Things To Do & Places To Visit in Austin, Texas
Known for Music, Food, and Much, Much, More!
Austin, the Live Music Capitol of the World® is internationally recognized for its diversity in cultural, outdoor, educational, technological, and healthcare opportunities. The state capital of Texas, Austin, will supply an endless opportunity for exploration and fun. Whether you enjoy golfing some of the country’s best courses, strolling along Lady Bird Lake at sunset with bats soaring overhead, or a lovely Hill Country sunrise with a book and coffee, Austin has you covered!
Austin History & Culture
Austin is home to world-class museums such as the Blanton or Contemporary Art at the Jones Center for your inner artistic craving. The Bob Bullock State of Texas History Museum tells Texas’s diverse and heroic history and even has an IMAX Theater. Museums such as the Mexi-Arte, Carver, and Barrientos Mexican Cultural Center showcase our varied cultural backgrounds. Off the beaten path are museums such as the Cathedral of Junk or Wonderspaces Austin, sure to delight your senses!
Austin Outdoors
If you are here for any length of time, get outdoors. Austinites love to be on the water; everything is here for you to enjoy! Kayaks and paddle boards are available on our famous Lady Bird Lake. You can watch 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats soar at sunset from the Congress Avenue Bridge. If you don’t want to be in the water but still want to be on the water, floating cruises are available as well. Soaking up the sun at the nearby spring-fed waters of Barton Springs is a must with any visit to Austin.
If a day on the lake is not your passion, you might enjoy hiking in Austin’s famed Barton Creek Greenbelt. This natural wonder offers spectacular views and challenging hikes through canyons, over vistas, and around natural rock formations along Barton Creek. Central Texas is a golfer’s paradise. Home of the PGA tour’s Dell Match Play, Austin offers the recreational golfer dozens of public golf courses. Enjoy exclusive tracks such as four courses at Barton Creek Resort or go more local with one of Austin’s municipal courses – you will find a game to your liking!
Live Music
After a fun-filled day exploring the activities Austin can offer, you can enjoy what Austin is famous for – Live Music and Food. Recognized as the Live Music Capitol of the World®, Austin has dozens of live music venues waiting for you. Austin City Limits, Moody Theater and Amphitheater, and Germania Amphitheater at Circuit of the Americas all bring some of the world’s best artists to Austin. If you happen to be in Austin in the fall, Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park should not be missed. If a more intimate setting is your thing, then take in a show at venues such as the Broken Spoke, Antones, Stubbs, or the Historic Scoot Inn. There is a show to fit your musical tastes and venue preferences every night in Austin! Each spring brings two weeks of technology, film, and music at Austin’s South by Southwest. Entertainment, educational, and business opportunities are limitless at SXSW!
Food Scene in Austin
The culinary experience in Austin is unique. From fine dining to food trucks, Austin has it all. You can enjoy artfully prepared food from world-renowned chefs at local restaurants situated all over the city. Downtown, the trendy SoCo (South Congress), revitalized East Side, or Domain in the north are just a few restaurant hot spots.
Of course, no visit to Austin would be complete without a Margherita and taco at a local Tex-Mex restaurant. Austinites love tacos and eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Matt’s El Rancho in South Austin has been serving up Rita’s and Fajitas for over 50 years and will welcome you with open arms. Other locally started Tex-Mex hangouts include Chuy’s and Maudie’s.
If you haven’t filled up on guacamole, then be sure to hit another Austin specialty – BBQ. Of course, Franklin’s is internationally known and draws aficionados from early dawn. Still, many other spots like Terry Blacks, La Barbecue, and Rudy’s will hit the spot! Further outside the city, Driftwood’s Salt Lick BBQ has been serving its sweet sauce and mouthwatering cooked meats for over 50 years.
Austin Sports
Sporting events are always a great way to get to know Austin. Austin is home to the University of Texas and the Longhorns. DKR, the Longhorns football field, holds over 100,000 fans, and gamedays have the most vibrant atmosphere. The Austin Spurs Basketball Club and Texas Stars Hockey club play at the Cedar Park Center. The Austin FC Football Club recently began playing at their state-of-art Q2 stadium. The fan experience is touted as one of the best in the country! Finally, there is the Circuit of the Americas or COTA. COTA hosts Formula 1 each fall and is one of only two United States tracks.
Austin Healthcare
Finally, there is healthcare. Austin is home to some of the world’s finest healthcare organizations and physicians. Being the home of Dell, AMD, National Instruments, and Tesla, technology and healthcare go hand-in-hand.
Austin’s healthcare community can be described as entrepreneurial, value-based, dependable, modern, disciplined, state-of-the-art, quality, and innovative. As a result, Austin ranks perennially among the country’s top patient and physician satisfaction surveys.
Dr. Tyler Goldberg has reviewed and approved this content.