Center at the University of Texas is a go-to scholarly resource for 750,000-plus photographs, thousands of archival documents, hundreds of handmade quilts, and over 50,000 music recordings. The staff are expert researchers who sift through these artifacts to chronicle a fascinating stockpile of American and Texas history. While much of the center functions as a research facility (available by reservation only), frequently changing exhibits of items from the collections are open to the public on weekdays.

Most of Austin moves at a relaxed pace, but here, just a few miles outside the city limits, things speed up considerably. Circuit of The Americas was primarily built for Formula One Grand Prix racing—currently the only such facility in the United States—and when the F1 Grand Prix stops in the Lone Star State as part of a 19-country worldwide tour, 500 million pairs of eyes are on Austin. A wide range of other motor-racing events also take place here, and the grounds have hosted ESPN’s X-Games. The on-site 14,000-capacity amphitheater is a venue for countless big-name music acts, from Taylor Swift to the Rolling Stones.

Longhorns bleed burnt orange and nowhere is that more evident than at a game at Darrell K. Royal—Texas Memorial Stadium. Originally constructed in 1924, the stadium was renamed after the famed football coach in 1996. Today, it stands as a large reminder of his legacy. Catch a game or tailgate party, and make sure to look ahead: sometimes there are special exhibits in the end zone. The stadium does offer tours, but you'll have to check the website to see when the next one will be held.

The oldest swimming pool in Texas (1915), this man-made, spring-fed swimming hole just off Lake Austin Boulevard was the centerpiece of an early-20th-century resort and was purchased and restored by the Works Progress Administration in the mid-1930s. In recent years, Friends of Deep Eddy, a volunteer community group, led a successful effort to fully restore the long-closed 1936 bathhouse. Today it remains a beloved local institution for all ages and walks of life.

Though most people think Austin’s sports teams only wear burnt orange, a little ways north, the colors are all red, white, and blue. Dell Diamond is home to the Round Rock Express, a minor league baseball team that feeds into the Texas Rangers. And while it’s fun to catch a game under the wide-open sky and bright lights, the stadium itself is worth the trip alone. The state-of-the-art facilities have everything you’d expect—huge jumbotrons and a pool-party area sit behind the outfield—and some things that you might not, like a rock-climbing wall and bungee trampoline. Tours are held year round every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:30, 10, and 10:30, and also while the team is on the road during the summer.

The 19th century lives on at this delightfully eccentric museum, where German Romanticism meets the Texas frontier. The historic home and studio of sculptor Elisabet Ney is a lovely gem in the Hyde Park neighborhood that showcases Ney's life and work, with more than 70 sculptures on display. Ney's studio, where she produced sculptures of historic figures, like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, is set up as she knew it, with sculpting tools, hat, teacup, and other items all in their proper places. The castle-like home is surrounded by native prairie grasses and more outdoor sculptures. Family-friendly art classes and special events are also hosted throughout the year. 

Abner Cook, a leading architect of his day, designed this mansion, one of Austin's most elegant dwellings. Since 1865, this building has been the home of every Texas governor since the state's fifth, Elisha Marshall Pease. Constructed of bricks made in Austin and wood from nearby forests, the two-story National Historic Landmark bears the marks of those who have lived here, including James Hogg, the governor who, to keep his children from sliding down the banister on their rears, hammered tacks into the railing (the tack holes are still visible). Many fine furnishings, paintings, and antiques are on display, including Sam Houston's bed and Stephen F. Austin's desk. Free 20-minute tours are available if you reserve in advance.

Part of the University of Texas, the Ransom Center is one of the world's greatest collectors and exhibitors of important literary papers and other artifacts related to the arts and humanities. Among its fantastic riches are the papers of Norman Mailer, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Arthur Miller; Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate research materials; more than 10,000 film, television, and radio scripts; more than 10,000 film posters; and one million rare books, including an original Gutenberg Bible. Traveling exhibitions bring artifacts from classic masterpieces like Gone With the Wind and artist Frida Kahlo's "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird" to the space. 

Many documents can only be seen with advance notice, so call ahead if you have a specific item in mind.