AUSTIN
Texas,USA
Austin is the state capital of Texas, an inland city bordering the Hill Country region. Home to the University of Texas flagship campus, Austin is known for its eclectic live-music scene centered around country, blues and rock. Its many parks and lakes are popular for hiking, biking, swimming and boating. South of the city, Formula One's Circuit of the Americas raceway has hosted the United States Grand Prix.
Best Time To Visit
In spring, when the azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom, or fall, when the crisp and cool climate and orange-hued trees beckon you outdoors for concerts and festivals.
Atlanta Transportation
Despite its legendary traffic, Atlanta is a city best navigated by car, so rent one or have the number of a car service handy. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is a system of buses and trains that offer access to major attractions and destinations in the city, including the airport. Each ride is $2.50 and there are discounts for multiple rides.
Atlanta Weather
July is on average the hottest month, with an average high of 89°F (32°C). January is the coldest month, with an average high of 52°F (11°C).
Know Before Visiting
Atlanta might be an urban metropolis, but it’s only about 90 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains, so pack some hiking gear and comfortable walking shoes so you can explore the surrounding natural attractions. The city itself also boasts several scenic parks and walking trails. The developing BeltLine (a historic 22-mile railroad corridor that is being transformed into a network of green spaces) is one outdoor jaunt every visitor should experience.
Language
English
Electric
Type A two-prong plug or Type B three-prong plug
Currency
United States Dollar ($)
Visit Austin
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Austin
Completed in 1888, the State Capitol and its 22 acres of grounds and monuments are home to the office of the State Governor and the Chambers of the Texas Legislature. Protected as a National Historic Landmark, the building impresses with its dimensions; at 308 feet tall, it ranks as the sixth tallest state capitol, taller even than the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Visitors can stroll the park via the tree-lined path called the Great Walk and admire the numerous monuments, including the Texas African American History Memorial, the Vietnam War monument, a bronze statue of a Texas Ranger, and even a miniature Statue of Liberty that was presented in 1951 by the Boy Scouts of America. The Visitors Center is located on the grounds and features exhibits about the history of Austin and the state of Texas. Free tours of the Capitol Building are given daily, except holidays. Also of interest is the recently restored Texas Governor's Mansion, accessible via free guided tours (reservations required).
Address: 112 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas
Austin's most popular green space, the 351-acre Zilker Park is a favorite recreation area that sits alongside Lady Bird Lake and offers many things to do. The park's grassy expanses and picnic sites are ideal for lazy afternoons, but there are also many recreational facilities for the public to enjoy, including riverside walking trails, volleyball courts, a disc golf course, and the Zilker Playscape, a large playground with its own section designed for kids aged two to five years. Kids will also love the Zilker Zephyr, a miniature train that runs along the water's edge. Water recreation is popular at the park as well, with canoe and boat rentals available, as well as the family-favorite Barton Springs Pool. The park is also host to several major music events, including the Zilker Hillside Theater's annual Zilker Summer Musical, Blues on the Green, and the celebrated Austin City limits Music Festival.
The 26-acre Zilker Botanical Garden is the park's most beautiful area, open daily for a small entrance fee. Within, there are several individually themed gardens, including the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, which is built around ancient dinosaur footprints found embedded in the rock, and the Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden, which features serene waterfalls and ponds. There are also gardens dedicated to butterflies, cacti and succulents, herbs, and roses.
The Austin Nature and Science Center is also located on the grounds, open daily with no admission charge. It is celebrated for its interactive exhibits and programs, as well as its numerous trails and special events designed for all ages. Kids especially enjoy the Dino Pit, where they can be amateur archaeologists. The park grounds are also home to one of Austin's top tourist attractions, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum.
Address: 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin
Austin's most popular green space, the 351-acre Zilker Park is a favorite recreation area that sits alongside Lady Bird Lake and offers many things to do. The park's grassy expanses and picnic sites are ideal for lazy afternoons, but there are also many recreational facilities for the public to enjoy, including riverside walking trails, volleyball courts, a disc golf course, and the Zilker Playscape, a large playground with its own section designed for kids aged two to five years. Kids will also love the Zilker Zephyr, a miniature train that runs along the water's edge. Water recreation is popular at the park as well, with canoe and boat rentals available, as well as the family-favorite Barton Springs Pool. The park is also host to several major music events, including the Zilker Hillside Theater's annual Zilker Summer Musical, Blues on the Green, and the celebrated Austin City limits Music Festival.
The 26-acre Zilker Botanical Garden is the park's most beautiful area, open daily for a small entrance fee. Within, there are several individually themed gardens, including the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, which is built around ancient dinosaur footprints found embedded in the rock, and the Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden, which features serene waterfalls and ponds. There are also gardens dedicated to butterflies, cacti and succulents, herbs, and roses.
The Austin Nature and Science Center is also located on the grounds, open daily with no admission charge. It is celebrated for its interactive exhibits and programs, as well as its numerous trails and special events designed for all ages. Kids especially enjoy the Dino Pit, where they can be amateur archaeologists. The park grounds are also home to one of Austin's top tourist attractions, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum.
Address: 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin
One of Austin's most unique things to do is enjoy the evening flight of the Mexican free-tailed bats that have made the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge their home. The world's largest urban bat colony, up to one-and-a-half million of these insect-devouring critters take to the sky at dusk each evening from March through November. The result is a stunning display as they fly from beneath the bridge and up to heights of two miles in massive formations so they can dine on mosquitoes, moths, grasshoppers, and other flying pests. It can take up to 45 minutes just for the fuzzy mammals to all exit their home, and once the pups (babies) are old enough, they accompany their mothers on the evening flight. There are many vantage points from which you can enjoy the sight, with the area surrounding the bridge the most popular. Others enjoy watching from boats on Lady Bird Lake or from the Statesman Bat Observation Center, which sits at the southern end of the bridge. In conjunction with Bat Conservation International, the center is an eco-tourism destination, striving to increase awareness of bats and educate the public on their importance.
Location: South Congress Avenue, off West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, Texas
In addition to being the first of the Texas University System campuses, the University of Texas at Austin is home to several top tourist attractions. The Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art has a permanent collection of 17,000 pieces of European, American, and Latin American art. The museum also hosts numerous temporary exhibits. Also on campus is the Harry Ransom Center, which houses a permanent collection of rare literature and printed materials and also has numerous temporary exhibits and collections on display. Among the museum's most prized pieces are a Gutenberg Bible from the mid-fifteenth century and the First Photograph, a heliograph developed on a pewter plate that was created in 1827 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.
The Texas Memorial Museum is part of the Natural Science Center at the University of Texas and features a huge collection of items representing the natural and cultural history of the Lone Star State. Highlights include numerous dinosaur displays, fossils, gems, and minerals, as well as the famous Wichita County meteorite, a large space rock regarded as a medicine stone by Comanche Indians. Another impressive tourist site at the university is the landmark UT Tower, infamous for the tragic shooting in 1966. With a height of 307 feet, the tower provides beautiful 360-degree views of the city of Austin; tours are self-guided and include information on the architecture and history of the structure.
Although swimming in Lady Bird lake is prohibited, nearby Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park is Austin's favorite place to cool off. A spring-fed pool along Barton Creek, it covers an area of three acres and has an average temperature of 70 degrees year-round. Locals and tourists alike enjoy the grassy tree-lined perimeter and perfect water that reaches up to 18 feet deep. The area is also considered a protected habitat for the endangered Barton Springs Salamander, which is only found in this specific aquifer. Because of the delicate balance between recreation and nature, the pool is closed for most of the day once a week for a specialized cleaning that protects the wildlife form harsh chemicals while keeping swimmers safe. The pool is open to non-residents for a fee; hours vary by season.
Location: Zilker Metropolitan Park, Austin, Texas
The Bullock Texas State History Museum tells the state's story through a variety of interesting interactive exhibits, along with audio-visual displays and film. The museum's IMAX theater shows educational and popular new-release films. The permanent Story of Texas exhibit is home to artifacts and displays that feature defining events in the state's history, like the preserved hull of the 17th-century La Belle, which was shipwrecked at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Other exhibits and presentations include the fall of the Alamo, Tejano culture, and the history of the Texas oil industry. The museum also hosts many special events throughout the year, including children's activities and public presentations.
Address: 1800 Congress Ave, Austin, Texas
Official site: www.thestoryoftexas.com
One of the most visited attractions in Austin, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum boasts more than 45 million pages of historical documents and papers from President LBJ's lengthy career. The museum, dedicated in 1971 and refurbished in 2013, contains exhibits relating to the president's time in office, as well as important issues of the day, including the rise of the civil rights movement. Also of interest is an impressive scale replica of the Oval Office as it would have been during Johnson's presidency, and many temporary exhibits related to American history are hosted throughout the year.
Address: 2313 Red River Street, Austin, Texas
Official site: www.lbjlibrary.org
Representing one of the city's largest cultural influences and populations, the Mexic-Arte Museum showcases traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latino, and Latin American art and culture. Founded in 1983, the museum features rotating exhibits, many of which are thought-provoking statements about current issues, like immigration, border control, and acceptance of Mexican culture in Texas. There are numerous installations and topic-focused galleries that include the artwork or sculptures of one or more artists, and several that are collections of photography, painting, and multimedia work that represent populations within the culture. The museum also hosts free "family days" several times a year, when the public can participate in hands-on activities that help visitors get a deeper understanding of the artists' work.
Address: 419 Congress Ave, Austin, Texas
Official site: www.mexic-artemuseum.org
Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
Dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of American sculpture, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum features a number of works by 20th-century sculptor Charles Umlauf. Located in the Zilker Metropolitan Park, the outdoor sculptures are on display among the trees, gardens, and ponds that surround the museum. Inside, visitors can see more of Umlauf's work in addition to exhibits about the artist's life and displays of personal artifacts and mementos. The museum also features temporary exhibits of other artists' work and hosts events such as concerts, workshops, and even yoga classes among the sculptures outside. Guided tours are available.
Address: 605 Robert E Lee Rd, Austin, Texas
Of the many things to do outdoors in Austin, Mount Bonnell is one of the most popular with tourists because of its numerous photo-ops and proximity to the city center. The highest point in the city, it reaches 775 feet and provides views of downtown Austin and the 360 Bridge. It also looks out across the Colorado River and is the perfect place to take photos of Austin's skyline. Although the lookout deck and pavilion are at the top of 102-stairs, it is not a steep or strenuous climb. Pets are welcome on the path and on the observation deck, and many enjoy picnicking while admiring the view.
Address: 3800 Mt. Bonnell Drive, Austin, Texas
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