Do you also think Austin is only about UT, Longhorns, and state government? Some of those who haven’t been to Austin might think so. But you know what… there are a bunch of fun things to do in Austin Texas!
With an active music scene and big events like and , Austin is one of the most popular cities in Texas, if not the most popular!
We live just a few miles outside Austin, I’m happy to say. With kids always looking for something fun to do, we’ve spent a lot of time at Austin’s attractions!
When you’re on vacation in Austin, you’ll probably be looking for fun things to do in Austin. After-all, that’s what vacations are all about…
Here are 20 fun things to do in Austin…
I’ll start with our favorite family-oriented things to do in Austin Texas…
Zilker Park is a very cool place to visit. It is a large park next to Lady Bird Lake (formerly known as Town Lake).
It has many fun activities for families, including the Barton Springs Pool that I talk about below, the Zilker Park train ride, a playground for the little ones, and canoe rentals.
The Zilker Botanical Gardens are worth a visit too, and it’s free. Zilker Park is also the location of the famous .
When we go to Zilker Park, we spend the whole day there!
Avoid forgetting something for your vacation. Sign up for our newsletter and get a free vacation checklist. Click here to get it!
Barton Springs are natural underground springs that feed the Barton Springs Pool, one of Austin’s famous attractions.
In my mind, Barton Springs counts as one of the “cool” things to do in Austin Texas, but the 68°F water doesn’t seem to bother my kids at all.
It is located right by Zilker Park and there is plenty of parking.
The bats under the Congress Ave bridge is another of Austin’s well-known attractions.
From late March to early November, the bats emerge from under the bridge at sunset to go bug-hunting along Lady Bird Lake.
The best month to see the bats is August when more than 1 million bats emerge. Apparently they eat more than 20,000 pounds of bugs per night!
We went to see the bats on our first day ever in Austin and made our first Texan friends there.
The Austin bats are a spectacle to see! Go to the south side of the bridge to see them and be there at least 30 minutes before sunset.
One of our visitors submitted this !
Volente Beach is the first water park to be built in Austin. It is situated next to Lake Travis and it has several fun water slides, a “little kids” area, and a sandy beach!
Volente Beach also hosts birthday parties.
We have been there several times, and we just love it!
Hawaiian Falls in Pflugerville is a fairly new water park and adventure park just a little north of Austin.
They have multiple water rides, like tube rides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and more to keep families cool in summer.
Their adventure park also has several ropes and climbing activities that kids and parents can enjoy, including a zip line that stretches across the park.
Read more about .
The Austin Zoo is a very special zoo because it is a “rescue zoo” that provides a home to animals that have been neglected.
They have about 100 species of animals that include lions, tigers, jaguars, monkeys, reptiles, and some domestic animals like goats and pigs.
You can buy food at the zoo for $1 and feed the goats. This is always a hit with the kids!
The Bob Bullock museum tells the story of Texas with three floors of excellent exhibits.
The first floor exhibits show what Texas was like before it became Texas, how Native Americans lived, and the arrival of Europeans. The second-floor exhibits show how Texas became a state, as well as its role in the Civil War. The third-floor exhibits focus on economic development in Texas, including the oil industry.
Austin’s only IMAX theater is also inside the museum. We’ve been there several times.
The Texas State Capitol was the first Austin attraction we ever visited. It is a magnificent granite building surrounded by beautiful, well-maintained lawns.
Outside are several monuments honoring a variety of people, including those who fought at The Alamo, firefighters, Confederate soldiers, and more.
As you enter the building, there is a painting of the famous Davey Crockett on the right. Inside you can go into the Texas House Chamber and the Senate Chamber.
If you’d like to get a glimpse into Texas history, visit the State Capitol!
If you have kids, the Austin Children’s Museum is a must-visit. Their mission is all about entertaining kids in a way that also educates.
Their exhibits are interactive, i.e. the kids get to play with the exhibits instead of merely watching.
Kids usually have a great time there!
Hamilton Pool is a fantastic swimming hole with its own waterfall!
It is much more than just a swimming hole. The rock formations and the setting are simply stunning.
It’s also a great place for hiking or a picnic.
Even though Hamilton Pool is about 30 miles west of Austin, I think it is well worth the drive.
If you’re going to be at Hamilton Pool, you might also want to visit Westcave Preserve, which is right next door.
The Texas Hill Country is beautiful, and the Westcave Preserve area is no exception. Here you can explore a beautiful canyon, a cave, and a dazzling waterfall.
Westcave Preserve has guided tours on weekends, and self-guided tours on most weekdays and on the weekend. They also host field trips for schools and private groups.
Just a few miles to the northeast of Austin, but south of Pflugerville, is Pioneer Farms, which is a working museum-farm that shows what farm life was like in the 1800s.
This makes it a unique museum, and it is a very interesting place to visit for both grown-ups and kids.
I know that local schools often have field trips to Pioneer Farms.
Have you ever been in a cave? I have been several times and it can be quite spectacular to experience.
About 20 miles north of Austin, near Georgetown, is Inner Space Caverns. The caves are more than 10,000 years old but were only discovered in 1963. There are some amazing formations to see!
Inner Space is well worth a visit!
If you’re looking for more adventurous things to do in Austin, you may want to look into ziplining! Absolutely awesome!
You’re strapped into a harnass, which is then attached to a cable that spans between two trees, and off you go. In a sense, you become a bird… you’ll be flying through the trees!
Cypress Valley Canopy Tours in Spicewood offers these fun adventures. They are a few miles west of Austin on Hwy 71.
Another great place for ziplining in Austin is Lake Travis Zipline Adventures, located in Volente.
How about an amphibious experience? The kids absolutely love that! Actually, grown-ups too!
Austin Duck Adventures gives tours of downtown Austin and Lady Bird Lake in special amphibious vehicles. That means they drive around Austin streets and plunge right into Lady Bird Lake!
These tours are truly something different that you don’t get to do every day. It’s probably a good idea to call them to make reservations. (The number is on our .)
Speaking of something different, have you ever seen a Segway or been on one?
Well, some tour operators have figured out that a Segway tour of a city will be a great idea. Austin is no exception! You can take various different Segway tours around downtown Austin. Gliding Revolution offers Austin Segway tours and is a great way to go.
I must admit that I have not taken a Segway tour before, but several of my friends have taken them. They all say it’s a blast! Here is one of our .
We live next to the largest lake in the area, which is Lake Travis.
There are good choices for boat rentals, pontoon rentals, and jet ski rentals. Boating is certainly one of the most fun things to do in Austin Texas. We have also done a fair amount of fishing on Lake Travis.
The only not-so-nice thing about Lake Travis is that it is a variable-level lake, which means that water levels can get low enough at times that boat ramps close.
Generally though, Lake Travis is a blast in the summer!
Sometimes it’s fun to go out without the kids. Here are the fun things to do in Austin Texas that my wife and I like a lot…
6th Street in downtown Austin is another of the well-known Austin attractions!
It has various music bars and clubs and is the reason why Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World”.
If you like live music and want to experience what makes Austin special in the world of music, you have to experience 6th Street!
If you want to stay in downtown Austin, close to attractions like 6th Street and the Bats, consider the .
Austin has several night clubs. My favorite is Dallas Night Club on Burnet Rd. They have Country & Western dancing, live music, and many other fun things.
The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin is a very cool movie concept. It’s a movie-restaurant combo where you eat a meal while watching a movie. If you haven’t been to one yet, make a point of going!
You can take your kids to Alamo Drafthouse, but to me it’s just a great evening out for mom & dad.
These are our favorite fun things to do in Austin Texas. Anyone can have a great time in Austin, and I’m sure you will too. It truly is a great place!
PS. If you’re going to be in Austin, you will also be near to and . If you want to know where any of these things to do in Austin Texas are located, see our .
PPS. Also, see our pages on and