People receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) get free access to the gardens any day of the year. There are some free days at the Zilker Botanical Garden, but they’re few and far between. The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum has affordable entrance fees and allows children under 12, active military, and veterans to visit for free. The Austin Nature & Science Center is free to all and has hands-on nature exhibits and educational programs that the whole family will love. Zilker Park is home to some of Austin’s most notable attractions, some of which have no entrance fee. If you have your own kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, you can always float onto Lady Bird Lake from Zilker Park’s shores. Take your family or friends and play disc golf and sand volleyball or enjoy a picnic with downtown in view. Walkers and cyclists will love the Hike-and-Bike Trail. Hanging out at a park may not seem all that exciting but trust us when we say that the 351-acre Zilker Park is one of THE places to visit in Austin. Preservation Austin also set up narrated audio-visual tours through the Otocast App, including “Tejano Trail” and “African American Austin”, which exhibit the city’s diverse populations and their impact on Austin, while the “Iconic Music Venues” tour tells the story of Austin’s musical past. Some of these tours even have a GPS route that you can follow. These tours will take you through major neighborhoods like South Congress, showcase the East Austin Barrio landmarks, and tell you all about historic homes and sites in Downtown Austin. If the Capitol isn’t your vibe, check out Preservation Austin, which created 12 different self-guided historic tours around the city. See the Texas State Capitol, learn all about the architecture, and visit different areas like the Senate Chamber, Supreme Court Courtroom, and more. The incredible history of Austin can be yours to experience with a free guided or self-guided tour. For a more unique experience, take your kayak, paddleboard, canoe, or water bike to Austin and watch the bats' nightly flight from the water.įree walking tours are available of the Texas State Capitol © Sungjin Kim / Getty Images 2. Remember to pick a spot on the path that’s east of the Congress Avenue Bridge. Planning tip: The bats fly to the east when they leave the bridge, so keep this in mind when choosing a viewing spot on the Congress Avenue Bridge or on the grassy hill of the Statesman Bat Observation Center (adjacent to the bridge.) If both areas get too packed, find a spot (off the path) on the Butler Hike and Bike Trail. You’ll want to arrive early to get a good spot for the show. It’s quite a magnificent thing to witness and can last about 45 minutes. Their nightly flight will start slow and then grow into a massive wave of bats that fly over Lady Bird Lake. If you visit Austin from late March through early fall, you can watch the 1.5 million bats ascend into the sky around sunset (7:30-9:45 pm) every night. In fact, it’s the largest urban bat colony in the world! 1. Watch the Congress Avenue Bridge bats emerge at nightĪustin is famous for having a colony of Mexican Free-Tailed bats that live under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Forge new connections on your next adventure with the latest advice from our weekly newsletter.
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