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.

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