Travel and Explore Austin, TX!

Austin, TX The Texas state capital, the name honors Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas." The city, the heart of state government, is home to several educational institutions including the University of Texas at Austin. Known as the "Live Music Capital of the World." Austin is the northeastern gateway to the Texas Hill Country. Austin events include: Spamarama, Austin-Travis County Livestock Show and Rodeo, Cinco de Mayo, Green Mesquite Rhythm & Blues Festival, Fiery Food Show, Bastille Day at the French Legation, and Diez y Seis.  Austin Children's Museum  1501 W. 5th St.  Austin  Texas  (512) 472-2499  A museum with touring exhibits and an activity galleries for preschool and grade school children. Other activities include a hands-on museum, demonstrations, workshops and performances.  Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau Information Center  201 E. 2nd Ave.  Austin  Texas  (512)478-0098 or (800)888-8287  Brochures available.  Austin Museum Of Art  3809 W. 35th St.  Austin  Texas  (512)458-8191  A 1916 Mediterranean Italianate-style Estate located overlooking Lake Austin. Contains educational programs and changing exhibits of 20th-century American art.  Austin Nature Center  Barton Springs Rd.  Austin  Texas  (512)327-8181  Features wildlife, plants and dinasaur exhibits. Wildlife includes native Texas animals and animals that were injured or orphaned.  Elisabet Ney Museum  304 E. 44th St.  Austin  Texas  (512) 458-2255  Home and studio of the renowned sculpture Elisabet Ney. Now contains the collections of her works and tools.  French Legation Museum  E. 7th and Marcos  Austin  Texas  (512) 472-8180  The French Legation was built in 1840 by a foreign government and is the oldest building in its original site. Built by Comte Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, from France. This cottage features an authentic French Creole kitchen and 19th-century period antiques.  Governor's Mansion  1010 Colorado St.  Austin  Texas  (512) 463-5516  A Greek Revival Southern mansion, built in 1856 with white-columned facade and has been the home to every gvernor. Tours availble 10:00 - 11:40 a.m.  Hill Country Flyer  US 183 and Discovery Blvd  Austin  Texas  (512) 477-8468  A 4-hour weekend round-trip steamtrain excursion. Pulled by a 1916 Southern Pacific locomotive through hill country, from Ceder Park to Burnet.  Lake Austin  West of Lake Austin Blvd.  Austin  Texas  (512) 473-3235 Dam Reserv.  Boating, fishing and swimming. Tours available at the Tom Miller Dam located 15 miles northeast. Group tours call for advance reservations.  Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum  2313 Red River St.  Austin  Texas  (512) 916-5137  Contains papers and displays the life of Lyndon Johnson. Exhibits include political memorabilia, a 1968 Lincoln limousine and gifts from foreign heads of state.  National Wildflower Research Center  4801 LaCrosse Ave.  Austin  Texas  (512)292-4200 or 292-4201  A 42-acre garden containing wildflowers for which Texas is famous.  Neill-Cochran Museum House  2310 San Gabriel St.  Austin  Texas  (512) 478-2335  Built in 1855 and designed by Abner Cook this beutiful Greek Revival home contains furniture of the 19th century.  O. Henry Home And Museum  409 E. 5th St.  Austin  Texas  (512) 472-1903  Contains the publications and personal effects of the famed short story writer William Sydney Porter. O. Henry was his pen name while in prison for embezzlement.  State Capitol Complex  North End of Congress Ave.  Austin  Texas  (512) 463-0063  A 26-acre complex with historic landscapes, statues and memorials.  Texas Memorial Museum  2400 Trinity St.  Austin  Texas  (512) 471-1604  Contains exhibits of archeological, geological, biological, and historical.  Zilker Bontanical Garden  Barton Springs Rd.  Austin  Texas  (512) 477-8672  Austin Area Garden Center. Zilker Bontanical Gardens include butterfly, Oriental, rose, and other gardens.  Zilker Park  Barton Springs Rd.  Austin  Texas  (512) 478-0905  The city's largest park. Barton Springs, A former watering hole now spring-feeds a 1000-foot-long swimming pool with a constant temperature of 68 degrees F.