Winter Activities in Austin, TX
Winter in Austin, TX — top activities include 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). Seasonal attractions typically run November through February, while indoor venues operate year-round.
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+
22,000 sq ft free skate park with a beginner area — helmets required under 18
8500 FM 969, Austin, TX 78724 · Daily 5am-10pm · Ages 3+
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
Redesigned in 2023 and it shows. 18 holes through big oaks along the river, completely free. Park at the end of Grove Blvd or you'll walk forever.
400 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741 · Daily 5am-10pm
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