The 11-acre Waterloo Park near the Capitol Building is one of Austin’s newest greenspaces and part of a larger on-going project extending to Lady Bird Lake.
The capital of Texas has been my home base since December 2013. It is a mixture of all the things I love about the South (biscuits, grits, the word “y’all,” and barbecue), merged with the things I loved about California (fitness-focused outdoor culture and the ability to recycle everything easily) sprinkled with a little LA-style traffic and no state income tax.
It is literally my job to write and photograph many of the coolest spots in my current hometown and the great state of Texas. If you’re heading to Austin for SXSW, ACL or a football game, here’s my list of all the best things to do in Austin, Texas categorized by topic for easy scrolling! Of course, I’ve also written about the where to eat in Austin and the best hotels organized by neighborhood!
In this Post
1. Paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake
2. Swim at Barton Springs Pool
3. Tour the Texas State Capitol
4. Hike the Barton Creek Greenbelt
5. Play a Round at Peter Pan Mini Golf
8. Attend an Austin City Limits Taping
9. Stroll Through Austin’s Parks
10. Visit Austin’s Central Library
12. Take Advantage of Free Museum Days
13. Tour Austin’s Art Gallery Scene
14-19. The Best Day Trips from Austin
1. Paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake
The ever-changing Austin skyline photographed from the Lamar pedestrian bridge
Lady Bird Lake is the heart of the city and one of the best places to enjoy the city skyline. There are several boat rental places on the lake, so choose the one closest to you. I like Zilker Park Boat Rentals, which is located adjacent to Barton Springs Pool. They offer buy-one-get-one coupons on weekdays! You can also rent kayaks and canoes. The 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail around the lake is great for running, walking and biking. (I run a five-mile section every week.)
2. Swim at Barton Springs Pool
Barton Springs Pool is open year-round from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. except Thursdays when it’s open only in the morning and evening.
This spring-fed pool is another local favorite tucked in Zilker Park. The water is 68-70 degrees year-round and a great way to cool off on sizzling summer days. Another option is the 100-year-old Deep Eddy Pool, the oldest swimming pool in Texas.
3. Tour the Texas State Capitol
The interior dome of the Texas State Capitol Building
The Texas State Capitol building is an icon of the Austin skyline. The stunning four-block complex is taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Free guided and self-guided tours are available daily. Don’t miss the interior dome with an eight-foot-wide star and the view from 15th Street of the glass-roofed extension.
4. Hike the Barton Creek Greenbelt
The Barton Creek Greenbelt is one of the best places to go for a hike or a swim.
The Barton Creek Greenbelt is a hiking and biking trail that covers 12.86 miles with multiple access points. It’s one of the most popular spots for taking a dip in the summer months. (Twin Falls is one of my favorite spots for a swim.) Hiking the entire trail one way takes roughly three hours and can be broken into sections.
5. Play a Round at Peter Pan Mini Golf
Peter Pan Mini Golf is an Austin icon that’s managed to survive despite an uncertain future due to lease uncertainty.
You can’t miss the giant green T.rex statue at Peter Pan Mini-Golf overlooking the corner of Barton Springs and South Lamar. This colorful putt-putt spot opened in 1948 and has two courses with colorful statues of Austin landmarks and Peter Pan characters. The courses are challenging but fun. And the best part about the course is that it’s BYOB – no glass containers.
6. Play Chicken Shit Bingo
Sundays are for Chicken Shit Bingo. The Little Longhorn Saloon, a tiny hole-in-the-wall honky-tonk off Burnet Road, has been hosting the event for over 40 years. To play bingo, you buy a ticket and hope the chicken literally poops on your ticket number. There’s always live music and cold beer.
7. Watch the Bats
Crowds gather every night along the Congress Avenue Bridge to watch the bats spiral into the sky.
The world’s largest urban bat colony lives under Congress Avenue Bridge. From mid-March to November, the bats spiral into the sky every night for a spectacular show. Check here to find the best time to see the bats nightly. For the best photos, watch the bats from the Statesman Bat Observation Center adjacent to the Congress Avenue Bridge.
8. Attend an Austin City Limits Taping
Want to be in the audience for a taping of the Austin City Limits TV show? All tickets are distributed through a free online lottery. If you don’t win, you can also wait in line to see if there are extra tickets available on the day of the show. The lottery opens usually a week before tapings, and winners are announced roughly two days before. For details about upcoming tapings, visit https://acltv.com/upcoming-tapings.
9. Stroll Through Austin’s Parks
Pease Park’s new suspended treehouse (left) and troll statue (right), Malin, by Danish artist Thomas Dambo are part of the space’s ongoing renovation projects.
The City of Austin is home to 512 parks, according to the Trust for Public Land. The 351-acre Zilker Park is the most famous and the hub for large events and festivals. It’s also home to Barton Springs and a great spot for paddleboarding. While it’s worth exploring, don’t miss out on some of the smaller but equally amazing outdoor spaces.
The new downtown ADA-accessible Waterloo Park has unparalleled views of the skyline and the Capitol Building. The 11-acre park, home to a 5,000-seat Moody Amphitheater, is part of a larger Waterloo Greenway Project connecting 15th Street to Lady Bird Lake.
Pease Park, an 84-acre green space along the banks of Shoal Creek, is famous for its photogenic treehouse, 40-foot circular observation pod suspended in the air, and giant wooden troll sculpture by Danish artist Thomas Dambo.
Other favorites include Mayfield Park and Preserve, a 23-acre nature area with a historic cottage and two gardens filled with peacocks. It’s walking distance from The Contemporary Austin’s Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria, which is a stunning outdoor space. Nearby, Mount Bonnell, a ridge-line peak overlooking the Colorado River, is great for sunset.
10. Visit Austin’s Central Library
Austin’s Central Library building and grounds showcase a variety of temporary and permanent artwork, including Christian Moelle’s CAW, a red 37-foot-tall kinetic sculpture.
Austin’s new downtown Central Library is one of the coolest buildings in town! The state-of-the-art facility feels like a swanky boutique hotel combined with an upscale mall with sweeping skyline views. Highlights include the rooftop butterfly garden, second-floor art gallery with rotating exhibits and a technology petting zoo featuring the latest gadgets. There’s WIFI, free computers to check out, and free “shared learning” rooms that offer video conferencing capabilities for meetings and workshops.
11. Listen to Live Music
A night view of the Paramount Theater, a historic movie theater listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Austin lives up to its reputation as the Live Music Capital. Start a visit to Austin at the “grandaddy” of live music venues, The Continental Club is one of the oldest in town, dating back to 1955. The Broken Spoke is another legend—a proper honky tonk that offers two-step lessons.
Mohawk has been one of my favorites since my first trip to Austin in 2007. The multi-level bar has both an indoor and outdoor stage. The Paramount Theater, a 1915 movie theater, is one of my favorite places to photograph live shows.
Other options include Antone’s (old school blues downtown), Hole in the Wall (campus dive bar), Donn’s Depot (dive bar in old train depot), The Parish (sweet Sixth Street spot), Scoot Inn (Eastside outdoor venue recently bought by C3), and Elephant Room (jazz and cocktails).
12. Take Advantage of Free Museum Days
You can’t miss the giant star outside the Bullock Museum.
The Bullock Museum focuses on the history of Texas and offers free admission on the first Sunday of every month. If it’s your first visit to Texas, this is a great place to start your trip. The Blanton Museum of Art, located on the UT campus, offers free admission on Tuesdays. The museum hosts a series of visiting and rotating art exhibitions sourced from its vast 21,000-piece collection.
13. Tour Austin’s Art Gallery Scene
Austin is filled with cutting-edge galleries and large public art pieces like the 10-floor high, Tau Ceti mural by Josef Kristofoletti on the corner of East Second Street and Brazos Street.
Austin’s art scene is not to be missed, from street art to top-notch galleries. Start your art tour at Canopy Austin, a former East Austin Goodwill warehouse that’s been transformed into 89 galleries, studios and offices, including ICOSA, an artist-run cooperative gallery. My downtown favorites include McLennon Pen Co., a contemporary arts space on West Fifth Street named after founder Jill McLennon’s grandfather’s Chicago luxury pen shop, and West Chelsea Contemporary, specializing in museum-quality exhibitions. The Creek Show is one of my favorite annual outdoor public art shows—it’s located on Waller Creek and happens every fall, usually in November.
14-19. The Best Day Trips from Austin
Book ahead to tour the nature trails at Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center outside of Austin.
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Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center is one of the Hill Country’s hidden secrets, located 30 miles from Austin! This stunning nature preserve features a photogenic grotto with a 40-foot waterfall and nature trails. Reservations are required.
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Barbecue lovers should flock to the tiny town of Lockhart, the “Barbecue Capital of Texas,” which is home to four iconic barbecue restaurants, including Blacks Barbecue, the oldest family-owned barbecue restaurant in the state. It’s 45 minutes Southeast of Austin. (In my opinion, Black’s has the best brisket and sides, while Smitty’s Market has great sausage!)
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Head to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area to climb the giant Uluru-style pink granite rock rising from the ground and explore 11 miles of hiking trails. Camping is available.
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Pedernales Falls State Park is by far my favorite state park near Austin. The 5,212-acre park is located 30 miles from town along the Pedernales River and features a stunning set of short waterfalls, a swimming area, hiking and horse-riding trails. Camping is available.
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Stunning Hamilton Pool Preserve, a box canyon with a 50-foot waterfall, is a great place for a swim. The pool was formed when a grotto collapsed. Reservations are required. Due to bacteria levels, it is sometimes closed for swimming.
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Other great swimming spots include Krause Springs and the Blue Lagoon in Wimberley.
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If you love antiques and wine, head to Fredericksburg, a former German settlement known for the annual Oktoberfest celebrations.
