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What are Some Tourist Attractions in Austin, Texas?

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

If you are looking for tourist attractions in Austin, how about a tour? Austin Ghost Tours introduces you to Austin history in an unusual way with a walk around the city that will probably haunt you forever. Austin Duck Adventures offers you a motorized city tour, with slightly different historic emphasis, while Lake Austin Riverboats gives you a look at the city from the water. If you prefer gliding on land, try Austin Segway Tours, which also offers kayak and bike tours. Or if you want the boat part without the tour, you can take a cruise on the Lone Star Riverboat.

Among the many tourist attractions in Austin are a variety of natural features. Natural Bridge Caverns are a US Natural Landmark, and with over 10,000 formations are the largest natural attraction in Texas. And if you prefer your natural experiences more organized, visit the Austin Zoo, Dinosaur Park, Zilker Botanical Garden, or the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.

The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin.
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Austin. are the sports. You can see the University of Texas Longhorns playing the wide variety of college sports, the Round Rock Express, the AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball team, the Arena Football League’s Austin Wranglers, and the National Basketball Development League team, the Austin Toros. But with all those sports, don’t forget Texas Roller Derby on Sundays at the Austin Convention Center.

Ballet Austin is one of the city's attractions.
Ballet Austin is one of the city's attractions.

If you’re looking for tourist attractions in Austin with entertainment, you may want to consider Austin City Limits, popularized for many years on PBS stations, but be aware that there are almost 200 live music venues in the city. Then there’s also Ballet Austin, Paramount Theatre & State Theatre Company, and the University of Texas at Austin Performing Arts Center, as well as a family-friendly First Night celebration to welcome in the New Year.

The Austin Zoo contains penguins.
The Austin Zoo contains penguins.

What are other tourist attractions in Austin? You may be surprised to learn that Austin sports what is claimed to be the world’s largest urban bat colony. Composed of an estimated 750,000 to 1.5 million bats, the colony gives a free nightly aerial display at dusk every night between March and November. Austin also features a display that has been awarded the “Best Shrine to Planned Obsolescence” Award. Called the Cathedral of Junk, it consists of about 60 tons of junk, connected with wire over the course of fifteen years in order to form an elaborate and intricate architectural piece, that has served as the background for parties and weddings, as well as become a popular tour destination.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to WiseGEEK about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Learn more...
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to WiseGEEK about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

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Discussion Comments

yntern

I lived in Austin for two years, and the two things everyone asks me are if I went to see the bats, and if I saw the dinosaur tracks at the Texas Memorial Museum. The answer to both is "no."

And the place to go for nightlife entertainment is 6th Street, although it tends to be full of college kids during the school year.

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    • The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin.
      By: cphotos100
      The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin.
    • Ballet Austin is one of the city's attractions.
      By: Aleksandr Doodko
      Ballet Austin is one of the city's attractions.
    • The Austin Zoo contains penguins.
      By: Trubble
      The Austin Zoo contains penguins.
    • Kayaking is one possibility in Austin, Texas.
      By: Janet Wall
      Kayaking is one possibility in Austin, Texas.
    • Austin lays claim to the title of urban area with the largest bat colony.
      By: cheri131
      Austin lays claim to the title of urban area with the largest bat colony.