Thanksgiving Things to Do in Austin, TX
Thanksgiving week in Austin, TX has plenty to do beyond dinner — Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail (Free), Blanton Museum of Art ($15), Buzz Mill ($5-10), ACL Live at The Moody Theater ($30-100), and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema ($12-18) are all open or hosting special events. Check for turkey trot races and volunteer shifts at local food banks.
Free Tue 3-7pm and Sun 3-5pm — outdoor water play area will soak them
1830 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723 · Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Monday · Ages 0–11
Always free — hawks, owls, and a fossil dig pit in Zilker Park
2389 Stratford Dr, Austin, TX 78746 · Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm
Free everything — storytimes, rooftop garden, underground parking
710 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701 · Mon-Thu 9am-8pm, Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm
Free splash pad that'll burn two hours minimum — pack a towel
1100 Kingsbury St, Austin, TX 78703 · Daily 8am-10pm (May 1 - Oct 31)
Free — peacocks just walk around, tail feathers out Feb-June
3505 W 35th St, Austin, TX 78703 · Daily 5am-10pm
Kids feed sharks and pet stingrays — plan 2-3 hours
13530 US-183 #101, Austin, TX 78750 · Mon-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-7pm
Free first Sundays — the 4D theater is worth the extra cost with kids
1800 N Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 · Daily 10am-5pm
Free Tuesdays — the Kelly chapel light show mesmerizes kids
200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78712 · Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon
Nature-themed playground with sound buttons — free trails along the Colorado River
400 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741 · Daily 5am-10pm · Ages 0+
Dinosaur fossils and a 40-foot pterosaur — free on the fourth Sunday
2400 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78712 · Tue-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm, closed Mon · Ages 0+
Go-karts, mini golf, laser tag, and bumper boats — all in one spot
16231 N I-35, Pflugerville, TX 78660 · Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 10am-9pm · Ages 0+
Top-tier playground, splash pad, and lake loop — Thinkery right across the street
4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723 · Daily 5am-10pm · Ages 0+
Free Sunday concerts on the lawn overlooking Lady Bird Lake
701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704 · Sundays, check Long Center schedule for times · Ages 0+
$5 to swim in a 68-degree spring-fed pool. Go early on weekends or don't go at all.
2201 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78746 · Daily 5am-10pm, closed Thu 9am-7pm for cleaning
10-mile loop around the lake, totally free, open 24 hours. The boardwalk section is worth doing even if you skip the rest.
Along Lady Bird Lake, Austin, TX 78701 · Open 24 hours
Tight, wooded, technical. This is the course Austin disc golfers play when they want to actually be challenged. Free.
6301 W Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78739 · Daily 6am-10pm
No ropes, no harness, just climb. The East Austin location has a patio, sauna, and cold plunge. More like a clubhouse than a gym.
979 Springdale Rd #150, Austin, TX 78702 · Mon-Fri 6am-11pm, Sat-Sun 8am-10pm
Same quality as the Springdale location, less crowded, easier parking. South Austin's go-to climbing spot.
4477 S Lamar Blvd #600, Austin, TX 78745 · Mon-Fri 6am-11pm, Sat-Sun 8am-10pm
$5, no membership, 8 lighted courts. Reserve two days out or just show up and wait for an open court.
2312 Shoal Creek Blvd, Austin, TX 78705 · Mon-Fri 8am-10pm, Sat-Sun 8am-6pm
Free indoor pickleball courts, no membership. Also has basketball. The senior pickleball crowd on Tuesday mornings is surprisingly competitive.
1100 Cumberland Rd, Austin, TX 78704 · Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 9am-3pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
Every class is donation-based. Hot yoga, 90 degrees, pay what you want. Four locations across Austin. No reason not to try it.
913 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702 · Class schedule varies, check website
Free outdoor courts with lights, plus a full indoor gym. Summer evenings are the real scene — East Austin pickup basketball at its best.
3811 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78721 · Outdoor courts: daily dawn to dusk. Rec center hours vary.
The climbing gym for people who want ropes, not just bouldering. North Austin, less packed than the Bouldering Project locations.
8000 N MoPac Expy, Austin, TX 78759 · Mon-Fri 6am-10pm, Sat-Sun 8am-8pm
Full gym, sand volleyball, totally free. No membership, no fees, just walk in. North Austin's best-kept secret.
2913 Northland Dr, Austin, TX 78757 · Mon-Thu 9am-9pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm
Small studio, real instruction, not a yoga factory. Buy the 8-pack and it's under $15 a class.
1050 E 11th St #150, Austin, TX 78702 · Class schedule varies, check website
$10 drop-in yoga on South Congress. Unlimited monthly is $45. Hard to find a reason not to go at that price.
4601 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78745 · Class schedule varies, check website
Tiered outdoor patio with sightlines from every spot — Red River anchor since 2006
912 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 · Show nights, check schedule
BBQ + 2,100-cap amphitheater + Sunday Gospel Brunch
801 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 · Restaurant: Sun-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm; show times vary
1915 vaudeville house on Congress Ave — the interior alone is worth it
713 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 · Box office Mon-Fri noon-5:30pm; show times vary
Austin's last real dance hall — $10 two-step lessons Wed-Sat at 8pm
3201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704 · Tue-Sat from 4pm, dancehall opens 8-9pm
40+ years of political satire and magic on Sixth Street — 90-minute shows
525 E Sixth St, Austin, TX 78701 · Show times typically 7pm and 9pm, check schedule
The original Alamo Drafthouse — they will kick you out for talking
1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704 · Daily, showtimes from late morning to late night
Live music every night since 1955 — 200-person room on South Congress
1315 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704 · Nightly, shows typically start 9-10pm
Where Austin City Limits tapes for PBS — 100+ concerts a year
310 W Willie Nelson Blvd, Austin, TX 78701 · Show nights, check schedule
Ellsworth Kelly's colored glass chapel is the draw — free Tuesdays
200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78712 · Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon
Free first Sundays — IMAX and 4D theater cost extra but worth it
1800 N Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 · Daily 10am-5pm
Multiple stages running simultaneously — catch bands before they blow up
1502 E Sixth St, Austin, TX 78702 · Nightly, shows typically start 8-9pm
Basement jazz club on Congress Ave — live jazz seven nights a week since 1991
315 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 · Mon-Fri 5pm-2am, Sat 8pm-2am, Sun 7pm-1am
Austin's blues temple since 1975 — Stevie Ray Vaughan played here
305 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78701 · Show nights, check schedule
Free Broadway-style musical under the stars — Austin tradition since 1959
2206 William Barton Dr, Austin, TX 78746 · Thu-Sun 8:15pm, mid-Jul through mid-Aug
Free Afrobeat Sundays in the backyard — one of Austin's most eclectic music spaces
1413 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78721 · Nightly, shows typically start 8-9pm
Bungalow houses turned into bars with backyard patios — the chill alternative to Sixth Street
Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 · Most bars open 4pm-2am daily
Texas's oldest beer garden — open since 1866, 160 years of cold beer and communal tables
1607 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701 · Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 11am-10pm
1.5 million bats emerge at sunset — largest urban bat colony in North America, free to watch
100 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 · Nightly at sunset, Mar-Oct
Free in-store performances by major artists — Austin's legendary record store since 1982
600A N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703 · Mon-Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 11am-9pm
LGBTQ+-owned venue with a huge patio — eclectic bookings and free/low-cover most nights
900 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 · Daily 4pm-2am
Locals say best beef ribs in Austin — skip the brisket line and go straight for the ribs.
1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704 · Sun-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9:30pm
Farm-to-table with a rotating menu — whatever's in season, they're cooking it.
1201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704 · Tue-Sat 5:30-10pm, brunch Sat-Sun 10:30am-2pm
Best pizza in Austin per locals — Detroit-style with thick, crispy cheese edges.
1111 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 · Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm