Austin may be known as the Live Music Capital of the World, but it’s so much more than that. Whether you’re a local or a visitor looking for something unique & fun to do, this list can help you Keep it Weird all year long!

1. Catch Downtown Views – The best views of the Austin skyline are at the Pfluger pedestrian bridge, the top of the parking lot at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar, and the St. Edwards campus.
2. Join Us on Our Real Austin Tour– Want to see all the highlights in only 2 hours? This overview tour is led by a local tour guide and will take you to the most iconic landmarks as well as some lesser-known hidden gems.
3. Learn at the Carver Museum – Austin’s neighborhood history museum, featuring rotating exhibits and a permanent collection highlighting the African-American experience in Texas. 
4. Eat Tex Mex – Tex-Mex is the original fusion food. Not quite Mexican and not quite Texan, it’s a cheesy combination of the two. There is no shortage of Tex-Mex restaurants in the city. For authentic cuisune, try Cafe Hornitos. Visit Chuy’s for the quintessential Austin experience. Head to Taquero Mucho for the trendiest Tex-Mex in town.
5. Ride Over the Flyovers – Did you know the towering highway interchanges are called five-stacks? The tallest and scariest are at Ben White heading East and turning North onto I-35, 290 heading west and then South onto I-35, and Mo-Pac heading North and turning West onto 183. Experiencing all that Austin has to offer also includes witnessing the traffic first-hand. Plus, you’ll likely see these overpasses on your way to one of the activities on this list. Two birds, one stone!
6. Buc-ees – Out-of-towners will appreciate a daytrip to one of the giant Buc-ees stores in New Braunfels, Luling, or Bastrop. It’s the only truckstop worth a trip all by itself.
7. Visit Lockhart – It’s not actually Austin, but it’s a short jaunt from Austin to find The BBQ Capital of Texas and a picturesque small-town courthouse square.
8. Twelfth Street Bar Crawl – Everyone knows about the three different party districts of Sixth Street, but no one has told you yet about the bars and nightclubs on East 12th. A Sixth Street bar crawl would be strenuous and require detailed planning, but Twelfth Street is short enough to be survivable.
9. Eat Your Gizzards – Some people don’t realize that fried gizzards are amazing. Ask for them by name at Terry’s Seafood on Airport, or at Lucy’s Fried Chicken.
10. Get Off at the Crestview Train Station – Where Lamar and Airport Boulevards meet, there’s a train station and a magical neighborhood filled with breweries, bars, Korean hot dogs, Asian groceries, and Japanese books and gifts.
11. Take Our Live Music Crawl Tour – With hundreds of live music venues scattered throughout the city, the Austin live music scene really is something special. We’ll go to 3 different shows throughout the night and return before midnight.
12. Laugh at the LBJ Library – There’s an animatronic LBJ who tells jokes, and he’s waiting for you. The Library is filled with permanent & temporary exhibits, and there are usually some interesting events happening too!
13. Explore the Texas Hill Country – If you want to get out of the city for a beat, join us on our Hill Country BBQ & Wine Shuttle. This round-trip experience lasts about 5 hours and you’ll get to experience authentic Texas BBQ at Salt Lick followed by visits to 2 Hill Country wineries. Perfect for solo travelers and groups alike!
14. Watch the Butterflies at Waterloo Park – Nowhere in America will you find a more overly landscaped park. But the butterflies love it. Currently spanning 11 acres with plans to stretch from The Capitol to Lady Bird Lake, there is no shortage of unique sights to take in.
15. Catch a Flick at Austin Film Society – AFS is home to various screenings & events and aims to highlight Austin filmmakers. Know a local indie director? Reach out to AFS to see if you can book space for a private screening!
16. Get Nostalgic Media at We Luv Video – The last video store in town went out of business in the pandemic but was reborn as a non-profit. Check it out before the volunteers get tired of cos-playing as video store clerks.
17. Wander a Farmer’s Market – On nearly any day of the week, you can find a bunch of farmers trying to make eye contact with you to tell you about their organic bok choy. 
18. Circle Mueller Lake – It’s not just rainwater retention. Mueller Lake is the closest Austin has to Central Park’s Great Lawn.
19. Get Terrified at a Haunted House – It doesn’t matter if it’s not actually Halloween. Haunted houses have to pay the bills, so they’re open for nearly every holiday now.
20. Get Creative at Austin Creative Reuse – You can probably find something to do with the recycled art supplies. You were thinking of getting into scrapbooking anyway. Don’t know where to start? They also regularly host workshops to help you get inspired!
21. Eat a Kolache –  The best places to get this iconic Texas mistranslation of a Czech desert are at Batch, near Mueller, and Weikels, technically in Leander. Driving from Houston? The halfway mark is home to Hruska’s Bakery, which offers authentic kolaches, coffee, gifts, and more!
22. Eat some Breakfast Tacos – Our popular Breakfast Taco Tour will leave you feeling full & happy. We’ll visit 3 taco spots so that you can taste a little bit of everything. Try the Texas Holy Trinity (queso, salsa & guac) out for yourself.
23. Visit Circuit of the Americas – Whether you’re looking to catch a race or do some karting yourself, there’s no shortage of entertainment at Austin’s iconic COTA.
24. Paddle Board on Lady Bird Lake – Is any “Things to Do in Austin” list really complete without mentioning stand-up paddle boarding? At any given time you’ll find at least one person using a paddle board to take in the Austin skyline.
25. Visit the LBJ Wildflower Center – Spanning 284 acres, the Wildflower Center is home to various flora & fauna. The perfect activity for all ages. Side note – you’ll soon notice that nearly everything in Austin is named LBJ or Moody.
26. Eat at DeSano Pizzeria – Authentic Neapolitan pizza with two locations in Austin? Enough said. Featuring wood-fired grills, DeSano is one of the few places in Austin that offer a true Italian pizza experience.
27. Hang out at Cidercade – With no shortage of arcade games or cider choices, Cidercade is located in the heart of Austin and is a great option for children & adults alike.
28. Walk the University of Texas – The 40 Acres is located just north of Downtown Austin. Home to over 50,000 students, UT is a campus worth exploring. From the iconic Texas Tower to the newly constructed Moody Center, there’s plenty to see no matter which direction you look.
29. Check out The Domain – Whether you’re looking to shop, explore the nightlife, or view some of Austin’s big tech hubs, there’s plenty to see at the Domain.

With SXSW in full swing, Austin can turn into a madhouse. To add to the chaos, Spring Break directly overlaps with the 9-day festival, with ZERO chance of going anywhere near downtown. So what’s a parent to do? Here are our top five picks during Spring Break that you can take the family this Spring. Enjoy!

Museum of Illusions Austin

Mesmerize the senses in this world of illusions. Packed with edu-tainment, this multi-exhibit interactive museum is over 6,000 square feet of puzzles, holograms, and more.  Fun fact: Austin’s own Amy Cook, artist of South Congress’ “I love you so much” mural, collaborated with the museum on “Building Illusion,” an exhibit that will have one of the biggest mirrors in the United States.

Opens March 11. Tickets are $24 for adults, $20 for kids

Spring Break Activities – Bob Bullock Museum

Brave the fringes of downtown (but we promise they have ample parking) at The Bob Bullock Museum for their Spring Break at the Bullock events. Check their calendar for mural making, art classes, and throwback movies like Homeward Bound (#TeamSassy).

March 11-14, prices vary | https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit/programs-events

Zilker Botanical Gardens Free Day

Zilker Botanical Gardens, a gorgeous and lush sanctuary in the heart of Zilker Park, offers sprawling grounds, gardens, water fountains, dinosaur sculptures, a coffee cart, and a relaxing space for the whole family. March 14 marks one of their free days that you can stop by for, but donations are still encouraged. Enjoy!

March 14, free | https://zilkergarden.org/

Thinkery

Mueller’s museum for kids is the perfect place for them to build, create, explore, and learn. Enjoy multi-levels of exhibits and a vast outdoor playscape that will be sure to be hours of fun. When you’re wrapped up, head down the sidewalk to Lick Ice Cream for a treat or feed the ducks at Mueller Lake Park.

Kids 0-24 months are free, $14 for 24 months + | https://thinkeryaustin.org/

The Contemporary Austin: Laguna Gloria Second Saturdays are for families

Head over to Laguna Gloria for their free event: Collaborative cylinders, curls, and connections. Join artist Carol Bove for an artistic endeavor that will elicit teamwork. Taking inspirations from her sculpture, From the Sun to Zurich, she’ll show the ropes on how to create unique sculpture and shapes through collaboration.

March 11, free | https://thecontemporaryaustin.org/event/second-saturday-are-for-families-collaborative-cylindars-curls-and-connections/

Looking for more things to do? We can customize family friendly events, from birthday parties to family reunions. Ask us about our nature hikes or InstaGLAM wig parties. Cheers!

In collaboration with the Austin Revitalization Authority, we are excited to announce that we are starting a donation fund to benefit the historic mural Rhapsody by artists John Yancey, Luis Alicea, and Steven B. Jones. Located in the Charles Urdy Plaza off of East 11th and Waller Street, this colorful mosaic depicts East Austin’s rich black history and live music legacy. All of the money raised will go directly to the preservation of this historic piece of art.

We started a ‘More Than Just Fun’ fund that is an add-on for all guests to donate a small amount of their choosing every time they book a tour with us. Every month, this fund will benefit a different non-profit we love that is serving the Greater Central Austin area. In honor of Black History Month, we have decided to donate every dollar made to the restoration of Rhapsody and ensure its legacy to the Austin community.

The fundraiser will feature a live music show at the Charles Urdy Plaza, highlighting a variety of Austin musicians.

This project is particularly special to us; Rhapsody is one of our stops on our Street Art Crawl, and it’s one that has a huge and lasting impact on our guests. Rhapsody is a true tribute to the Black community; commemorating buildings, musicians that shaped these neighborhoods, and celebrating the history that is diverse and dynamic. When people see this piece of art, they truly feel the importance of it and the craftsmanship that went into its creation. We want to ensure its preservation and help in any way we can to assure future generations can admire this mosaic.

Want to contribute? You can donate today!

There are so many cities in the United States that have sprawling city centers, but Austin is lucky to be relatively condensed for such a rapidly growing destination. Many historical sites are located downtown and within walking distance of each other. We’ve put together a quick list of stops that highlight Austin’s history.

1) The Texas State Capitol 

The crowning jewel of Austin’s downtown, our Texas State Capitol is an architectural achievement that you don’t have to be a history buff to fully enjoy. With over 22 acres of land, the grounds not only hold one of the tallest Capitol buildings in the United States (everything is bigger here in Texas), but it is also home to an array of monuments and statues. We recommend starting out at the front of the building at the Texas African American History Memorial before making your way into the Capitol. By square footage, the Texas Capitol is the biggest of all the other states; you’ll believe it when you start exploring the hallways. Don’t forget to see the underground extension which was constructed in the early 1990s.

2) Treaty Oak Square 

Every Central Texan is familiar with the oak tree, and the grandest of them all is the Treaty Oak. Known as the last surviving member of Council Oaks, a grove of 14 sacred trees used as a meeting place for the Tonkawa and Comanche tribes, this tree has been estimated to be over 500 years old. A lot of folklore surrounds this tree, many claim Texas pioneers like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston negotiated deals and rested under this tree. Sadly in the late 1980s, a man vandalized the oak with herbicide and almost killed it. Through community fundraising and a blank check from politician Ross Perot, the Treaty Oak was miraculously saved and has since been producing acorns.

3) Buford Tower

We get this question all of the time: What is that brick tower? Located just north of the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail, the Buford Tower is a fire drill tower build in 1930 for the Austin Fire Department. Austin’s skyline was quickly emerging downtown; although nothing like our modern-day skyscrapers, Austin’s buildings were being built taller than ever before in the early 1900s. Our fire department needed a structure to train for these architectural developments, and that’s how the drill tower was born. With its location so close to the lake, firefighters could easily practice putting out a multi-story fire without the worry of wasting water. Named after firefighter Captain James L. Buford, this is a quick stop you can check out before hitting the walking trails.

4) Driskill Hotel 

Known as Austin’s first hotel, the Driskill has seen its fair share of history. Constructed in 1886 by a wealthy cattle baron, Jesse Driskill, the hotel was one of the grandest places you could visit south of St. Louis. Since it’s opening, it has hosted every Governor’s inaugural ball and was even the first date destination for President Lyndon B. Johnson and Claudia Taylor (aka Lady Bird), who would later become First Lady. Located just off Congress on 6th Street, be sure to channel your inner medium when you’re in the building: many say it’s haunted (even by Jesse Driskill himself).

5) Eureka! (Home to the first Antone’s)

Just across the street from the Driskill Hotel, you’ll find a cozy restaurant called Eureka! What you may not know about this building is that it was home to the first Antone’s Nightclub, an Austin live music icon. Since the 1970s, this is the venue for blues and rock and roll. Steven Ray Vaughan, an Austin legend, got his big break there, and although the club has moved off of 4th street, it’s an iconic spot that helped shape the city. You can still catch some live music at Eureka (typically a one-person and guitar setup), but be sure to check out Antone’s calendar to see some great acts (and only a short walk away from 6th street).

You can see a few of these landmarks on our Real Austin Tour, a 2-hour bucketlist experience of Austin that takes you to iconic spots but also goes off the beaten path for an adventure fit for a local.

Book yours today!

Austin’s Street Art Scene: A Community of Creators

The Austin street art scene is truly a collaborative and ever-changing landscape. We sat down with Austin’s own ULO ANG, a muralist, painter, and sculptor, who has seen this city’s art scene transform in big ways.

Check out our interview with him here:

Want to learn more about the Austin art scene? Contact us to book a private street art tour or book a corporate event to create your own art!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. #WeCreateFun