Things to do in Austin

Austin's pink-granite capitol dome stands taller than the US Capitol, and free tours run daily.

Up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats stream out from under this bridge every summer evening.

A spring-fed swimming pool that holds a steady 68 degrees no matter how hot Austin gets.

Three floors of exhibits trace Texas from Native settlement through the Space Race.

The line forms before sunrise for brisket that regularly gets called the best in Texas.

351 acres of green space along Lady Bird Lake, home to Barton Springs and the Zilker Botanical Garden.

A short climb up 102 steps rewards you with Austin's best sunset view over Lake Austin.

Exhibits on the Johnson presidency plus a full-scale replica of the Oval Office as LBJ kept it.

Blocks of bars and live music clubs that turn into Austin's busiest nightlife strip after dark.

Boutiques, food trailers, and the famous Hi, How Are You mural line this walkable strip south of the river.

A 10-mile loop around the water where half of Austin seems to run, walk, or paddleboard.

UT Austin's art museum holds over 21,000 works and a courtyard installation of colored glass.

Watch the Congress Avenue bat colony take flight from the water on an evening riverboat cruise.

A Hill Country barbecue institution since 1967, with brisket smoked over an open pit you can watch.

The downtown venue where Austin City Limits is taped, and a working concert hall most other nights.

Texas' statewide network of 42 state historic sites, from Revolution-era battlegrounds and forts to historic homes.

A Texas Hill Country city on the spring-fed San Marcos River, known for tubing, a historic downtown and outlet shopping.

A 400,000 plus square foot outlet shopping center off I 35 with more than 100 brand name and designer stores.

Convention and visitors bureau for Round Rock, Texas, covering local attractions, sports venues, shopping and dining.

Guided zipline tour over Lake Travis with five lines, including one of the longest and fastest in Texas.

Sixth Street dime museum of oddities, with mummies, shrunken heads, and sideshow curiosities.

The state's official visitor center on the Capitol grounds, offering free maps, trip planning and travel literature.