247 Best Sights in Texas, USA

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. 

Meandering through forests of pine and Douglas fir, this trail to an aptly named mountaintop valley is one of the most gorgeous in the park. The strenuous 9.1-mile round-trip has an elevation gain of 2,500 feet and can take up to 10 hours. It's where rangers go when they want to enjoy themselves. Bring lots of water. Difficult.

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.

A treasure trove of Texas and regional history, art, heritage, natural history, and science, the Witte is one of the city's best museums. As you enter, walk through the H-E-B Lantern, where a replica of a giant Quetzalcoatlus overhead ushers visitors into the beginning of their journey into Texas Deep Time. The Kittie West Nelson Ferguson People of the Pecos Gallery spans the entire second floor and focuses on the prehistoric hunter-gatherers of Texas. Other demonstrations include encounters with native Texas animals that make the Witte their home and exhibits on how the People of the Pecos created rock art that has survived thousands of years. The Bolner Family Museum Store has exclusive items inspired by the museum's collections and exhibitions.

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.  

If you’re heading west on Highway 290 to Fredericksburg from Johnson City in the warmer months, you’ll inevitably note a large, expansive spread of land flush with vibrant colors. (You may see less of this color in late fall and winter, but the sweeping fields are still hard to miss.) You’re looking at the largest working wildflower farm in the country. Owner John Thomas created Wildseed Farms in 1983 in an effort to share the Hill Country’s bounty with all who visited. The farm has more than 200 acres under cultivation and produces 88 varieties of wildflower seeds. You can walk the meadows, step into the live butterfly house, and purchase packets of wildflower seeds.

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. 

Along the 2,400-mile stretch of America's first highway, the section that passes through Amarillo is still bustling with more than 100 home-owned businesses in the city's first and only historic district. Take home a piece of history from a selection of 25 antiques stores, shop until you drop at 22 specialty boutiques, choose from 15 locally owned restaurants, browse original art in the galleries, or party through the night at nearly a dozen bars and clubs. Wherever you go, your path will be illuminated by vintage lighting and you'll feel nostalgia oozing from tree-lined cobblestone sidewalks.

For two days in mid-November, the peculiar mix of ranching and artist culture that inhabits Alpine overflows the galleries and seeps into the town's main drag, Holland Avenue. Musicians play at the train depot, barbecue vendors crowd the streets, and local artists display their works in many downtown businesses.

Tucked away on the campus of Amarillo College, this cozy three-floor museum has a generous range of art in its permanent collection, which has evolved only over the past four decades. You'll see 17th- to 19th-century European paintings, as well as works from 20th-century modernists. Designed by the architect for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this museum comprises galleries for photography and a substantial collection of Asian art and Middle Eastern textiles, made possible in part by donations from a local physician. Highlights include four Georgia O'Keeffe paintings.

Whether you like signature architecture, appreciate Western art, or just love horses, you'll enjoy this museum, which showcases stars of the American quarter-horse world. Inside, you'll see enormous bronze sculptures and halls of fame honoring horses and humans who have significantly contributed to the history and legends of the breed. See quarter-horse paintings by midcentury Western artist Orren Mixer, or spend some time learning about the bloodlines and special features of the breed in the interactive educational gallery. Temporary exhibits and special events throughout the year make each visit to the museum unique.

Armstrong-Browning Library. Housing the world's largest collection of books, letters, and manuscripts of Victorian poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, this gem on the Baylor University campus is world-renowned. The facility also contains a substantial collection of primary and secondary materials relating to the Victorian era. It's a working research library but is open for tours (guided tours are available depending on docent availability). It's on the eastern edge of campus.

Spacious galleries inside these white shellcrete walls designed by architect Philip Johnson have beckoned South Texas art lovers and tourists for more than four decades. In 2006, the museum doubled in size, adding gallery space and a café that overlooks the bay and ship channel. The permanent collection comprises more than 1,500 pieces in a variety of mediums, with concentration on works of the Americas, and especially the region contiguous to Texas. In addition to the exhibits, the museum presents classes, lectures, films, and performances to highlight the art and artists of the region and of the Americas. The café courtyard has unobstructed stunning views of the water. Look for a spectacular chandelier by iconic glass artist Dale Chihuly.

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.

The town may be three hours from the nearest commercial airport, but Ballroom Marfa is smack-dab in the middle of the world of contemporary art—visual arts, film, music, and performance. As the name implies, the gallery was converted from a 1927 former dance hall, and it has 4,500 square feet of indoor exhibition space and 6,000 square feet of courtyard. The intellectual impact generated from Ballroom events like Marfa Dialogues has garnered interest from institutions in major cities of the world. This is a heady place with a mission to provide a platform for expressions that may not find a home in more traditional gallery or museum settings.

Affiliated with Big Bend Ranch State Park of Texas, this visitor center offers a self-guided walking tour through a 2½-acre landscaped desert garden. It's a good way to get acquainted with the Trans-Pecos region before adventuring to either the national or state park. Also on the grounds are an interpretive center, a covered picnic area, a bookstore, and a gift shop.

Baylor University. The oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Texas, Baylor University is also the oldest Baptist university in the world. The 450-acre, tree-covered campus features the Bear Habitat, where Baylor's two live North American black bear mascots live; the Martin Museum of Art, which rotates exhibits throughout the year; and a new memorial to the Immortal 10, a group of Baylor students who died when their bus collided with a train in Round Rock while en route to a basketball game in Austin in 1927.

At this popular and diverse arts center, you can enjoy several restaurants and bars and pay a visit to Blue Star Contemporary, the longest running contemporary art venue in San Antonio. The complex also houses individual galleries and art houses. You can bike or run along the river, too. Admission to the complex is free, but individual venues may charge a fee. 

If you need a quick caffeine fix, hit The Daily Grind at the Boerne Grill. It's a relaxed place to read or sip a potent coffee, and the Friday night steak nights at the adjoining Boerne Grill are not to be missed.

If you have a valid passport, you can use this crossing, about 2 miles east of Rio Grande Village, to visit the village of Boquillas del Carmen. Check the park website for current hours, but generally the crossing is open May–October from 9 am to 6 pm, Friday through Monday, and the rest of the year from 8 am to 5 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Once a mining boomtown that fed off rich minerals and silver, Boquillas has shrunk to a small village, but there is a restaurant and bar along with a few shops. U.S. citizens can bring back up to $200 in merchandise duty-free. To get across, you can access a $5 round-trip row boat across the river and a $3 entrance fee to enter the Mexican Protected Area that the village is located in. The remaining ¾-mile to the village can be made on foot, by donkey ($5 round-trip), pickup truck ($5), or horseback ($8).

If you do not return to the border in time, you may be stuck in Mexico for two or three days.

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.

This is a stunning museum that celebrates the art, history, and culture of the American West, located in a beautifully restored 1930s San Antonio Public Library building on the River Walk. The museum is named in honor of the late Texas governor Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife Janey Slaughter Briscoe. Highlights of the collection include a monumental bronze sculpture, John Coleman's Visions of Change, that represents both Native Americans and cowboys. Featured works include those by Frederic Remington, Allan Houser, Martin Grelle, Charles Marion Russell, W. Herbert Dunton, and more. There are 14 galleries on three levels, housing paintings, sculpture, photography, and artifacts reflecting Native American art, Spanish and Mexican colonial-era art, and Western folk art. The beautiful McNutt Sculpture Garden is free and open to the public, with access from the River Walk and an entrance on Market Street.