(Last Updated On: December 16, 2022)

Austin accepts its eccentricity and tries to make the city one of the best places to visit in Texas. As Austin is the capital of Texas, it is rich with politics, culture, and interesting things to do. Find out the best Tourist Attractions in Austin, Texas that bring the city into heaven in the Lone Star State.

The best Tourist Attractions in Austin, Texas

Austin provides you all the resources. Before planning your vacation in any city, you need to check its score on Most Dangerous and Safest Cities Index so that you can ensure your and your loved ones’ safety while spending your holidays in that city.

The popular live music places, large city parks, abnormal tasks, and a large number of activities to do in Austin. This is a place where all of you can enjoy it, it can be a fun night with your friends, or family in a nice place. Austin provides you all the resources.

You may imagine how many events go on within one year around Austin. We will show you the best parks and the places that hold many festivals, musical shows, cultural programs, and many more things.  In addition, you have places for relaxation in Austin.  

Now, let us find out the Top Tourist Attractions in Austin, Texas in where you can enjoy.

Sixth Street

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Austin is the house of Live Musical shows in the world, and it takes place on Sixth Street. These are nightlife areas, where you can see 100 bars, restaurants, and musical events.

The most suitable times to visit there is Thursday to Sunday. At these times the street takes a block party vibe.  The Sixth Street is called Dirt 6th, as many local and foreign people go to the parties there. The best bars are places between North Lamar Boulevard and I-35.

You can find many places to have a lively moment. On the weekends there are lots of people in the streets and a funny mood.

See the glowing lights in the street bars, meanwhile enjoy the live music, dancing, many drinks and lots of funny things.  There is a place reserved for the public to enjoy different types of music and bars with several themes.

The streets in the area are filled with party people, but you can keep sure about these places and enjoy as you wish.

Barton Springs Pool

This is one of the best tourist attraction in Austin, and a better place for you to enjoy swimming and perfect water conditions that goes with the season.  You can go there with your family and or friends.

The Barton Springs Pool gets water from the biggest natural spring in Texas, the Barton Pool. The water is balanced for auto refilling and cleaning.

The Barton Pool has an average temperature level for the whole year. The water is suitable for cool bathing in the summer and has warmth enough in the winter season.

The pool is rectangular in shape with  1,000-ft long and has a sidewalk lane, and the colored water has a depth of 18=ft. You have nothing to worry about as there are lifeguards available seasonally. The Barton Pool is available for any age.

After the pool walk on the grassy hillside lawns and dry off yourself. However, there are few trees where you can get shade.

The Pool is available for the public under a charge of fee, and note that you have the free entering chance in the winter season.

LBJ Presidental Library.

A trip to the LBJ Presidential Library will give you a perceptive observation of the documents and historical records of former President Lyndon B. Jonson.

There is a library and a museum reserved for the president. Search out each room and enjoy the communal features there.

The LBJ Presidential Library is on the UT Austin campus. It was settled in 1971, after two years of the presidency ended.  The 10 story complex has nay features like exhibitions and duplicate rooms.

You can see ancient documents, art, photos, and many more things related to that time. There are bills passed by the presidents and all the works.

There is available a model of the Oval Office and the First Lady office. An amazing feature of the robot LBJ figure.

This is a top tourist attraction in Austin and a place you can learn the history and art.

Spend your full time checking all the rooms, go to the terraces, and have a magnificent view of the Texas Capitol Building.

McKinney Falls State Park.

This is one of the best state parks in Texas. The park is on 700 acres of land, including many natural milestones, outdoor relaxation, and historical features.

The former owner of this state park is Thomas F. Mckinney, and later he donated the park to the state and converted it to an attractive place.  Still, there are ancient ruins of stones and houses. They are already included in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Upper and Lower McKinney Falls are the main attractions of the park. You can see pleasant scenery and have good swimming. You will definitely jump to the water from the rounded rocks.

Hiking, mountain biking, and fishing are some of the frequent activities happening in the park. There are many things to observe such as natural plants and wild animals.

There is the facility for the camping also but within the selected 80 campsites available for RVs and tents.

If you love to spend the time outdoor go to the McKinney Falls State Park and you will realize this is the best tourist attraction in Austin.

The University of Texas

Autin has the many University of Texas, a main public university. This university has an old value that was found in 1883 and is a leading university in the country at present.

 It’s better you observe the campus and you can take a guided tour of the campus. A better thing that you can do Austin.

The University of Texas has more than 50,000 students. The campus is always busy with tasks of the student life, tour, and many events.

Visit the campus by yourself or take a tour guide. The campus is filled with many landmark buildings and monuments. Go and see the ideal tower building and the sports complex.

In addition, this is a fully decorated university in the Big 12 Conference. Watch a football match at the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial stadium. If not a basketball match at the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center.

Don’t forget to buy UT products in the bookstore and other mementos of the visit.

Lady Bird Lake.

This is one of the main attractions in Austin for relaxation activities. The area is surrounded by an artificial lake, or else enjoy the water games you wish for.

The lake is a part of the Colorado River, which controls the floodings.  The lake is named after the former First Lady who made a big contribution to the restoration of the lake.

The Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike area are famous among tourists.  The area runs to 20km distance around the lake. There are many people walking, running, and riding for the exercises and time passing. No matter you can bring the pets with you here.

You may have the availability to rent boats for kayaking and canoeing in the lake.  In addition, you will see the university two teams doing the practices in the lake, and have a beautiful sight of the Downtown Autin skyline.

This is also a musical place and takes up many festivals around the year. However, you can check the local functions when visiting this beautiful place.

Historical Museum in Texas State

If you need to learn about Texas history, then this is the right place for that.  The museum was opened in 2001 and there are 16,000 Texas historical items displayed.  There are features of ancient civilization to European settlements that belonged to the present.

Bullock Texas State History Museum has galleries of three floors.  Each of the floors has a theme that shows the culture in Texas.  They display the land, their identity, and the opportunities. You can see many crafts and other multimedia displays. All of them show the history of the state.

The museum was named after Bob Bullock, the main person that secured the history of the state.  The present collection has more than 500 historical crafts.  You have the full freedom to walk around the museum and see the permanent and temporary galleries.

There is an IMAX theatre, a café, a gift store, and a museum. And also there are many educational programs holding throughout the year.

 You have to buy the tickets to enter the museum, and you can enter free of charge on the first Sunday of every month.

Zilker Metropoliton Park.

Spend your weekend in Austin, the Zilker Metropolitan Park is the place for that. The city park is a funny place with relaxation and enjoying sights in the Autin skyline.  There are lots of things that you can see and do.

The Zilker Metropolitan Park is 350 acres of land in central Austin. Normally if it’s a  beautiful day you will find many natives and travelers passing their time.  Hiking, biking, and games are the main activities in the park.

There are several places for you to play and enjoy. There are lots of main attractions such as Zilker Botanical garden, Zilker Hillside Theatre, and the centers for nature and science education.

This is a good water place to cool yourself in this hot weather in Texas. The Barton Springs Pool. Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado River are some of the close attractions.

Take some snacks with you, and watch the magnificent skylines laying on the lawn. And also there are musical shows and other traditional activities in the whole year.

If you expect cool thongs to do in Austin, my reccomandtion for you to is the Zilker Metropolitan Park. Go and be excited.

South Congress Avenue.

If you are craving to feel the local Austin ambiance, South Congress Avenue is the best place I recommend you.

Another name used is SoCo, and it’s a center for travelers and the natives to enjoy different types of foods, shopping, and entertainment.  Go around the areas and observe some popular places in Austin.

The central SoCo location begins from the bridge of  Downtown South.  As soon as you cross the bridge, you will see magnificent restaurants, boutique stores, art galleries, and many more things.

However, this is the main spot to study the people as there are many people hanging out frequently.

No matter you have the possibility to be in the daytime or the nighttime in SoCo.  Enter a local restaurant and have some delicious plates of seafood, BBQ, and sweet ice cream. At night this is heaven as many bars and live music going along the streets.

Capitol Building of Texas State.

You will find it difficult to visit Autin without seeing the Texas State Capitol Building.  The building belongs to the state government and very big famous monuments in Autin.

You will get an unbelievable view when you reach there on Congreee Avenue Downtown.  The Capitola building is available for the public, locals and foreigners can study Texas History or have a walk around the land and praise the construction.

The capitol building was settled in 1885 and made with locally supplied limestones.  It is listed among the tallest capitol buildings in the US, because of the bell tower on top.   After several years more levels were built underground and expanded the space.

Visitors have the possibility to go inside the building with the tour guides and also to the underground.  There are lots of artworks and portraits displayed of the native’s politicians on the glass windows, and also the walls inside the rooms.

There are many remarkable historical icons around the well-groomed grounds and sight of the underground area.

UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and  Museum

This is the place that you can see original artworks of Texas. There are lots of recognized creations of the carvers Charles Umlauf. UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum is their home.

The Autin city accepted the carved garden after the donation of 168 monuments that we see on the site.

There are two spots to see these attractions, the outdoor monuments garden, and the museum. The garden has 40 statues and they highly decorate the natural setting. Don’t forget to see Charles Umlauf’s famous sculpture The Kiss and The Diver.

The museum was settled after two years of the garden establishing.  It belongs to a set of donated sculptures display. In addition, the native artists and the international artists have the chance to hold short-term exhibitions.

You can check the available workshops and the programs conducted by the museum, these are valid for all ages. Get some experience on art and carves and at the same time study the heritage of Umlauf.

The Mountain Bonnell

Are you searching for a place with a scenic view in Austin? Then why don’t you visit Mount Bonnell? It’s nearly 800-ft and you can see the Austin Skyline and the Lake Austin at the mountain top.

This place is famous among the photographers so come and see the magnificent sunset from here.

This mountain is also called Covert Park.  This is considered a Texas Historical spot and has a Historical icon at the mountain top. So the travelers can read this information.

It is easy to climb to the mountain top. There are just 100 steps to climb and no difficulty for the kids as well.

When you go to the top. There appear beautiful views of the city below. There s available a small hiking area, and you can bring the pets with you.

The daytime is a suitable time to visit here, and easy for you to see Lake Austin. Frequently there are lots of visitors enjoying and taking photos. Wait there to see the sunset below the Austin hillsides.

Blanton Museum of Art.

The BMA is a big university art museum in the US. The  Blanton Museum of Art is on the UT Austin campus,  an attractive building that has a higher collection of artworks belonged to many countries.

In advance, you can see about 18,000 works of art in the permanent and temporary exhibitions at the BMA. They have a vast collection of Latin-American art collections in the country.

There are displays reserved for Latin American art, European Art by the Ols Master, Modern arts, western art, and many more featured artworks.

Come and see the variety of paintings, drawings, antiques, and statues. They also conduct many programs every year.

BMA gets a big crowd from Austin because of the place where you can see popular artworks from around the world. Especially belonged to modern settings.  You can get other facilities such as a Café, souvenir shop, and an auditorium.

About 150,000 people come to the museum every year. You have to take tickets online before visiting here.

The Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve.

The best place to spend your spare time walking around the peaceful lands of Mayfield Park. Mayfield Park is a natural territory and belongs to some gardens. They have unique plants and stylish projects. You can have good fun going to this park in Austin.

You can see many peacocks walking around the park.  This is a better place for you to stop while visiting Mount Bonnell.

The Mayfield Park is set in the former Mayfield-Gutsh Estate. The historical place was built in the 1870s  and now entered the National Register of Historic Places.

The house was given to Austin City and made into a public park. The bungalow is used to hold many events.

Lots of resources in this place were done by the former owners of this property. The land expands to 23 acres with botanical gardens, wooded areas, ponds, and lakes.

The visitors have the chance to spend the time in nature within the woods, unique plants, and wild animals.

A better place to enjoy in the shade on a sunny day in Austin.

Congress Avenue and Austin Bats.

When the sunset begins go to the Congress Avenue Bridge to see the magnificent sights in Austin.

There are about one million bats under the bridge and coming out at the night.  These are features of Austin and the strange things we can see here.

This Congress Avenue Bridge is made into an arch type over the Lady Bird Lake. This bridge connects both Downtown Autin ad South Austin.

The structure of the brief design helps the bats to nest in this place.  This has already become a city bat colony in the world.

If you need to see them flying the best season is the summer. Lots of people come here to see the flight and there are several places where we can see this process clearly.

Stand on the top of the bridge and see the bats coming from under the bridge, or else take a boat and go under the bridge.

The Mid august Bat Festival celebrates them with live music, foods, salesperson, and a bat costume program.

Auditorium Shores at Town Lake metropolitan park

You must check the events going on in Austin as there is always something special a the Auditorium Shores.

This is a large park on the waterside of lady Bird lake where lots of outdoor functions and musical shows are held.

You will find no place to enjoy as the Auditorium Shores, there are live entertainments programs. Get some beautiful shots of Downtown Autin and Lady Bird lake from here.

There are many events in the whole year such as SXSW, the Austin Food and Wine festival.  The park fills with the city people to enjoy and do funny activities.

If there is not an event in the park,  you can use this as a relaxation space. Don’t bother about your pets, bring them here and let them also enjoy.

The people having picnics and playing games on the lawn is a common sight. And also there are lots of rooms around the park. Nowhere you can see a place to relax and have an eye-catching city view, but you have this  Town Lake metropolitan park.

Austin Aquarium

This aquarium was opened in 2013 and became popular within a short period, especially as a family-friendly spot.  There are 8,000 animals in the aquarium and this is the main of the town.

Observe the strange things available there and have some information about the animals you love.

The Austin Aquarium is a large resource that protests thousands of aquatic lives. There are animals from the ocean, desert, and several natural regions.

The mainly highlighted animals are sharks, giant squid, stingrays, and lemurs.  Most of the aquariums give you chance only to see them inside the tanks. However, in the Austin Aquarium, you have the chance to touch them.

 When you are entering, buy the tokens that you can use in the deferents areas inside the aquarium. If you are lucky you will get a chance to feed the sharks, touch crocodiles, and hold a snake. And also you can enter birdcages and bunny cages.

All the tasks inside the aquarium are kid-friendly and they will have funny time with the animals.

Mexic  Art Museum.

Austin has a big Mexican community that you can know through the Meic Arte Museum.  The museum gives you a huge chance to sink into the Latin culture through art.

The Mexic-Arte highly focuses on Mexican and Latin American art.  It further stimulates the job of local artists and native Latin American artists. You will find this is the best place to see the diversity in Austin.

The museum is on Congress Avenue in the Warehouse District.  This place belongs to permanent art galleries as well as temporary art collections, this is a support to see different paintings and sculptures. This method is good for the Mexican artists to come out with the local talent.

This is the best place to observe Mexican Fine Art in Austin. These styles of art are well recognizable and tell us stories about history. However, we can experience the rich culture of Austin there.

If you come there with your kids, there are some programs conducted for the kids to learn the crats. You can buy some souvenirs for your loved ones from the gift shop available.

Thinkery Tourist Attractions in Austin, Texas

Bring your kids here and let them experience the funniest attraction in Autin. The Thinkery is a museum available for the kids and the learning is mixed up with the fun.

You will never imagine how your kids get delighted by each collection of items in the exhibition. You will find it hard to take away the kids from this place.

The Thinkery was settled in 1983 but after that brought out many facilities.  Now there is the possibility to hold hundreds of thousands of passengers that come annually.

The museum is built up with many floors filled with many displays, your kids can learn lots of things here. All the floors are under a theme such as science, technology, and art.

The floating balls, a play diner, Lite Brite seeing gravity in action, and the building blocks. There are many kids to enjoy themselves with the family.

Above all, there are annually held educational programs in this museum.

The Moody Theatre

It’s not essential to live in Autin to learn the Austin City Limits Live.  Lots of people see them through TV shows and know the taste of these live programs.

However, now you have the chance to join these live iconic musical shows. Come and gather up with this audience.

Join with an Autin City Limits Live is one of the best tasks in Austin. This is one of the foremost entertaining complexes in Austin.

The award-winning shows have to hold the best remarkable names in the music industry. This is called a rock and roll landmark, however, a lot of music is related to many genres perform in the shows.

Austin City Limits Live conducts 100 musical shows every year. Check the program’s schedule and see what is the best time to attend the concert. You can have your visit within those days.

This is like watching the behind-the-scenes of a live show from the out-of-the-box.

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