Austin, Texas Attractions

The Austin Children's Museum, founded in 1983 by a grass-roots coalition of parents and educators, originally opened as a "Museum without walls" with exhibits and programs hosted in schools, parks, recreation centers, libraries, and malls. More than 800,000 visitors have enjoyed exhibits and programs since the museum opened its doors.

Recognized as "Austin's most loved park," the Zilker Metropolitan park offers numerous recreational opportunities and hosts special events for the whole family. The Park features a miniature train, canoe riding, hike and bike trails, a natural spring-fed pool, and a variety of sports courts. It is also serves as a venue for the Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Austin Nature and Science Center, the Zilker Hillside Theatre, and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum.

Bass Concert Hall is the largest of the six venues at University of Texas Performing Arts Center at the Austin campus and hosts various performances throughout the year.

When it comes to golf, Austin may be Texas' best kept secret. With diverse topography and affordable courses, including ones designed by Tom Fazio and Robert Trent Jones, it's no wonder GOLF Magazine named Austin "The Best Golf City in America" in 2008.

Every summer the Congress Avenue Bridge attracts hundreds of visitors for the emergence of the world's largest urban bat colony. The crevices beneath the bridge has made an ideal bat roost as 1.5 million bats gather in this popular spot. The bats under Austin's Bridge are Mexican free-tailed bats that migrate each spring from central Mexico to various sites throughout the southwestern part of the country. The time of year, weather conditions, and colony size all affect bat emergence times. Late July through mid-August is the best time to see impressive flights, as new born pups first begin to forage with their mothers. Helpful Information: For updates and approximate emergence times, please call the Austin American-Statesman/Bat Conservation International's - Bat Hot Line: (512) 416-5700 for the latest flight times.

In the last 22 yeas, South by Southwest (SXSW) has grown from a small, mostly unknown, music festival to one of the largest arenas to discuss (and often create) cultural trends in music, film and media. This music festival showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe, on over eighty stages, in downtown Austin. By day, conference registrants do business in the SXSW Trade Show in the Austin Convention Center and partake of a full agenda of informative, provocative panel discussions featuring hundreds of speakers from all over the globe.

In the spirit of the television program "Austin City Limits," this annual music festival is known around the world as one of the best, offering a variety of music performances, food and art, and more.

A performance by the Austin Symphony Orchestra is sure to enhance the cultural quality of your life, just as they do during every performance for the adults and young people of Austin and Central Texas. Founded in 1911, the Austin Symphony Orchestra is Austin's oldest performing arts group and offers a complete season of musical and educational programming.

Uchiko, translated as "child of Uchi" from Japanese, is the next restaurant venture for renowned executive chef and sushi master Tyson Cole. Located in central Austin, this second location of Cole's highly-praised Uchi presents the same excellence and energetic atmosphere of the original with some noteworthy additions. Uchiko will feature a new menu with Uchi's same style of innovative, fresh cuisine, a main dining room that accepts reservations throughout the evening and an eat-in bar/café area.

Sullivan's Steakhouse is a vibrant neighborhood American steakhouse featuring the finest steaks and seafood, hand shaken martinis, and live music. They offer comfortable fine dining in a lively atmosphere.

Wink has consistently been ranked in Austin as one of the best fine dining venues in town. The restaurant stresses the innovative use of the freshest ingredients in contemporary American cuisine. Seafood is flown in daily from both the east and west coasts, local farmers supply produce, herbs, and cheeses, and small local purveyors are constantly on the lookout for fresh, new product.

Eddie V's Restaurants, Inc. is setting the standard for fine dining, featuring award-winning concepts that focus on the freshest, quality ingredients, exciting atmosphere and a staff that is dedicated to every detail.

Truluck's is all about fresh seafood, juicy steaks, succulent crab and delicious wines. They are so committed to fresh crab, they have their own fisheries in Naples, Florida on the Isle of Capri. Each week the chef updates the menu with the freshest seafood available and prepares it in cooking styles covering the globe.

FINO focuses on Mediterranean cuisines, with dishes from Spain, France, Greece, Italy and North Africa. The dinner menu offers small plates (tapas) which encourage sharing and tasting many different flavors, as well as salads and big plates including seafood or quail paella.

Nestled in a grove of trees along West Riverside Drive near South Lamar Boulevard, Paggi House overlooks Lady Bird Lake and the downtown skyline. Warm and sophisticated, yet relaxed and fun, it's the ultimate spot to connect with friends over cocktails or share an intimate dinner with someone special.

Located in the hill country just west of Austin, Hudson's On The Bend, offers axis venison, wild boar, pheasant, quail, as well as trout, lobster, shrimp and Black Angus beef medallions topped with smoked lobster...and way too many wines.

Recognized as "Austin's most loved park," the Zilker Metropolitan park offers numerous recreational opportunities and hosts special events for the whole family. The Park features a miniature train, canoe riding, hike and bike trails, a natural spring-fed pool, and a variety of sports courts. It is also serves as a venue for the Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Austin Nature and Science Center, the Zilker Hillside Theatre, and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum.