Austin Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Austin Travel & Tourism, Free Austin Travel Guide Online

Austin Travel Guide: Discount & Cheap Austin Travel & Tourism, Free Austin Travel Guide Online

Rolling hills, a chain of lakes 150 miles long, 300 days of sunshine, and acres of parks all add up to an ideal setting for vacation enjoyment. Austin and the surrounding Texas Hill Country offer hiking and bike trails, swimming, and golf. In addition, there is ballooning, bird watching, canoeing, excellent bass fishing, rock climbing, sailing, scuba diving, spelunking, and tennis.

The 'Live Music Capital of the World' as Austin is sometimes known, is situated in south-central Texas and stretches for 218 square miles. A vibrant and modern city, Austin was named after Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas," and was founded in 1838. With good transport links to other parts of Texas and close proximity to the Mexican border, Austin is a popular city for business and one of the most thriving commercial areas in the southern United States.

A good place to begin a visit to Austin is downtown, where the pink granite Texas State Capitol, built in 1888, is the most visible structure. The Colorado River, which slices through Austin, was once an unpredictable waterway, but has been tamed into a series of picturesque lakes, including two within the city limits. 22 mile long Lake Austin, which lies in the western part of the city, flows into Town Lake, a narrow stretch of water that travels for 5 miles through the center of downtown.

Since the 1960s, this laid-back and progressive city has been a haven for artists, musicians and writers. Many visitors come specifically for the music. Local musicians are known for their innovative re-workings of Texas' country, folk and R&B heritage, use Austin's enthusiastic environment as a springboard to national recognition.

The grand University of Texas, one of the largest universities in the United States, flanks the capitol's north end. Austin has its own professional symphony, ballet and opera companies; dozens of theaters which combine old favorites with ground-breaking new drama; dance companies, vocal ensembles, and orchestras. Art museums, galleries and beautiful gardens of sculptures further enhance the rich cultural mix.

In recent years the entertainment industry has discovered this big city with a small-town atmosphere, and it's not uncommon to see film crews blocking off an oak-lined street.

High-tech industries have also migrated to the Austin area, making it Texas's answer to Silicon Valley. Yet, for all the changes that have occurred in the capital city, Austin is still very much a town whose roots are buried in the past; a past the city is proud to preserve and show off to visitors.

Capital Metro is the city's public bus network, with a solid system of efficient and inexpensive neighborhood, express and downtown routes. The latter, known as 'Dillos (short for Armadillo Express), are free.

The Texas Steam Train Association runs several tours aboard the Hill Country Flyer steam train into and around Texas Hill Country. The train makes short half hour trips as well as a 30 mile circuit on weekends March through December.

Austin operates a free Yellow Bike Program, which repairs old bicycles, paints them yellow and makes them available free for public use. When you see a yellow bike you can pick it up, ride where you are going and leave it there for the next rider. There are about 150 yellow bikes at present and more are added all the time.

The winning combination of high tech industry, light manufacturing, and abundant cultural resources has given Austin the reputation of being one of the southwest's most livable cities. It is also one of the most visited and loved vacation sites.

Austin Attractions: Austin Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Austin Travel & Tourism, Free Austin Travel Guide Online

Austin Museum Of Art-Laguna Gloria
3809 W. 35th St.
512/458-8191.
Tues., Wed., Fri, Sat. 10-5, Thurs. 1-5, Sun. 12-5.
Set on a lush Lake Austin peninsula, this 1915 Mediterranean-style villa was once home to Clara Driscoll Servier, the savior of the Alamo. The museum showcases an expanding collection of 20th-century American paintings, sculpture, and photographs and hosts outside exhibits and family-focused art programs. An art school shares the beautiful setting. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Barton Springs Pool
2100 Barton Springs Rd.
512/476-9044.
Admission charged.
Daily 5am-10pm. Lifeguard on duty March-mid-November. Call for hours.
This huge natural spring-fed pool is a favorite summertime attraction. Each day approximately 32 million gallons of water from the underground Edwards aquifer bubble to the surface. At one time the water powered several Austin mills. In the early 1900s when the city dammed Barton Creek, the sides were lined with concrete to form a pool which is more than 1/4 mile long and 125 feet wide. The water is a constant, clear, invigorating 68°F. Part of Zilker Park, it is considered a premier swimming location.

State Capitol.
11th St. and Congress Ave., Austin,
512/463-0063.
Bus: Yellow, orange, Red, Blue 'Dillo lines
Free admission
Mon-Fri. 7am-10pm; Sat., Sun. 9am-8pm; call for dates and times during legislative sessions.
Austin's downtown is dominated by its Renaissance Revival-style capitol building, constructed in 1888 of Texas pink granite. When the old state capitol building burned in 1881, it cleared the way for a grander structure, reminiscent of the Washington Capitol. Austin's capitol is taller, of course (it's the largest state capitol in the country). A restoration process and refurbishing of the grounds was begun in 1990 and completed in 1997. An underground annex was added, and the wrought iron fence topped with gold Lone stars, restored. The original fence was needed in the 1880's to keep cattle off the grounds.
The underground addition was built by chiseling away 700,000 tons of rock. The entire structure covers 3 acres of ground. The cornerstone alone weighs 16,000 pounds.

Check to see which legislative sessions are open to the public, so that a visit to view this impressive building can be combined with a sample of Texas government in action.

Charles Moore House.
2102 Quarry Rd., Austin
512/477-4557
Tours by appointment.
Admission charged.
Charles Moore, had a great effect on post-modernism in the architectural field. He designed this one with Arthur Andersson. The house has been favorably compared to such architectural treasures as Monticello and Wright's Taliesin. The house was preserved following Moore's death by the Charles W. Moore Foundation. which arranges with the present owners for tours and fund-raisers. The rooms are alive with vivid colors, and contain folk art from around the world.

Driskill Hotel
604 Brazos St., Austin
512/474-5911.
Bus: Red and blue 'Dillos
A monument to Richardsonian Romanesque style, this delightful - and some say haunted - grande dame is embellished with stone busts of its original owner, cattle baron Jesse Driskill, and his sons. Two-story porches with Romanesque Revival columns surround the arched entrances. Over the years, countless legislators, lobbyists, and social leaders have held court behind its limestone walls

Duck Tours
Tours depart from the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitor Center
200 W. 26th St., Austin
512/477-5274.
Fee Charged
Austin Duck Adventures operates authentic amphibious military landing vehicles, also known as "ducks," that take visitors around the land-based sights, then splash into Lake Austin for a relaxing cruise. You'll see the State Capitol, Governor's Mansion, University of Texas-Austin campus and, of course, Lake Austin from a duck's perspective.

Elisabet Ney Museum
304 E. 44th St
512/458-2255
Wed-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm
Bus: nos. 1 or 5
Free admission
This was the home and studio of German-born sculptor Elisabet Ney in the late 19th century. In the former loft and working area, visitors can view plaster replicas of many of her pieces. Ney created busts of Schopenhauer, Garibaldi, and Bismarck before she was commissioned to make models of Texas heroes Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston for an 1893 Chicago exposition. The studio also contains many of her marble portrait sculptures. William Jennings Bryan, Enrico Caruso, Jan Paderewski, and four Texas governors were among the many visitors to her Austin studio.

French Legation Museum
802 San Marcos
512/472-8180
Tours Tues-Sun 1-5pm
Go east on Seventh St., then turn left on San Marcos St.; the parking lot is behind the museum on Embassy and Ninth.
Bus: 4 stops nearby (at San Marcos and 7th.)
Admission charged. 5 and under free
The oldest residence still standing in Austin was built in 1841 for Count Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, France's representative to the newly formed Republic of Texas.
In the back of the house, considered the best example of French colonial-style architecture outside Louisiana, is a re-creation of the only known authentic Creole(early French) kitchen in the United States. A shop focuses on Texas history from the time of the republic to the present.

General Land Office
The only surviving government building from Austin's first 30 years was designed and built in Gothic style by its German-born and -trained architect, Conrad Stremme. This 21/2 story structure of stuccoed stone and brick was opened for business in the spring of 1858 as the first home of the Land Office.
Writer O. Henry worked as a draftsman here and used the building as the setting for two of his short stories. In 1989 the legislature approved a $4.5 million renovation project to restore the building to its 1890s appearance. The structure now houses a permanent exhibit on the history of the Capitol and has space on the second floor for traveling exhibits. E. 11th and Brazos Sts., Austin.

George Washington Carver Museum
1165 Angelina St
512/472-4089
Tues-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat noon-5pm
Bus: 2 and 120
Free admission
The many contributions of Austin's African-American community are highlighted at this museum, the first one in Texas to be devoted to black history. Rotating exhibits of contemporary artwork share the space with photographs, videos, oral histories, and other artifacts from the community's past. Cultural events are often held here, too. The museum's collection is housed in the city's first public library building, opened in 1926 and moved to this site in 1933. The newer George Washington Carver branch of the public library is next door.

Governor's Mansion.
In an 1856 letter to his wife, the mansion's first resident, Governor Elisha M. Pease, described the view from the balcony, writing that all he saw were the recently constructed Capitol (which later burned), the Baptist church, open prairie all the way to the Colorado River, and a few head of cattle grazing on Congress Avenue. Every sitting governor since then has lived on the second floor, witnesses to the ever-changing views. The beautiful mansion is in the Greek Revival style, with keyhole molding and fluted Ionic columns in front. Free public tours are given every 20 minutes, 10-11:40 AM, weekdays, except state and federal holidays. 1010 Colorado St., 512/463-5516. Free. Weekdays 10-5.

Guadalupe Street. Known locally as "the Drag," this bustling area bordering the west side of the University of Texas campus is lined with record stores, trendy boutiques, and restaurants. It's a great place for window-shopping or people-watching.

Jack S. Blanton Museum Of Art.
A fragment of this museum's stellar collection is housed in two campus locations. The original Huntington space houses more than 12,000 drawings, etchings, and engravings, a mere fraction of which are displayed on the attic-like second floor. The main downstairs gallery features rotating exhibits of large sculptures, canvases and installations. The rest of the museum, in the August Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, showcases a world-class collection of Latin American art and antiquities as well as Renaissance and Baroque paintings and sculptures. The Old Masters collection includes works from Ricci, Passeri, and del Piombo; the 20th Century collection includes works from Thomas Hart Benton, Franz Kline, and Marsden Hartley. 23rd and San Jacinto Sts., 512/471-7324. free. Mon., Tues, Wed., Fri. 9-5, Thurs. 9-9, weekends 1-5.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library And Museum
The largest presidential library in the nation is on the grounds of The University of Texas. The building is the repository for all 45 million documents produced during the LBJ administration and contains many exhibits on Johnson's life, family, and presidential years, as well as information on the assassination of JFK. There's also an art gallery with changing exhibitions. 2313 Red River Rd., 512/916-5136. free. Daily 9-5.

MEXIC-ARTE Museum
419 Congress Ave
512/480-9373
Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sat 10am-5pm
Bus: Red 'Dillo
Admission charged.
The first organization in Austin to promote multicultural contemporary art when it was formed in 1983, MEXIC-ARTE has a small permanent collection of 20th-century Mexican art, including photographs from the Mexican revolution and a fascinating array of masks from the state of Guerrero. It's supplemented by visiting shows, including some from Mexico, such as a major retrospective of muralist Diego Rivera. The museum also programs an average of two music, theater, and performing arts events each month and runs mural tours to Mexico.

Neill-Cochran Museum House
2310 San Gabriel St.
512/478-2335
Wed-Sun 2-5pm; free 20-min. tours given
Bus: Yellow 'Dillo, UT shuttle
Admission charged., children under 10 free
Abner Cook, the architect-contractor responsible for the governor's mansion and many of Austin's other gracious Greek revival mansions, built this home in 1855. It bears his trademark portico with six Doric columns and a balustrade designed with crossed sheaves of wheat. Almost all its doors, windows, shutters, and hinges are original:which is rather astonishing when you consider that the house was used as the city's first Blind Institute in 1856 and then as a hospital for Union prisoners near the end of the Civil War. The beautifully maintained 18th- and 19th-century furnishings are interesting, but many people come just to see the painting of bluebonnets that helped convince legislators to designate these native blooms the state flower.

Old Bakery and Emporium
1006 Congress Ave
512/477-5961
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; first 3 Sat in Dec 10am-2pm
Bus: Red 'Dillo
Free admission
On the National Register of Historic Landmarks, the Old Bakery was built in 1876 by Charles Lundberg, a Swedish master baker, and continuously operated until 1936. You can still see the giant oven and wooden baker's spade inside. Rescued from demolition by the Austin Heritage Society, and now owned and operated by Austin's Parks and Recreation Department, the brick-and-limestone building is one of the few unaltered structures on Congress Avenue. It houses a gift shop, selling crafts handmade by seniors, a reasonably priced lunchroom, and a hospitality desk with visitors' brochures.

Paramount Theatre
713 Congress Ave
512/472-5470 (box office) 512/472-5411
Bus: Red and Orange 'Dillo lines
The Marx Brothers, Sarah Bernhardt, Helen Hayes, and Katharine Hepburn all entertained at this former vaudeville house, which opened as the Majestic Theatre in 1915 and functioned as a movie palace for 50 years. Restored to its original opulence, the Paramount now hosts Broadway shows, visiting celebrity performers, local theatrical productions, including an impressive Kids Classic series, and, in the summer, old-time films. There are no formal tours.

Texas Memorial Museum
2400 Trinity St University of Texas 512/471-1604 Web site Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm
Bus: no. 27
Free admission (donations appreciated)
During a whistle-stop visit to Austin in 1936, Franklin Roosevelt broke the ground for this museum, built to commemorate the centennial of Texas independence. Whatever your age, you'll probably remember going on a class trip to a place like this, with dioramas, stuffed animals, and other displays detailing the geology, anthropology, and natural history of your home state.

In addition to the requisite child-pleasing dinosaur displays (including footprints outside the building), three things make this museum well worth a visit: an intriguing exhibit on the history of firearms; the original zinc goddess of liberty that once sat on top of the capitol; and a good gift shop, with lots of ethnic crafts and educational toys.

Treaty Oak
503 Baylor St Between W. Fifth and Sixth Sts
512/440-5194
Bus: Silver 'Dillo
Legend has it that Stephen F. Austin signed the first boundary treaty with the Comanches under the spreading branches of this 500-year-old live oak, which once served as the symbolic border between Anglo and Indian territory. Whatever the case, this is the sole remaining tree in what was once a grove of Council Oaks:which made the well-publicized attempt on its life in 1989 especially shocking. But almost as dramatic as the story of the tree's deliberate poisoning by an attention-seeking Austinite is the tale of its rescue by an international team of foresters. The dried wood from major limbs that they removed has been allocated to local artists, who are creating public artworks celebrating the tree. You can also buy items such as pen sets, gavels, clocks, and wooden boxes made out of the tree's severed limbs, as well as less expensive mementos. The proceeds go to the forestry unit of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
605 Robert E. Lee Rd
512/445-5582
Wed-Fri 10am-4:30pm; Sat-Sun 1-4:30pm (Sat 10am-4:30pm June-Aug)
Bus: nos. 29 or 30
Admission charged, children 6 and under free
This is a very user-friendly museum, one for people who don't enjoy being cooped up in a stuffy, hushed space. An art instructor at the University of Texas for 40 years, Charles Umlauf donated his home, studio, and more than 250 pieces of artwork to the city of Austin, which maintains the lovely native garden where much of the sculpture is displayed. Umlauf, whose pieces reside in such places as the Smithsonian Institution and New York's Metropolitan Museum, worked in many media and styles. He also used a variety of models; you'll probably recognize the portrait of Umlauf's most famous UT student, Farrah Fawcett. With advance notice, the museum can arrange American Sign Language tours for the deaf and "touch tours" for the blind.

University of Texas Museums & Galleries
The LBJ Library on the University of Texas (UT) campus is a highlight of a visit to Austin. Lyndon Baines Johnson was the 36th president of the USA. A jovial native Texan, LBJ balanced the John F Kennedy campaign ticket with a southern political presence. Supported by Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady, the museum contains information on the JFK presidency and assassination, the Bay of Pigs, Krushchev, the civil rights movement, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy, and the Vietnam War. Upstairs, a new exhibit on Mexican Texans details pre-republic Texas life.

The Texas Memorial Museum
A building filled with displays of Texas' natural and social history. Exhibits focus on geology, paleontology, anthropology and natural history. There is even a pterodactyl skeleton.

The Archer M Huntington Gallery at UT
This is one art museum in two buildings: the Harry Ransom Center (HRC) on the West Campus and the Art Building on the East. The collection focuses on 20th century North American and Latin American art and on drawings from the 15th century forward.

Women & Their Work Gallery
1710 Lavaca St 512/477-1064
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat noon-4pm
Bus: Red 'Dillo Free admission
Founded in 1978, this gallery is devoted to more than visual art. It promotes and showcases women in dance, music, theater, film, and literature. The gift shop has a great selection of unusual crafts and jewelry created by female artists.

Zilker Park
2100 Barton Springs Rd., 512/499-6700.
April-October
The city's largest public park connects to Town Lake's popular hike and bike trail. Free rides are offered on the miniature Amtrak train that circles the park's perimeter.

Zilker Botanical Garden
2220 Barton Springs Rd.
512/477-8672.
Admission Free.
Across from Zilker Park, this 26-acre garden of horticultural delights includes butterfly trails and Xeriscape (a water-conserving method of landscaping) gardens with native plants that thrive in the arid southwestern climate.

Texas State Capitol
Like a pink mirage in the city center's sea of green, the (1888) is certainly Austin's most distinctive landmark. Constructed of sunset-colored Texas limestone, the capitol is topped with a statue of the Goddess of Liberty and (as its proud staffers are only too happy to tell you) ranks as the seventh largest government building in the world. Someone actually went to the trouble to measure the building from the basement floor to the top of the Liberty statue, and at 311ft (93m), it's taller than the national capitol in Washington, DC.

The capitol's rotunda features terrazzo seals of the six nations whose flag has flown over Texas. Inside the building you'll find the standard assortment of the state's top brass, including the chambers of the Senate and House of Representatives and the offices of the governor.

Governor's Mansion
The lovely Greek Revival structure (1856) is a few blocks west of the Capitol. Under Texas law, the governor is required to reside here when in Austin. It's open for tours daily except during state holidays, official functions and whenever the governor's feeling private.

East 6th Street
Along with adjoining Congress Ave, this central historical thoroughfare has been the focus of Austin's downtown area for more than 100 years, with many of the buildings holdovers from the late 19th century. When the Texas State Capitol was completed in 1888, Congress Ave stole the spotlight from East 6th St (then known as East Pecan) and the latter went into a lengthy period of decline that left it a virtual skid row by the 1960s. In the late '60s, local entrepreneurs took to restoring the area's aged Victorian and Renaissance Revival structures, and by the mid '70s, East 6th was jumping again as the city's main live-music and entertainment district. Since then, the party's just kept getting bigger, the lights brighter and the string of clubs and bars between Congress and Sabine - in the area known as the Strip - have been the main propellant in Austin's current rise to 'hipster' fame. On weekends, the Strip is cordoned off for pedestrian traffic only and the revelers take to the streets in droves. If you want to experience the Austin you've read about in Rolling Stone, this is the place to go.

Congress Ave Bridge
What's so special about this downtown bridge? Bats! The bridge's 1980 reconstruction created crevices beneath the bridge that somehow caught the attention of a homeless colony of Mexican free-tail bats. Each year they fly in from central Mexico, arriving in March and departing in early November. In June, each female gives birth to one pup, and every night at dusk, the families take to the skies in search of food. The spectacle of 1.5 million bats flitting forth at once looks a lot like a fast-moving, black, chittering river. It's become an Austin tradition to bring along a six-pack and cheer the bats as they head out to feast on an estimated 30,000lbs (13,500kg) of insects per night. Bat Conservation International has volunteers on hand and holds programs throughout the bat season. Congress Ave Bridge crosses the Colorado at the southern end of downtown.

Breweries and Vineyards:

Celis Brewery
2431 Forbes Dr
512/835-0884
Tues-Sat 2 and 4pm, Fri also at 5:30pm.
Shop Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm
Take U.S. 290 east, just past the intersection with U.S. 183. Turn left at Cross Park Dr. and take it north to Forbes Dr.
Free admission
Tours, followed by samplings featuring highly prized Belgian beers. Pierre Celis found in the spring-fed water and limestone terrain of the Austin area a perfect way to reproduce the "white" (wheat) beer that had been brewed for 500 years in his native Belgian town of Hoegaarden. The brewery was built around two huge, hand-hammered copper drums that Celis imported to give his beer the desired flavor. Clint Eastwood helped to develop the brewery's Pale Rider Ale.

Fall Creek Vineyards
2.2 miles northeast of Tow
For the most scenic route, take Hwy. 71
915/379-5361
Special tours can be arranged through the Austin office (512/476-4477).
Mon-Fri 11am-4pm for tasting and sales;
Sat noon-5pm tours, tasting, and sales;
Sun noon-4pm tasting and sales
Closed Sun Dec-Feb
Free admission
The wines sold at this 65-acre vineyard, praised by critics around the country, reward the long drive up to the northwest shore of Lake Buchanan. An opportunity to sample the full range of award winners, including carnelians, Rieslings, and zinfandels.

Hill Country Cellars
1700 Hwy. 183 North Cedar Park
512/259-2000
Tasting room open Fri-Sun noon-5pm; winery tours Sat-Sun 1, 2, and 3pm
Take U.S. Hwy. 183 North about 1/2 mile past FM 1431
Free admission
Here the visitor can enjoy the fermented product of the grapes grown on the premises of this vineyard/winery, about 20 minutes northwest of Austin. A 200-year-old native grapevine is the centerpiece of the picnic area, where various seasonal festivals are held.

Slaughter Leftwich Winery
4209 Eck Lane
512/266-3331
Tastings Sat 1-5pm (call to check wine availability and hours)
Eck Lane is off R.R. 620, 1 mile south of Mansfield Dam on the right
The Slaughter Leftwich vineyards produced the first chardonnays in the high-plains region of Texas near Lubbock. Fortunately, there is a Leftwich winery in Austin, near Lake Travis. The winery and tasting room are in a native stone structure, built to resemble those popular in the last century

Austin Events: Austin Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Austin Travel & Tourism, Free Austin Travel Guide Online

Events

January

Red Eye Regatta,

512-266-1336. New Year's Day: Austin Yacht Club

February

Carnival Brasiliero,

512-452-6832. Features Conga lines, costumes, and samba bands. Started in 1975 by University of Texas students from Brazil. First or second Saturday of the month.

March

South by Southwest

(SXSW), an internationally renowned music, film and multimedia conference that packs the city every March.

Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo:

15 day wild west extravaganza features rodeos, cattle auctions, youth fair, parade, and live country music. 512-467-9811. First half of the month.

Spamarama

in late March offers awards for creative cooking with Spam.

Jerry Jeff Walker's Birthday Celebration, featuring three days of dancing and rodeos and a Saturday night serenade by JJ.. 512-477-0036.

Zilker Garden Festival,

Zilker Botanical Gardens. Flowers everywhere, along with gardening demonstrations and entertainment. 512-477-8672.

April

Capitol 10,000

Texas's largest 10K race covers the distance from the state capitol building through West Austin to Town Lake. 512-445-3598. Early April.

Old Settlers Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival

More than 30 bluegrass bands take part in the festival. Songwriter workshops are also offered along with arts and crafts and children's entertainment. 512-346-1629.

Eeyore's Birthday Party,

Pease Park. Costume contests, live music celebrate A.A. Milne's Eeyore who always wanted someone to remember his birthday. 512-448-5160.

Austin Fine Arts Festival

Austin museum of Art at Laguna Gloria on the shores of Lake Austin. Features a juried art show, auction, and much entertainment for children.

512-458-6073.

May

Cinco de Mayo:

Fiesta Gardens. Flamenco dancers, Tejano music, tacos, tamales, and general celebration of independence from Mexico. 512-499-6720.

Old Pecan Street Spring Arts and Crafts Festival

Sixth Street. Excellent food and shopping accompanied by band music on Austin's restored Victorian Street. 512-441-9015. First weekend of the month.

June

Green Mesquite Rhythm & Blues Festival

Juneteenth Freedom Festival

Huge 5 day celebration of African-American emancipation features parades, gospel singing, and a jazz and blues festival. 512-472-6838.

July

The 4th of July is celebrated as the
Freedom Festival in Austin, with live music, lots of food and a gigantic fireworks display in Zilker Park. Austin Symphony Orchestra performs. 512-476-6064.

Aquafest, held on weekends in late July and early August. Events include water sports exhibitions and tournaments, music and dance festivals, and a parade-by-night at Town Lake's Auditorium Shores.

August

Fall Creek Vineyards Celebration and Grape Stomp

512-476-4477.

September

Diez y Siez

Fiesta Gardens. Mariachi and Folk Dancers, conjunto and Tejano music, along with piñatas and clowns are all part of the celebration of the independence of Mexico from Spain.

Fall Jazz Festival

Zilker Hillside Theater. Two days of free concerts by top local jazz artists. Mid- September.

October

Halloween

ushers in a mad block party along 6th St, though the next day's

November

November 2: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

celebrations offer Latino music, a parade and food. 512-480-9373.

Thanksgiving Day

football game between UT and Texas A&M.

December

Zilker Park Tree Lighting

of a 165 foot tree is followed by the Trail of Lights, a mile long stretch of life-sized holiday scenes.

Christmas Open House,

French Legation. French Santa and costumed guides host this lively gift bazaar, held in an 1840 historic house. 512-472-8180. First Sunday of the month.

Armadillo Christmas Bazaar,

Austin Music hall. Tex-Mex food, live music and an art, craft and gift show. 512-447-1605. Two weeks before Christmas.

Arts and Entertainment

Ballet Austin

( 512/476-2163) features five productions each season, including the holiday classic, Nutcracker, at the Performing Arts Center and Bass Concert Hall, adjacent to the Huntington Art Gallery.

Austin Symphony

( 512/476-6064), founded in 1911, is the city's oldest performing arts group. The concert season runs from September to April at Bass Concert Hall, and holiday Pops Concerts are offered at Palmer Auditorium.

Austin City Limits

. Every Friday, get a behind-the-scenes look at the longest-running music showcase on television.. 6th floor lobby, KLRU Studio, 2504-B Whitis St., 512/471-4811.

Palmer Auditorium: on Austin's Town Lake

The plan to renovate Palmer Auditorium into a gem of a performing arts center is a key part of the City's bold initiative to create what Mayor Kirk Watson has called "a Great Urban Park" on the banks of the Colorado River. Projected for completion in or after 2009, the dream calls for a ‘concert hall, seven theatres, and at least half a dozen rehearsal facilities, as well as enough classrooms to serve upward of 100 aspiring artists simultaneously.'

Austin Chamber Music Center

is a teaching and performing group which features an Intimate Concert series open to the public but held in elegant private homes. 512-454-7562.

Austin Lyric Opera

512-472-5992

Austin's first professional opera company was founded in 1985, and now presents four productions annually in Bass Concert Hall. Major national and international artists perform.

Austin Facts: Austin Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Austin Travel & Tourism, Free Austin Travel Guide Online

Facts, Austin, Texas

Population: City of Austin

: 963,981;
Austin Metropolitan Area: 1,249,763

The Austin metropolitan area is the 38th largest region nationally and the City of Austin is 16th.

Area:

218 sq miles

Austin extends about twenty miles from north–south and eighteen miles east–west, divided by I-35 (between Dallas and San Antonio) to the east. The Colorado River runs south of downtown.

Elevation:

550 ft

State:

Texas

Time Zone:

Austin is in the Central Time Zone. When it is noon in New York City it is one hour earlier (11:00 AM) in Austin. Daylight Saving time is observed April-October.

Industry:

Austin has a strong high-tech presence. Austin's high-tech employment represents almost 15% of total non-agricultural employment. Although the region is gaining numerous biotech and software firms, the anchor of Austin's high-tech industry is hardware driven.

Climate:

The climate is temperate, with 300 days of sunshine annually. Average temperatures range from 42 to 62 degrees in winter and 75 to 95 degrees in the summer. Rain falls evenly throughout the year. Snowfall is rare.

Average Temperatures and Rainfall

Weather:

Check the weather at
512/451-2424 or www.kvue.com/weather/.

Find the time and temperature at
512/973-3555.

Public Holidays:

1 January - New Year's Day

Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday

January 19 - Confederate Heroes Day

Third Monday in February - Presidents' Day

March 2 - Texas Independence Day

Late March or April - Easter

April 21 San Jacinto Day

Last Monday in May - Memorial Day

June 19 - Emancipation Day

4 July - Independence Day

August 27 - Lyndon Johnson's Birthday

First Monday in September - Labor Day

11 November - Veterans' Day

Fourth Thursday in November - Thanksgiving

25 December - Christmas Day

When to Go

Spring brings cool, fresh, clear weather to Austin. In March and April, when temperatures average in the 70s, short-lived wildflowers bloom in extravagant color. March is also the month of the popular South by Southwest Music Festival, when hotel rooms are in short supply. Summer is dry and often very hot. Fall, finds temperatures falling back into the 70s and 80s, and gorgeous foliage to be seen. Winter is mild.

Area Code

: The telephone area code in Austin is
512.

Business Hours

: Banks and offices are usually open Monday to Friday 8 or 9am to 5pm. Some banks offer drive-through service on Saturday 9am to noon or 1pm. Specialty shops and malls open around 9 or 10am, Monday to Saturday; the former close at about 5 or 6pm, the latter at around 9 or 10pm. You can also shop at most malls and boutiques on Sunday from noon until 6pm. Bars and clubs tend to stay open until midnight during the week, 2am on weekends.

Dentist

: Call the Dental Referral Service at
800/917-6453.

Doctor

: The Medical Exchange (
512/458-1121) and Seton Hospital (
512/324-4450) both have physician referral services.

Emergencies

: Call
911 if you need the police, the fire department, or an ambulance.

Libraries

: Downtown's Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St. (
512/499-7599), and adjoining Austin History Center, 810 Guadalupe St. (
512/499-7480), are excellent information resources. To find the closest local branch, check the Austin Public Libraries Web site: www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/.

Liquor Laws

: 21is the legal age for drinking in Texas.

Lost Property

: You can check with the police to find out whether something you've lost has been turned in by calling
512/974-5000. If you leave something on a city bus, call
512/389-7454; on a train heading for Austin or at the Amtrak station,
512/476-5684; on a Greyhound bus or at the station,
512/458-4463; at the airport,
512/530-COPS.

Luggage Storage/Lockers

: At the Greyhound station, there's only one size locker. You can check your luggage at the Amtrak station.

Police

: The non-emergency number for the Austin Police Department is
512/974-5000.

Post Office

: The city's main post office is at 8225 Cross Park Dr. (
512/342-1252); more convenient to tourist sights are the Capitol Station, 111 E. 17th St., in the LBJ Building, and the Downtown Station, 510 Guadalupe St. For information, phone
800/275-8777.

Safety

: Austin has been ranked one of the top five safest cities in the United States

Taxes

: The tax on hotel rooms is 15%. Sales tax, added to restaurant bills as well as to other purchases, is 8.25%.

Transit Information

: Call Capital Metro Transit (
800/474-1201 or 512/474-1200 from local pay phones; TDD 512/385-5872).

Public Transportation

Austin's public transportation system,
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (www.capmetro.austin.tx.us), is excellent, including more than 50 bus lines and a variety of ticket prices. five (Arma) 'Dillo routes: Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue, and Silver are free. You'll need exact change or fare tickets to board the bus; free transfers are good for 3 hours on weekdays, 4 hours on weekends. Call
800/474-1201 or 512/474-1200 (512/385-5872 for TDD) from local pay phones for point-to-point routing information.

Flights come in at the
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, eight miles southeast of downtown at the intersection of highways 71 and 183, I

It takes about twenty minutes to get downtown by
taxi (Yellow Cabs; tel 512/462-9999; or by SuperShuttle vans 512/258-3826; while the #100
bus runs approximately once an hour to the campus and downtown (Mon–Fri 5am–10pm, Sat 7am–9pm, Sun 8am–9pm)

‘Dillo Express, also run by METRO, is a free downtown
trolley system, running along three routes, including one out to the UT campus, every ten to forty minutes between 6.30am and 7pm on weekdays.

Bicycles

can be rented from Bicycle Sport Shop, 1426 Toomey Rd (Mon–Fri 10am–8pm, Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 11am–5pm; tel 512/477-3472).

Walking is an easy and pleasant way of getting around; organized
walking tours leave from the south entrance of the capitol (March–Nov Sat 2pm, Sun 9am: 512/478-0098).

Telephones

The country code for the United States is 1. The area code for Austin is 512.

Directory & Operator Information

For assistance from an operator, dial "0". To get a local or national telephone number, dial 411; in a few places it is necessary to dial 555-1212. If you want to charge a long-distance call to the person you're calling, call collect by dialing "0" instead of "1" before the 10-digit number, and an operator will come on the line to assist you (the party you're calling, however, has the right to refuse the call).

International Calls

International calls can be direct-dialed from most phones; dial 011, followed by the country code and then the local number (the front pages of many local telephone directories include a list of overseas country codes). To have an operator assist you, dial "0" and ask for the overseas operator.

Arriving

By Air

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)

( 3600 Presidential Blvd., 512/530-2242), This ultra modern facility is 8 miles from downtown Austin on the site of the former Bergstrom Air Force Base.

Some sample flying times are: 2 hours from New York, and 9 hours from London.

Transfers Between the Airport and Town

By Bus

Capital Metro Bus

( 512/474-1200; 800/474-1201 outside Austin) provides daily bus service from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to several major stops in town, where you can transfer to any one of the sixty other bus routes that cover Austin and surrounding areas. Look for the Airport Limited Route #100 bus at the Capital Metro bus stop on the 2nd Level Concourse of the Barbara Jordan Passenger Terminal. (Buses run every 60 to 70 minutes, 5 AM to 10 PM weekdays, 7 AM to 9 PM Saturdays, 8 AM to 9 PM Sundays.)

By Car

Take Route 71 (Ben White Blvd.) heading west and U.S. 183 heading north to get to downtown Austin. The drive time will be anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the time of day.

By Shuttle Van

Super Shuttle

( 512/258-3826 in Austin; 800/258-3826 outside of Austin) provides 24-hour shared-van service from the airport to Austin. Expect to pay from $8 to $15 per person, depending on your destination.

By Taxi

Austin has several taxi companies; all provide 24-hour service at a standard rate .

By Bus

Greyhound Bus Lines () connects Austin with Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and other cities in Texas and beyond. The bus station is located near the Highland Mall and I-35 at 916 E. Koenig La. ( 512/458-4463).

Arriving

By Car

Austin is located in central Texas at the intersection of Interstate 35, (running north and south through the city), and Texas Highway 290 (east and west), within easy driving distance of the other three major Texas cities. From Dallas, Austin is about a three-hour drive south on I-35 (195 mi), and from San Antonio about an hour's drive north (78 mi). From Houston, take Texas Highway 290 west; it's 166 miles to Austin.

Arriving By Train

Amtrak

(250 N. Lamar, 512/476-5684; 800/872-7245 for reservations) provides passenger rail services aboard the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle, with routes linking Austin north to Chicago, south to San Antonio, and to destinations between Orlando to the east and Los Angeles to the west.

Austin Kids Activities: Austin Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Austin Travel & Tourism, Free Austin Travel Guide Online

Austin Children's Museum
Dell Discovery Center Bus: Red and yellow 'Dillo lines.
201 Colorado St.
512/472-2494.
Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. noon-5.
Admission charged, but free on Wed. 5-8 and Sun. 4-5.
Completed in 1997, this colorful museum is 19,000 square ft of fun and games and educational opportunities. Children can explore technology and science. Exhibits include: how the human body works; a weather gallery, with a wind machine and other exhibits describing the earth's atmosphere. "Bats in My World" is a hands-on program that teaches about the flying mammals, and the Global Cities area has displays on how different cultures live.

Austin Nature and Science Center
Zilker Park Bus 63
301 Nature Center Drive
512-327-8181
Donations requested.
Mon-Sat. 9-5; Sun. Noon-5.
80 acre nature center with Discovery Boxes featuring interactive exhibits. Also, 50+
injured or orphaned animals are on premises receiving care and attention.

Austin Zoo
10807 Rawhide Trail
512-288-1490
Admission charged.
Open daily 10am-6pm Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Take Hwy. 290 west to Circle Dr., turn right, go 1.5 miles to Rawhide Trail, turn right Admission charged; children under 2 free
This small zoo, is about 14 miles southwest of downtown. The zoo operates as a refuge for mistreated and abandoned animals. As they are restored to health, they happily remain with good care and many visitors. A miniature train takes children and parents for a scenic 1.5 mile Hill Country ride, which offers views of the shyer animals. There is a large picnic area.

Jourdan Bachman Pioneer Farm
11418 Sprinkle Cut Off Rd
512/837-1215
Mon-Wed 9:30am-1pm (Thurs 9:30am-1pm June-Aug); Sun 1-5pm
Take exit 243 east off I-35 to Dessau Rd., turn left, go a half mile and take a right on Sprinkle Cut Off Rd
Admission charged.
A glimpse of life in the rural 1880s is provided. When Harriet Bachman and Frederic Jourdan established their farm in northeast Austin in 1852, cattle herders drove past their property on the Chisholm Trail. Today's visitors are encouraged to imagine life in those days: wealthy cotton farmers, homesteaders from Appalachia, and freed slaves turned tenant farmers. The costumed interpreters make the experience real for visiting families. On Sunday afternoon, there is always something interactive for children to do, from making sausage to milking cows.

Splash! Into the Edwards Aquifer Exhibit and Gift Store
2201 Barton Springs Rd Zilker Park
512/481-1466
Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm Bus: no. 30 (Barton Creek Square) Free admission
The Edwards Aquifer, Austin's main source of water, is fed by a variety of underground creeks filtered through a large layer of limestone. The former bathhouse at Barton Springs pool contains a variety of interactive displays that children love. Among these is one that can make it rain on the city, an activity to identify water bugs, and a periscope through which swimmers can be seen.

The theme throughout is of preservation of a clean water supply. The exhibits are so entertaining that children absorb the lessons presented in a way that is not only lots of fun, but also an experience to remember.

Zilker Zephyr Miniature Train
2100 Barton Springs Rd, Zilker Park
just across from the Barton Springs Pool
512/478-8286
Daily 10am-dusk Bus: 30
Admission charged, free for infants (under age 1) on guardian's lap
Take a scenic 25-minute ride through Zilker Park on a narrow-gauge, light-rail miniature train, which takes you at a leisurely pace along Barton Creek and Town Lake. The more than 2 miles of recently laid track makes the ride smoother than ever. The train departs approximately every hour on the hour during the week and every half hour on the half hour on the weekend, weather permitting.

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