Travel
Attractions
- Texas State Capitol
- The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
- Mexic – Arte Museum
- Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum
- Congress Avenue Bridge Bats
- Zilker Botanical Gardens
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Sixth Street Entertainment
Texas State Capitol
About
The Texas Capitol is an impressive example of late 19th century public architecture. It is widely recognized as one of the nation's most distinguished state capitols. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 for its "significant contribution to American history." 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.
The Texas Capitol is cited as one of Austin's highest points. It anchors the northern periphery of the downtown commercial district and commands a sweeping view towards the Colorado River from its southern façade. The main campus of The University of Texas at Austin is situated four blocks to the north. Wonderful views of the Capitol's dome from many vantage points throughout the Austin area are protected from obscuration by state law.
It was completed in 1888. As the winning design from a national competition, the Capitol's style is Renaissance Revival, based on the architecture of 15th-century Italy and characterized by classical orders, round arches and symmetrical composition. The structural exterior is "sunset red" granite, quarried just 50 miles from the site. Additional structural support is provided by masonry walls and cast iron columns and beams. The foundation is limestone. Texas paid for the construction not in dollars, but in land: some three million acres in the Texas Panhandle that would later become the famous XIT Ranch.
1100 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, Texas 78711
Telephone: 512.463.2000
Hours
- Visitors Center: Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm, Sun Noon-5pm
- Capitol & Extension: M-F 7am-10pm | S/S 9am-8pm
- Capitol Tour Guide Office: M-F 8am-5pm | Sat 9:30am-3:30pm; Sun Noon-3:30pm
Admission: free.
Transportation
By Foot: The Capitol is 0.4 miles away from the hotel. Head north on Sabine Street toward E 12th St. Turn left at 12th Street and then turn left at San Jacinto Blvd.
Web Link: http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/spb/capitol/texcap.htm
The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
About
Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the museum tells the “Story of Texas” with three floors of interactive exhibits, the special effects show, The Star of Destiny, in the Texas Spirit Theater, and Austin's only IMAX Theatre, featuring the signature large-format film, Texas: The Big Picture. A 35-foot-tall bronze Lone Star sculpture greets visitors in front of the Museum, and a colorful terrazzo floor in the Museum’s rotunda features a campfire scene with enduring themes from Texas’ past. The Museum also has a Cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and a Museum Store with something for the Texan in everyone. The driving force behind the creation of the museum was former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock. The Museum is a division of the 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 provides a new kind of history experience -- one that recognizes that Texas is unique because of its history.
1800 N Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78711
Telephone: 512.936.8746
e-mail: contactus@TheStoryofTexas.com
Hours
Monday through Saturday 9 am - 6 pm Sunday 12 - 6 pm
Admission - Single Venue Tickets
| Exhibit Areas | IMAX Theatre | Texas Spirit Theater | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult (ages 19 through 64) | $5.50 | $7.00 | $5.00 |
| Youth (ages 5-18) | $3.00 | $5.00 | $3.50 |
| Child (ages 3-4) | Free | $5.00 | $3.50 |
| Senior (ages 65+)/Military | $4.50 | $6.00 | $4.00 |
| Museum Members | Free | Free | Free |
Transportation
By Foot: The museum is 0.9 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th St toward Red River Street. Turn right at Red River Street, then left at E 15th St. Turn right at Congress Ave.
Mexic – Arte Museum
About
Mexic – Arte Museum is centrally located in downtown Austin. It features works that have a connection to Mexico and Latin America. Exhibits range from art to theater. The permanent collection includes artifacts and photographs relating to Mexican-American culture and recent exhibits include photographs from the 1910 Mexican Revolution and other works by Mexican artists. Guest artists and performers tackle contemporary issues such as ethnicity, religion, and politics. A small gift shop carrying books, artwork and handmade imports is located near the entrance.
419 Congress Ave.
Austin, Texas 78768
Telephone: 512.480.9373
Hours
Mon. - Thurs. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Fri. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Admission: free.
Transportation
By Foot: The museum is 0.9 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street toward Red River Street, then turn left at Congress Avenue.
Web Link: www.mexic-artemuseum.org
Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
About
This garden and museum in the south end of Zilker Park has more than 130 works of Charles Umlauf in the house where he lived and worked. Umlauf, who taught at the University of Texas Art Department from 1941 to 1981, created an incredibly diverse body of work that ranged in style from realistic to abstract. He used such unlikely materials as granite, marble, bronze, wood, and terra cotta. Umlauf’s subjects were equally wide-ranging, from religious figures to nudes, from whimsical animals to family groupings.
605 Robert E. Lee Road
Austin, Texas 78704
Tel. 512-445-5582
E-mail: tours@umlaufsculpture.org
Hours
Monday – Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Friday: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Saturday – Sunday: 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Admission
- General: $3.50
- Seniors: $2.50
- Students: $1.00
- Free to members and children under 6 years.
Transportation
By Foot: The garden and museum is 0.6 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street toward Red River Street and turn left at Guadalupe Street. Then take a right at W 6th Street and a left at North Lamar Blvd. Take a right at Barton Springs Road and then left at Robert Lee Road.
Web Link: www.umlaufsculpture.org
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum
About
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum is one of eleven presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. The famous library houses forty 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. These papers and the vast administrative files from the presidency are used primarily by scholars. The museum features year-round public viewing of its permanent historical and cultural exhibits. In addition, special activities and exhibits are sponsored privately by the Friends of the LBJ Library and its parent organization, the LBJ Foundation.
2313 Red River St.
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 721-0200
Hours
- Museum: Open every day, (except Christmas) 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Reading Room: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Closed Saturday, Sunday, and on Federal Holidays.
Admission: free
Transportation
By Foot: The library and museum is 0.6 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street toward Red River Street and turn left at Guadalupe Street. Then take a right at W 6th Street and a left at North Lamar Blvd and a right at Barton Springs Road and then left at Robert Lee Road.
Web Link: http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu
Congress Avenue Bridge Bats
About
The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America and it spans Town Lake in downtown Austin. The colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Every night from mid-March to November, the bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food. This event has quickly become one of the most spectacular and unusual tourist attractions in Texas. The most spectacular bat flights are during hot, dry August nights, when multiple columns of bats emerge. There are several points from which to view the event, and an information kiosk is located on the north bank of the river, just east of the bridge.
Bat Conservation International
P.O. Box 162603
Austin, Texas 78716
512.327.9721
Transportation
By Foot: Congress Avenue is one of three major bridges that connect downtown Austin to the South side of Town Lake. It is 0.4 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street toward Red River Street and then turn left at Congress Avenue.
Zilker Botanical Gardens
About
These gardens are the result of a uniquely Austin collaboration of the City of Austin's Parks and Recreation Department and the HYPERLINK "http://www.zilkergarden.org/aagc/aagc.html"Austin Area Garden Council. They feature a number of different gardens, including the two newest: the HYPERLINK "http://www.zilkergarden.org/gardens/dino.html"Hartman Prehistoric Garden, installed in the area where dinosaur tracks were found in 1992, and the HYPERLINK "http://www.zilkergarden.org/gardens/greengarden.html"Green Garden, with areas planted by different local designers with native and well-adapted plants that thrive in Austin's challenging soils and climate. The ADA Trail of Passages meanders back and forth through beds of both native and introduced plantings, leading to the Rose garden. The HYPERLINK "http://www.zilkergarden.org/gardens/oriental.html"Taniguchi Oriental Garden is a unique component of the botanical garden.
The garden is located on 31 acres of varied topography on the south bank of the Colorado River near downtown Austin. Its diverse topography is especially suited to depicting different habitats and displaying an array of native, hybrid and exotic plants. The Garden is the centerpiece of Zilker Park and the Town Lake (Colorado River) corridor and is its most extensively used facility. Over 300,000 people annually visit the gardens from across Texas and the U.S., as well as over 100 countries.
2220 Barton Springs Drive
Austin, Texas 78746
512.477.8672
Email: webmaster@zilkergarden.org
Hours
Open every day 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. (depending on the season)
Admission: fees apply for certain events — please call 512.477.8672 for more information.
Transportation
Capital Metro has a weekend bus route providing passengers a safe, easy way to travel between Austin's many cultural, historic and outdoor attractions.
Web Link: http://www.zilkergarden.org/
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
About
This is a botanical garden in Austin, Texas, dedicated to native plants. The center’s vision for the future is to preserve and restore the natural beauty and biological richness of North America by inspiring people to love the land. Their goal is to help people understand the role of native plants in a healthy ecosystem, to value the beauty and health of the natural landscape that defines their heritage, and to take action to protect, conserve, and restore the natural landscapes of North America.
4801 La Crosse Avenue
Austin, Texas 78739
512.292.4100
Hours
- Tuesday - Saturday 9 am to 5:30 pm
- Sunday 12 noon to 5:30 pm.
- Closed on Mondays
Admission
- $7.00 - Adults
- $6.00 - Seniors (60 years & older) and Students (13 years & older)
- $3.00 - Children (5-12 years)
- Free for Wildflower Center members and children 4 years & under.
Transportation
The center is 12 miles away from the hotel. To Drive: Head west on E 11th St toward Red River Street, turn left at Guadalupe Street, turn right at W 6th Street, slight left at Lake Austin Blvd, left at Atlanta Street, merge onto S Mo-Pac Expy/Tx-1-Loop S via the TX-1-Loop S ramp, exit at S Mo-Pac Expy/TX-1-Loop S, turn left at La Crosse Avenue.
Parking
- General:$7
- Seniors: $6
- Children: $3
Web Link: http://www.wildflower.org
Sixth Street Entertainment
Historic Morley Brothers-Grove Drug Building
In the early 80’s, Grove Drugs closed its doors after 100 years of operation, leaving the future of the building up in the air. It was redeveloped in 1998. Ever since, the owners of the building have been leasing it to office and retail companies. Besides being old, the Grove Drug Store building has some really cool design, such as glass tiles in the sidewalk, for example. There are also stain glass windows commemorating the establishment of the original Morley Brothers druggists back in 1874; The fact that O. Henry once lived there and worked as a pharmacist; and the renaming from Morley Brothers to Grove Drug Store in the 1930's.
209 East 6th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Transportation
By Foot: The historic drug building is 0.7 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street toward Red River Street. Then turn left at Red River Street and then right at E 6th Street.
Friends
The venue is located in the heart of 6th Street District, within walking distance of the hotel. It’s a favorite spot for convention attendees and all those who want to experience the true essence of Austin. Enjoy the laidback atmosphere and live music performed by some of Austin’s greatest local rock and blues bands. Live music Sundays though Wednesdays. On weekends live music is followed by pop favorites from 80s, and 90s music played by a house DJ.
208 E 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
512.320.8193
Admission: free
Transportation
By Foot: Friends is 0.7 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street, turn left at Red River Street, and then turn right at E 6th Street.
Web Link: http://www.friendsbar.com/
Esther Follies
Esther’s Follies is Texas Premiere Magic and Comedy Troupe. For more than a quarter century, the folks at Esther's Pool have kept Austin rolling with laughter. Part magic show, part vaudeville review, part improv tour-de-force, Esther's Follies takes no prisoners, offering biting, hilarious satire on all the news makers and events fit to parody.
525 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-320-0198
Show Times
- Thursday: 8:00 p.m.
- Friday: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.
Admission
- $20 for open seating.
- $2 discounts for Students and Seniors.*
- $25 for special section reserved seating (must pre-pay)
Transportation
By Foot: Esther Follies is 0.5 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street, turn left at Red River Street and then turn right at E 6th Street.
Web Link: http://www.esthersfollies.com/
B.D. Riley's
B.D. Riley’s has a true feel of Ireland and the "Craic"(Fellowship and Fun) of your own local Irish Pub, in the heart of Austin's 6th Street Entertainment District.
B.D. Riley's is not part of some national chain--it's locally-owned, a friendly, neighborhood pub serving a wide variety of award-winning foods, perfect pints of your favorite brews, great live music and the kind of crowd that always ensures a good time.
204 East 6th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Telephone: 512.494.1335
Admission: free.
Transportation
By Foot: The Irish Pub is 0.7 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street, turn left at Red River Street and then turn right at E 6th Street.
Web Link: http://www.bdrileys.com/
Momo’s
About
Momo’s is a great live music venue located on the 6th Street. Features a deck overlooking downtown Austin.
618 W 6th Street
Austin, Texas
Telephone: 512.479.8848
Hours
7:30pm - 2am
Admission
Cover varies from free to $20
Transportation
By Foot: The bar is 1.1 miles away from the hotel. Head west on E 11th Street toward Red River Street and turn left at Guadalupe Street, then turn right at W 6th Street.
Web Link: http://www.momosclub.com