What are the best things to do in Austin?

The sights we could check are the Texas State Capitol, the bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge, Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park, the Lady Bird Lake trail, Mount Bonnell, the LBJ Presidential Library, the Bullock Texas State History Museum and Hamilton Pool. Each has its source below.

What are the free things to do in Austin?

The Capitol tours and the self-guided visit are free, says the State Preservation Board. Watching the bats from the Bat Observation Area is free. Mount Bonnell has no fee, and the city page for the Butler Trail lists none. Zilker Park lists no entry fee, but weekend parking costs $3 an hour in season.

When do the bats come out in Austin?

Texas Parks and Wildlife says boat viewing runs seven nights a week from March through October. The Bat Observation Area is open all year. Bat Conservation International volunteers are there on one or two weekend evenings a month from May through September. The page gives no nightly times, so we cannot give a time. The date range also varies by source and by weather.

Do you need a car in Austin?

Not for downtown. CapMetro runs Route 20 from the airport to downtown for $1.25 a ride, and the Capitol, the bridge, the Bullock Museum and the LBJ Library are in the center. A car helps for Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs. We did not find a bus to it.

Where should I stay in Austin?

Downtown if you want to walk to the Capitol, the bridge and the music streets. South Congress or the Zilker area if you want the lake trail and Barton Springs close by. This is our read of the map. We checked no hotel rates.

How much does Barton Springs Pool cost?

The city page lists adults 18 to 62 at $5 for residents and $9 for non-residents, ages 12 to 17 at $3 and $5, ages 1 to 11 at $2 and $4, and seniors at $2 and $5. Honorably discharged veterans and infants are free. The pool closes for cleaning on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The city says fees are generally charged from Austin school spring break through the end of October.

Do you need a reservation for Hamilton Pool?

Yes. Travis County says reservations are required every day of the week. The online fee is $12 a vehicle, for up to 8 people. The entrance fee is paid in cash on arrival, $8 per adult. Swimming is not guaranteed, because it depends on bacteria levels and rain.

How much is the bus from Austin airport to downtown?

$1.25 a ride on CapMetro Route 20, says CapMetro. The page lists a 35 minute ride to downtown, with buses every 15 to 30 minutes. CapMetro says fares go up on 10 January 2027 and does not give the new prices on the fares page.

Things to Do in Austin

The things to do in Austin that we could check are the Texas State Capitol, the bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge, Barton Springs Pool, Mount Bonnell, the LBJ Library, the Bullock Museum and Hamilton Pool. You can do most of the center without a car, using the $1.25 CapMetro bus. We read each official page on 15 October 2026.

The sights, with address, hours and price

Texas State Capitol

Address: Street address not shown on the tour page we read. Tour office phone (512) 463-0063 (State Preservation Board, Capitol Tours page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: Guided tours start at 9:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday and 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. The last tour is at 4:15 p.m. every day. Self-guided visits Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day (same page)

Price: Free. The page says "Capitol Tours are free," and self-guided visits are free too (same page)

Individual visitors do not seem to need a reservation. The page asks groups of more than 10 to call. Building hours can be longer during the legislative session.

Congress Avenue Bridge bats

Address: The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge crosses Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. The Texas Parks and Wildlife page gives no street address (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Congress Avenue Bridge page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: Boat viewing runs seven nights a week from March through October. The Bat Observation Area is open all year. The page gives no nightly times, so check the Austin Bat Refuge site for the exit time (same page)

Price: Viewing from the Austin American-Statesman's Bat Observation Area is free. Parking in the lot near it costs money. Bat cruises cost $5 to $10, says the page, which is not dated

Bat Conservation International volunteers are at the viewing area on one or two weekend evenings a month from May through September, says the same page. Other guides give different start and end dates, from late February to early November. We could not confirm one exact season.

Barton Springs Pool

Address: Inside Zilker Park. The City of Austin page gives no street address. Zilker Metropolitan Park is at 2100 Barton Springs Road (City of Austin, Barton Springs Pool and Zilker Park pages, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: Every day except Thursday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Guarded swimming is 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Thursday the pool is closed for cleaning from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (City of Austin, Visit Barton Springs page)

Price: Adult (18 to 62) $5 for residents, $9 for non-residents. Junior (12 to 17) $3 and $5. Child (1 to 11) $2 and $4. Senior (62 and over) $2 and $5. Infants and honorably discharged veterans free (same page; the page has no date). The city's pool fees page says fees are generally charged from Austin school spring break through the end of October

The pool is three acres, fed by springs, with an average water temperature of 68 to 70 degrees, says the city. It is also home to the endangered Barton Springs salamander. Since 30 May 2024, cash entries and kiosk sales are at the Zilker Cafe building, and the entry is east of the bathhouse until construction ends.

Zilker Park

Address: 2100 Barton Springs Road (City of Austin, Zilker Metropolitan Park page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: City parks are open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless posted (same page)

Price: The page lists no entry fee. On weekends and holidays from the first Saturday of spring break through Labor Day, parking is $3 an hour at pay stations or in the Park ATX app (same page)

The page lists Barton Springs Pool, the Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Austin Nature and Science Center, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, the Zilker Playscape, a disc golf course and the Butler Trail inside the park. We did not check hours or prices for those other sites.

Lady Bird Lake trail and kayaking

Address: Trail access points vary. The Boardwalk can be reached at International Shores Park, 1820 S. Lakeshore Blvd. Rowing Dock's page gives directions to its dock on Stratford Drive but no street address (City of Austin, Butler Trail page, and rowingdock.com rental page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: The Boardwalk is open 5 a.m. to midnight. Rowing Dock lists no regular hours on its kayak page (same pages)

Price: The city page lists no fee for the trail. Rowing Dock lists a single kayak at $20 an hour or $45 a day, a double at $25 an hour or $55 a day, and a pedal kayak at $30 an hour. Bring a photo ID and a matching credit card, and sign a waiver at the dock (same pages)

The city calls the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail "the 10-mile loop trail" and says the Wishbone Bridge was completed in 2026. The city's closures page says highway crews will close the south shore boardwalk at I-35 for one week starting as early as 18 October 2026, then limit access on part of it through early 2027. Parts of the north shore trail near I-35 and the Confluence are also rerouted. Check that page before a long walk.

South Congress

South Congress is the shopping and food street south of the lake. We found no official page to read, so we give no hours, prices or address range. Travel guides describe boutiques, food trucks and the Continental Club, which one guide says has had live music since 1955. We could not confirm that.

Sixth Street and the Red River music district

Sixth Street is a National Register historic district of bars, restaurants and live music, says the Austin tourism site. That site says it is closed to through traffic Thursday through Saturday nights. City of Austin material says the street was reopened to cars in a pilot, and that police can still close it when crowds are large. The two sources disagree, so we cannot say which is current. The Red River Cultural District is nearby. We could not read its official site, so we give no venue hours or ticket prices. Each venue sets its own.

LBJ Presidential Library

Address: 2313 Red River St., Austin, TX 78705. Free visitor parking in lot 38 (LBJ Presidential Library, visit page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Last visitor admitted at 4:00 p.m. (same page)

Price: Adult $16, seniors 62 and over $12, college students and ages 13 to 18 $6, former or retired military and K to 12 teachers $8, children under 12 free. Tuesdays are half price. ID is required for discounts (same page)

Bullock Texas State History Museum

Address: 1800 N. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701 (Bullock Museum, visit page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibitions close on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter (same page)

Price: Museum admission: adult $22, student, military or senior 65 and over $18, youth 6 to 17 $16. Children 5 and under are free. IMAX films cost extra. An adult pays $10 for a documentary and $17 for a feature film. Garage parking is $15 for the day (same page)

Mount Bonnell

Address: Covert Park at Mount Bonnell. The city page we read shows a map link and no street address. Other guides give 3800 Mount Bonnell Road, which we did not confirm on a city page (City of Austin, Historic Austin Parks page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: Daily 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (same page)

Price: The city page lists park hours and no fee. We did not find an official page that says in words that it is free

Mount Bonnell is a 784-foot rise on Lake Austin. You climb stone stairs to the top for views of the lake, downtown and the western hills, says the city.

Hamilton Pool Preserve

Address: 24300 Hamilton Pool Road, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 (Travis County Parks, Hamilton Pool page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Hours: Two reservation periods. Morning 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., exit by 1:00 p.m. Afternoon 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., exit by 6:00 p.m. (same page)

Price: Online reservation $12 per vehicle, for up to 8 people. Entrance fee paid in cash on arrival: $8 per adult (13 to 61), $3 senior (62 and over), free for ages 12 and under. All fees are non-refundable (same page)

Reservations are required every day. Swimming depends on bacteria levels and recent rain, and there is no lifeguard. The county says water can drop below 50 degrees in winter and spring. The trail under the overhanging cliff is closed for safety, so you can reach the beach but not the area under the waterfall. The entrance fee is cash only. Pets are not allowed, not even in your car.

Free things to do in Austin

Texas State Capitol tours and self-guided visit.
The Bat Observation Area at the Congress Avenue Bridge. Parking near it is not free.
Mount Bonnell. The city page lists no fee.
The Butler Trail around Lady Bird Lake. The city page lists no fee.
Zilker Park. No entry fee is listed, but weekend parking costs $3 an hour in season.
The LBJ Library is free for children under 12. Tuesdays are half price for everyone else.

Austin with kids

Bullock Museum: children under 6 are free and youth 6 to 17 pay $16.
LBJ Library: children under 12 are free.
Hamilton Pool: ages 12 and under pay no entrance fee, but the car still needs a $12 reservation.
Barton Springs: ages 1 to 11 pay $2 for residents and $4 for non-residents.
Zilker Park has a playscape, says the city page.

CapMetro says kids under 18 ride free.

Where to stay in Austin

We did not check any hotel's rate or room list, so we give no prices. This is our read of the sight addresses above.

Area	What it is near
Downtown	The Capitol, the Congress Avenue Bridge, Sixth Street, the Bullock Museum, the LBJ Library
South Congress	South Congress shops and food, a walk or short ride to the bridge
Zilker and Barton Springs	The pool, the Butler Trail, Rowing Dock kayaks
Near the airport	Route 20 bus stop at baggage claim, a 35 minute ride to downtown

Downtown suits a first visit with no car. The Zilker area suits a trip built around the lake and the pool. Check your own dates, because rates in Austin change with events.

Getting around Austin

CapMetro, the local transit agency, lists these fares, read 15 Oct 2026. A local ride on bus, Rapid or Pickup is $1.25. A day costs $2.50 (the service day runs 4 a.m. to 3:59 a.m.). A month is $41.25. Commuter rail and express rides are $3.50, with a $7 daily cap. The reduced local fare is $0.60 a ride. Kids under 18 ride free. The page says fares go up on 10 January 2027.

The page says that after you pay for two rides, the rest of your rides that service day are free.

Airport to downtown

CapMetro Route 20 serves Austin-Bergstrom Airport. The fare is $1.25 with no surge pricing. The page lists a 35 minute ride to downtown, with buses every 15 to 30 minutes, seven days a week. The airport stop is on the lower level outside baggage claim. Late at night, Route 483 Night Owl runs from after midnight until 4 a.m. We did not find first and last Route 20 times on that page. We did not read any taxi or rideshare fare, so we give none.

Do I need a car in Austin?

Not for downtown. The Capitol, the bridge, the Bullock Museum, the LBJ Library, Sixth Street and the lake trail are all in or near the center, and Route 20 links the airport. CapMetro lists local bus, Rapid and commuter rail service. A car or a rideshare helps for Hamilton Pool, which is at 24300 Hamilton Pool Road in Dripping Springs. We did not find a bus to it. If you drive, Zilker Park charges $3 an hour on weekends in season, and the Bullock garage charges $15 a day.

Best time to visit Austin

These are NOAA 1991 to 2020 monthly normals for the Austin Camp Mabry station, read from the NCEI data service on 15 October 2026. Highs and lows are in degrees Fahrenheit.

Month	Average high	Average low	Rain (inches)
March	73.3	52.2	2.88
April	80.3	58.9	2.42
July	96.6	75.0	1.96
October	82.5	60.8	3.91

August is the hottest month at 97.8 degrees on average. March and April sit at 73 to 80 degrees, and October at about 82. The bat season on the Texas Parks and Wildlife page runs March through October, so the cooler months overlap with it. This is our reading of the numbers, not an official ranking.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 15 October 2026: the State Preservation Board's Capitol Tours page, Texas Parks and Wildlife's Congress Avenue Bridge page, the City of Austin pages for Barton Springs Pool, pool fees, Zilker Metropolitan Park, the Butler Trail, park closures and Historic Austin Parks, rowingdock.com's kayak page, the LBJ Presidential Library visit page, the Bullock Museum visit page, Travis County's Hamilton Pool page, CapMetro's fares page and airport page, the Austin tourism site's Sixth Street page, and NOAA NCEI 1991 to 2020 monthly normals.

Not confirmed: the Capitol street address, exact bat exit times and season dates, the South Congress and Red River Cultural District details, current Sixth Street traffic rules, Mount Bonnell's street address and a written statement that it is free, the hours and prices of the Zilker park sites, Route 20 first and last times, any taxi or rideshare fare, and any hotel rate. The Barton Springs and Texas Parks and Wildlife pages carry no date. Prices and hours change, so check the operator's page for your date. We did not visit Austin for this page.