Austin Landmarks
Photo by khowaga1
Bob Bullock Museum
Operated by the Texas State Preservation Board, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is a dynamic educational institution that engages visitors in the exciting Story of Texas through a variety of program and exhibit experiences. The museum is named after the legendary Texas politico who conceived the idea of a State history museum for “the greatest state in the Union.”
Approved in 1997 by the 75th Texas Legislature, the State History Museum opened on April 21, 2001 at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and North Congress Avenue in downtown Austin. The museum contains three floors of exhibits depicting Texas history through three themes: Land, Identity and Opportunity. Exhibits include historic artifacts, documents, re-creations, interactive displays and multi-media presentations.
The museum also features the “Texas Spirit Theater”, a multi-media special effects theater seating 200 and boasting three screens, fixed sets and numerous special effects scenes which will definitely make ‘the earth move’ beneath you. The main show features a multi-media journey through the history of Texas entitled “The Star of Destiny.” The Star of Destiny focuses on Texas stories of perseverance. Historic events such as the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 come to life with sets, special lighting, and amazing sound effects. Seats shake as visitors witness a gusher exploding from an East Texas oil derrick and the takeoff of Saturn V as seen from Mission Control at the LBJ Space Center in Houston.
The State History Museum features Austin’s only IMAX Theatre. This 400-seat, state-of-the-art theatre uses innovative IMAX technology to create the ultimate film experience. Unlike many IMAX theatres, the museum’s is equipped with an IMAX Projector that has both 2D and 3D capabilities. With its own separate entrance, the Theatre is able to operate independently of the Museum and remains open in the evenings with extended hours on weekends.
Bat Colony – Congress Avenue Bridge
Located about a mile south of the Capitol, this is the ideal spot to view bat flights from mid-March to November, especially during late summer. With a peak population of 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats, the Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. Bring a blanket and head down to the Austin American Statesman’s Bat Observation area to watch the bats take flight at sundown.
The Drag
To understand UT campus life and its contribution to the city’s laid-back feel, take a stroll down the busy section of Guadalupe Street that runs along the western edge of UT’s campus between 21st and 28th Streets, more commonly known as The Drag. It has traditionally been home to more underground bookstores, tattoo parlors, clothing resale stores and other eclectic shops. Now, The Drag is also home to the University Co-Op and other fast food stops. There is plenty of shopping and good people watching to be found on The Drag.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
To understand UT campus life and its contribution to the city’s laid-back feel, take a stroll down the busy section of Guadalupe Street that runs along the western edge of UT’s campus between 21st and 28th Streets, more commonly known as The Drag. It has traditionally been home to more underground bookstores, tattoo parlors, clothing resale stores and other eclectic shops. Now, The Drag is also home to the University Co-Op and other fast food stops. There is plenty of shopping and good people watching to be found on The Drag.
The Governor’s Mansion
Adjacent to the Capitol grounds sits the Governor’s Mansion, Texas’ premier historic home. The mansion has been the official residence of Texas governors and their families since 1856. Designed by Richard Payne and built by well-known Texas master builder, Abner Cook, it is the nation’s fourth oldest continuously occupied governors’ mansion. While the Texas Historical Commission is responsible for the preservation and maintenance of the Governor’s Mansion, it belongs to all Texans and is open to the public for tours.
Note from the website: The Governor's Mansion closed for major deferred maintenance on the historical structure in October 2008. A fire on June 8, 2008 damaged the entire building, which will require structural restoration on a schedule yet to be determined. Tour information will be posted on this website when tours resume. For more information on the Texas Governor's Mansion and the restoration fund, please go to www.texasgovernorsmansion.org
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (formerly the National Wildflower Research Center), was founded in 1982 to educate people about the environmental necessity, economic value, and natural beauty of native plants. The Wildflower Center is a non-profit educational organization headquartered in Austin with links to native plant societies and environmental organizations across the country and around the world.
The headquarters in Austin combines native plants with local culture, reflecting the specifics and peculiarities of Central Texas Hill Country ecosystems.
Littlefield Building
Civil War hero George Washington Littlefield built this ornate and modern structure in 1910. He later added another floor when a neighboring building also reached 8 stories. It was, for the time, the tallest building between New Orleans and San Francisco.
LBJ Library & Museum
The LBJ Library and Museum boasts the most visitors of all presidential libraries. Administered by the National Archives & Records Administration, it houses two major operations: The Library, with 45 million historical documents used by scholars; and the Museum, which provides year-round public viewing of historical exhibits.
The library houses forty five million pages of historical documents which include the papers from the entire public career of Lyndon Baines Johnson and also from those of close associates.
Mayfield Park
Mayfield Park sits on 23 acres overlooking the Colorado River. It consists of a two-acre formal garden area of native plants, graceful palm trees, rock gardens and lily ponds surrounded by a nature preserve. Developed by Milton and Mary Mayfield Gutsch and their partner, Esteban Arredondo in the 1920s and 1930s, today it is operated by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department.
It includes 2 acres of colorful cottage gardens with towering palm trees, brilliant peacocks and delicate water lilies, as well as 21 acres of nature preserve, walking trails and wildlife habitat.
Moonlight Towers
These 17, seven-story towers located throughout downtown served as street lighting in the 1890s. Maps are available from the Austin Visitors information Center. The towers celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1995. Austin-based writer/director Richard Linklater used one of the moonlight towers as one of the main settings in his 1993 film Dazed and Confused. The scene inspired the line, "Party at the moontower."
Mount Bonnell
Climb the 99 steps up 785 feet to one of the highest spots in the city limits. Overlooking the 360 bridge on Lake Austin and West Lake Hills, this one of the most picturesque and romantic spots in town. For the best views, go at dawn or dusk.
Pennybacker Bridge
Austin’s Pennybacker Bridge is truly an extraordinary site. Designed by David McDonald, it was the only bridge of its kind in the United States when it opened on December 3, 1982. It was the last link to completing Austin’s first highway loop circling the city, which utilizes US 183, Hwy 71, Capital of Texas Hwy., and Loop 360. Its unique features include its Korean made steel designed to rust to a striking amber color and its unique structure which spans Lake Austin without any parts touching the water. If you’re dropping by the Pennybacker Bridge, consider stopping at Mt. Bonnell which is just a short ride away.
Old Pecan Street / Sixth Street
The blocks of 6th street located between Mopac and IH 35 are one of Austin’s main entertainment centers. Along with its like-minded sister streets, 6th street is home to Austin’s live entertainment scene, as well as restaurants, clubs and shops.
Sixth Street, formerly known as Pecan Street, is lined with many historical houses and commercial buildings dating from the late 1800's and early 1900's. These buildings now house the many bars, tattoo parlors, and other various shops, along with famous and historic, Driskill hotel.
East Sixth Street tends to draw the young UT students and is usually rowdy and loud, especially on Thursday nights. West Sixth Street offers more restaurants and shops, along with some larger bars filled with 20-and-30-somethings on the weekend.
Great events like the Austin Mardi Gras celebration, SXSW, The Republic of Texas Bikers Rally, the Pecan Street Festival and Sixth's Street infamous Halloween celebration all make for great times with great people.
St. David’s Church
Built in 1854, and one of the oldest Episcopal churches west of the Mississippi, this building was originally simple Gothic Revival in limestone rubble. It was remodeled in 1870 to its current configuration. Some of the windows are tiffany creations. Allegedly, funds were donated by gamblers for the original building.
St Edward's University
St. Edward’s University is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of about 5,300 students in South Austin. It was founded in 1885 by the priest who founded Notre Dame University. St. Edward’s Main Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a Texas Historical Landmark. St. Edward's offers 11 master's degree programs and five bachelor's degrees in more than 50 areas of study through the schools of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Education, Humanities, Management and Business, and Natural Sciences.
Stevie Ray Vaughan Statue
The statue commemorates blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose life was cut tragically short in a 1990 helicopter crash. In 1994, the city of Austin erected the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue at Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake, the site of a number of Vaughan's concerts. It has become one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
“It did not take long for Stevie Ray Vaughan the man to be replaced in the public eye by Stevie Ray Vaughan, the legend. Dying under such tragic circumstances after overcoming his own personal battles with the demons of booze and drugs elevated him to something just short of sainthood.” – Joe Nick Patoski and Bill Crawford, Caught in the Crossfire.
Texas State Capitol
Open Tuesday – Friday, 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday, 10am to 5 pm. Admission is Free
Located in the center of Austin, the State Capitol represents a grand part of our heritage and is considered a national treasure. Built over a three-year period between 1885 and 1888, and designed by Detroit architect Elijah E. Myers, this majestic granite building is the nation’s largest domed state capitol. An extraordinary edifice by any measure, the 1888 Texas Capitol is the largest in gross square footage of all state capitols and is second in total size only to the National Capitol in Washington, D.C. Like several other state capitols, the 1888 Texas Capitol surpasses the National Capitol in height, rising almost 15 feet above its Washington counterpart.
On the southeast grounds of the Capitol sits the oldest surviving state office structure, the Texas General Land Office Building. Built in 1856-57, it served the Land Office until about 1917. The building originally housed the maps and records of the state’s vast public lands. Following an early 1990s architectural restoration, the building today houses the Capitol Visitor’s Center.
The Historic Texas Capitol Complex includes the Capitol and Capitol Extension, the General Land Office Building, their contents and grounds. The Visitor’s Center, housed in the General Land Office Building, is a visitor’s introduction to the Texas Capitol and a reflection of Texas Heritage. It tells the story of the Capitol: of its design, construction, contents, restoration, and place in Texas government through the years.
In 1993, the $75 million underground Capitol Extension was completed to the north, doubling the square footage available to Capitol occupants and providing much improved functionality. In 1995, a comprehensive interior and exterior restoration of the original building was completed at a cost of approximately $98 million. Finally, in 1997, the park-like grounds surrounding the Capitol were given a much needed $8 million renovation and restoration.
Treaty Oak
The 500-year old Treaty Oak, the lone remaining member of the Council Oaks – a grove of live oaks sacred to the Tonkawa and Comanche Native Americans – was nearly killed after a deliberate poisoning in 1989. Austinities and people worldwide banded together to save the tree, whose stature is equal to the lore that surrounds it. Only about one-quarter of the majestic tree stands.
A Native American legend holds that the Council Oaks were a location for the launching of war and peace parties. Legends also hold that women of the Tejas tribewould drink a tea made from honey and the acorns of the oaks to ensure the safety of warriors in battle.
University of Texas Tower
For many years, this symbol of the University of Texas dominated the Austin skyline as the tallest structure in the city. Today it houses the administrative offices and the Office of the President of the University. An American historical site and symbol of optimism, the Tower has recently been reopened so vistors can safely enjoy awesome Austin views from the observation deck.
The 304-foot tower was designed by Paul Philippe Cret. Completed in 1937, the Main Building is located in the middle of campus. At the top of the tower is a carillon of 56 bells, the largest in Texas. Songs are played on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays by resident carilloneurs Tom Anderson and Chris Humphrey, in addition to the usual pealing of Westminster Quarters every quarter hour between 6 AM and 9 PM.
On August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman, an architectural engineering major at the University, barricaded himself in the observation deck of the tower of the Main Building with a scoped Remington 700 deer rifle and various other weapons. In a 96-minute stand-off, Whitman killed 14 Austin residents and wounded many more.
The Driskill
The Driskill Hotel, a Romanesque style building completed in 1886, is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, and one of the best-known hotels in Texas generally. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing "the finest hotel south of St. Louis" Many ghost stories surround the Driskill, making it a main stop for any ghost tour.
Lady Bird Lake
The reservoir was formed in 1960 by the construction of Longhorn Dam at its eastern boundary by the City of Austin. The western end of the lake is bounded by Tom Miller Dam, built in 1939. The lake was created for several reasons, including the need for a cooling pond for the Holly Street Power Plant. The reservoir was also envisioned from the beginning as a recreational venue for the city.
By the 1970s, Town Lake and its shoreline had become neglected, polluted and overgrown with weeds. KTBC referred the lake an "eyesore." During his two terms in office (1971-1975), the Mayor of Austin Roy Butler partnered with former United States First Lady Lady Bird Johnson to establish the Town Lake Beautification Committee with the purpose of transforming the Town Lake area into a usuable recreation area. A system of hike and bike trails was built along the shoreline of the lake in the 1970s, establishing (what was then known as) Town Lake as a major recreational attraction for the city of Austin.
On July 26, 2007, the Austin City Council passed a resolution authorizing the renaming of the reservoir from Town Lake to Lady Bird Lake in honor of Lady Bird Johnson, the former First Lady of the United States and a long-time resident of the Austin area who had died earlier that month. Johnson had declined the honor of having the lake renamed for her during her life. In renaming the lake, the City Council recognized Johnson for her dedication to beautifying the lake and her efforts to create a recreational trail system around the lake's shoreline.
Lady Bird Lake is the easternmost lake of a chain of reservoirs on the Colorado River. This chain, known locally as the Texas Highland Lakes, also includes Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, and Lake Austin.
South Congress
South Congress, also known as SoCo is a neighborhood South of Lady Bird Lake on Congress Avenue. It was first established in the 1850s, but became revitalized during the 1980s and 1990s to become a shopping district. More recently, it has become known as the funky and trendy part of Austin. It contains shops, restaurants and music venues, as well as a trailer park square filled with food trucks serving tacos, falafel, cupcakes and more.
Barton Creek Greenbelt
The Barton Creek Greenbelt is managed by the City of Austin's Park and Recreation Department and is considered the seventh best hiking trail in Texas. The Greenbelt is a 7.25-mile stretch of public land that begins at Zilker Park and stretches North to the final section commonly referred to at "The Hill of Life" which ends in the Woods of Westlake Subdivision.2 The Barton Creek Greenbelt consists of three areas: the Lower Greenbelt, the Upper Greenbelt and the Barton Creek Wilderness Park and is characterized by large limestone cliffs, dense foliage, and shallow bodies of water.
Barton Creek is a very popular area which is 7.9 miles long and 809 acres. With sheer cliff walls, lush vegetation and popular swimming areas, the Barton Creek greenbelt is truly a treasure. When the water in the creek is running this is a fantastic walk. The easiest access point is the Loop 360 access with gently sloping cutback trails so that everyone can enjoy the trail.
Zilker Park
At Zilker Park you can enjoy the pleasures of a jaunt along a creek, an afternoon picnicking under a tree, a dip in Barton Springs or a hike up a rocky path. On any given Saturday afternoon the 351 acre park is hopping with life – swimmers, soccer players, sunbathers, canoeists, picnickers, cyclists, hikers and mountain bikers.
On the northeast corner of the park, overlooking the river, is a place called Lou Neff point, a vine covered spot where you are able to see the city skyline and feed the ducks.
The Zilker Zephyr is a mini train that will take you through the entire park. Weather permitting; it operates year round, seven days a week from 10 am to sunset.
Also at Zilker Park:
Barton Springs Pool
Three acres in size, the pool is fed from under ground springs and is on average 68 degrees year round. Over the years, Barton Springs Pool has drawn people from all walks of life, from legislators who have concocted state laws there to free-spirited topless sunbathers who turned heads in the seventies.
Millions of years ago Barton Springs, the fourth largest natural springs in the state, was created as a result of a land shift that created the Balcones Fault. Barton Springs Pool has been a popular swimming hole for decades, but even more people showed up once it became part of a city park in 1917. In 1929, workers enlarged the irregular-shaped pool to 1,000 feet long by building a concrete lower dam and sidewalks on both banks. In 1932, the city added an upper dam.
Many approach a dip in Barton Springs Pool's chilly 68 degrees water with a religious zeal. Devotees relish swimming in the roomy expanse of spring water, framed by century-old pecan trees. Those who plunge down under the diving board to look at the main spring, which pumps an average of 27 million gallons of water a day, say that the pulsating action reminds them of a steady heartbeat.
Zilker Botanical Gardens
The Zilker Botanical Gardens is an urban oasis. These lush 31 acres overlook the Zilker park playing fields. The Botanical Gardens are actually made up of many different gardens including the City of Austin's Green Garden, Cactus and Succulent Garden, Hartman Prehistoric Garden, Herb and Fragrance Garden, Isamu Taniguchi Oriental Garden, Mabel Davis Rose Garden, Doug Blachly Butterfly Trail and Garden, and the Pioneer Village. The popular Taniguchi Garden was built by Isamu Taniguchi who retired here in the 1960s. Taniguchi spent over a year without pay or compensation building the garden treasure. The garden has a waterfall, a running stream, ponds and bridges. More than 200,000 people a year stroll through the lush vegetation that is the Zilker Botanical Garden. The Gardens are irresistible any time of the year, but are particularly beautiful in the spring.
Zilker Nature Preserve
Located at the west end of Zilker Park, the 60-acre Zilker Nature Preserve is made up of a meadow, flowing stream, and a high cliff face. The habitat above the cliff is typical of the dry Edwards Plateau. Croton Brush, Myrtle Croton, and Mountain Laurel are abundant. An overlook trail offers a spectacular view of downtown Austin. For hiking and nature enthusiasts, two miles of trails take a hiker through a wooded area filled with Spanish Moss-covered trees.
Zilker Boat Rentals
A unique way to take in the scenic beauty of Zilker Park is to rent a boat for a few hours. The Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park Boat Rentals are located near Barton Springs and offer canoes and kayak rentals by the hour. You can paddle down Barton Springs until it empties into Lady Bird Lake, and then wind along Lady Bird Lake. A favorite path is to glide under the Congress Avenue Bridge, where the bats reside. Water currents are not a problem, so even the less experienced can manage to maneuver along the lake. Notice the turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, and soak up some of the natural Austin beauty that makes the city such a wonderful place to live.
Athletic Fields
Zilker Park offers soccer fields, sand volley ball courts, 1 rugby field, softball fields, and a 9-hole disc golf course. The park offers 5 reserveable areas.
Texas Botanical Garden Society
The Texas Botanical Garden Society is headquartered in the Zilker Botanical Gardens and is involved in education, research and the preservation of nature. The Society is affiliated with the Austin Area Garden Council, the American Association of Botanical Gardens & Arboreta, the American Horticultural Society and the Association of Texas Botanical Gardens.