The Best Things to Do in Austin, the Way a Local Would Show You

The best things to do in Austin, Texas, are the Texas State Capitol, the Congress Avenue Bridge bat flight, a swim at Barton Springs Pool, an afternoon in Zilker Metropolitan Park and a walk through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Add a night on South Congress Avenue, a drink on Sixth Street and brisket in East Austin, and you have the weekend a local plans for a visiting friend. Every pick below is inside the city of Austin and comes with how long it takes and one tip worth knowing.

Austin is a city where you can tour a state capitol in the morning, swim in spring water that averages 68 to 70 degrees at lunch and watch up to 1.5 million bats leave a bridge at sunset, all without leaving town.

How we chose these things to do in Austin

We picked places a local would actually take a friend to, then checked every one against its own official site in November 2026. Each pick had to be open, inside Austin city limits and worth the time for a first or second visit. Hours and prices change, so treat the ones here as typical and check the official site before you go.

The 12 best things to do in Austin

1. Tour the Texas State Capitol (Downtown)

What to do: Join a free guided tour of the Texas State Capitol at 1100 Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, then stand in the Rotunda and look straight up at the dome. Guided tours typically leave from the South Foyer every 15 to 30 minutes, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. and Sunday from noon, with the last tour at 4:15 p.m., according to the State Preservation Board.

How long: About 40 minutes for the guided tour; give it 90 minutes with the grounds.

Local tip: The Texas Capitol stands 302.64 feet to the tip of the star held by the Goddess of Liberty statue, which makes it 14.64 feet taller than the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., per the State Preservation Board. Ask your guide about it; they love that question. The building is typically open until 8 p.m. daily, so an evening self-guided wander works too.

2. Watch the Congress Avenue Bridge bats at sunset (Downtown)

What to do: Watch roughly 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats pour out from under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin. Texas Parks and Wildlife calls it the largest urban bat colony in the world, and watching is free.

How long: An hour, including arriving 30 to 45 minutes early.

Local tip: The bats fly every evening from March through October, usually around sunset, and the colony is at its biggest from the third week of July through September, according to Austin Bat Refuge. The lawn below the bridge on the south bank of Lady Bird Lake is the most dependable spot; the bridge railing gets you closer. Cool, rainy or windy nights can mean a weak flight, so keep your expectations loose. It is also a nursery: the colony raises an estimated 750,000 pups each year, per Texas Parks and Wildlife.

3. Swim at Barton Springs Pool (Zilker)

What to do: Jump into Barton Springs Pool, a three-acre, spring-fed pool at 2201 William Barton Drive in Zilker Park, South Austin. The water averages 68 to 70 degrees year-round and runs from 0 to 18 feet deep, according to Austin Parks and Recreation.

How long: One to three hours.

Local tip: Barton Springs Pool typically opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m., but it closes for cleaning on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., per the City of Austin. Plan around Thursday. When admission is charged it is a few dollars, with lower rates for Austin residents, and the City of Austin page posts whether fees currently apply. The pool is also federally protected habitat for the endangered Barton Springs salamander, so respect any posted closures.

4. Spend an afternoon in Zilker Metropolitan Park (Zilker)

What to do: Spread a blanket on the Great Lawn of Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road, where Barton Creek meets Lady Bird Lake. The City of Austin calls it Austin's oldest metropolitan park, with more than 350 acres, a disc golf course, the Zilker Eagle train and boat rentals.

How long: Two hours to a full day.

Local tip: Weekend parking is typically $3 an hour from the first Saturday of Spring Break through Labor Day, so come on a weekday or ride CapMetro bus 30, which runs through the park. Read more on our Zilker area guide.

5. Wander the Zilker Botanical Garden (Zilker)

What to do: Walk the 28-acre Zilker Botanical Garden at 2220 Barton Springs Road, inside Zilker Park. Look for the Taniguchi Japanese Garden, the koi ponds and the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, which recreates a Cretaceous habitat with plants from the age of dinosaurs, per Austin Parks and Recreation.

How long: One to two hours.

Local tip: Leashed dogs are welcome, which is rare for a botanical garden. It closes on Austin City Limits Music Festival weekends and on ABC Kite Fest day, so check the calendar if you are visiting in spring or fall.

6. See the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (Southwest Austin)

What to do: Walk the gardens and trails of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at 4801 La Crosse Avenue in far Southwest Austin. It covers 284 acres, calls itself the Botanic Garden of Texas and is affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin, per the Wildflower Center.

How long: Two to three hours, plus the drive from downtown to the city's southwestern edge.

Local tip: Weekday tickets cost less than Friday-through-Sunday tickets, and the center takes credit cards only. Spring is the showstopper, but fall and early winter are quieter. The center strongly encourages buying tickets ahead.

7. Go deep on Texas at the Bullock Museum (Downtown)

What to do: Spend a morning at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 North Congress Avenue, a few blocks north of the Capitol. It has three floors of exhibitions and an IMAX theater, and it is typically open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., per the Bullock Museum.

How long: Two to three hours.

Local tip: Exhibition admission is free on H-E-B Free First Sunday, the first Sunday of every month. Pair it with the Capitol: you can walk between them along Congress Avenue in about ten minutes.

8. Sit in a replica Oval Office at the LBJ Presidential Library (UT campus)

What to do: Visit the LBJ Presidential Library at 2313 Red River Street on the University of Texas campus and ride to the 10th floor, where a 7/8-scale replica of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Oval Office holds his desk, three TVs and a portrait of FDR, per the LBJ Library.

How long: Two to four hours, by the library's own estimate.

Local tip: The library has offered half-price Tuesday admission, parking in lot 38 is free, and anyone named Lyndon or Claudia gets in free every day with ID, per the LBJ Library. The replica was an afterthought: Johnson asked the architect to add it in 1968.

9. Walk or run the Butler Trail around Lady Bird Lake (Downtown)

What to do: Do a loop on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, a loop of about 10 miles around Lady Bird Lake in central Austin, cared for by The Trail Conservancy. Shorter loops cross the lake on downtown bridges, and the Boardwalk is typically open from 5 a.m. to midnight.

How long: 45 minutes for a short loop; three hours or more for the full trail.

Local tip: Start at Zilker Park and walk east toward the skyline in the late afternoon, and you will reach the Congress Avenue Bridge just in time for the bats. About half the trail is unlit, so carry a light after dark.

10. Spend an evening on South Congress Avenue (South Congress)

What to do: Shop the boutiques, take the photo at the i love you so much mural at Jo's Coffee, then catch a set at the Continental Club, 1315 South Congress Avenue. The club opened in 1955 as a private supper club and books roots, rockabilly, country, swing, rock and blues every night of the week, per the Continental Club.

How long: Three to four hours.

Local tip: Hotel Magdalena on South Congress stands on land where Willie Nelson once owned the property and ran the Austin Opry House, according to Visit Austin. Start at the north end for the skyline view back up Congress Avenue to the Capitol. See our South Congress area guide.

11. Have a drink at The Driskill, then walk Sixth Street (Sixth Street)

What to do: Order an Old Fashioned at the hexagonal bar inside The Driskill, 604 Brazos Street, a downtown Austin hotel that has stood since 1886, per The Driskill. Then step out onto Sixth Street, which closes to through traffic Thursday through Saturday nights, per Visit Austin.

How long: Two hours to a late night.

Local tip: Start at The Driskill before 9 p.m. while the lobby is calm, and head to East Sixth or the Red River Cultural District if you want live original music rather than cover bands. More on our Sixth Street area guide.

12. Line up for brisket at Franklin Barbecue (East Austin)

What to do: Join the line at Franklin Barbecue, 900 East 11th Street in East Austin, for brisket and pork ribs. It is typically open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until it sells out, often by 2 or 3 p.m., and always closed Mondays, per Franklin Barbecue.

How long: Half a day, most of it in line.

Local tip: Bring a camp chair (the restaurant lends a few), or skip the line with a preorder through the official site. More eating ideas are on our food and dining listings.

How much time do you need in Austin?

A long weekend covers this whole list. Two full days handle the downtown and Zilker picks, and a third gets you to the Wildflower Center and East Austin. Most of the list is free or cheap: the Capitol tour, the bat flight, the Butler Trail and Zilker Park cost nothing.

What is a good one-day Austin route?

This route links eight picks on foot, by bus and with one short drive.

1. 9 a.m.: Free guided tour of the Texas State Capitol.
2. 10:30 a.m.: Walk north on Congress Avenue to the Bullock Museum.
3. 12:30 p.m.: Lunch downtown, or pick up a Franklin Barbecue preorder.
4. 2:30 p.m.: Swim at Barton Springs Pool (not on a Thursday).
5. 4 p.m.: Zilker Botanical Garden or a nap on the Great Lawn.
6. 5 p.m.: Walk the Butler Trail east to the Congress Avenue Bridge.
7. Sunset: Watch the bats from the south-bank lawn (March through October).
8. 8 p.m.: Dinner and a set at the Continental Club on South Congress.

Still have energy? Finish with a nightcap at The Driskill. For more ideas by neighborhood, browse our Downtown guide and all Austin areas, and check the weather before you swim.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the number one thing to do in Austin?

For most first-time visitors, the number one thing to do in Austin is watching about 1.5 million bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset, which is free from March through October. If you only have a morning, take the free guided tour of the Texas State Capitol instead.

What can you do in Austin for free?

Free things to do in Austin include the guided tours of the Texas State Capitol, the Congress Avenue Bridge bat flight, Zilker Metropolitan Park and the 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake. Exhibition admission at the Bullock Texas State History Museum is free on the first Sunday of every month.

Can you swim at Barton Springs Pool year-round?

Yes, Barton Springs Pool in Austin's Zilker Park is spring-fed and averages 68 to 70 degrees all year, so locals swim in every season. It typically closes for cleaning on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

When is the best time to see the Austin bats?

The best time to see the Congress Avenue Bridge bats is from the third week of July through September, when the colony is largest, according to Austin Bat Refuge. The bats typically emerge around sunset every evening from March through October.

Is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin?

Yes, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is at 4801 La Crosse Avenue in far Southwest Austin and is affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin. The center strongly encourages buying tickets ahead.

How many days do you need in Austin?

Three days is enough to see the best things to do in Austin without rushing. Use two days for downtown, South Congress and Zilker Park, and a third for the Wildflower Center and East Austin.