The 15 Best Experiences in Austin

An Austin establishment for over 30 years, the Mexic-Arte Museum showcases Mexican and Mexican-American fine art in many forms: the vibrant permanent collection includes impressive sculpture, traditional ritual masks, photographs from the Mexican Revolution, and fascinating contemporary works from local artists. Plus, there are always awesome community engagement events, like the annual Young Latino Artists showcase.

Downtown Austin is home to tons of cultural gems and historical attractions, just waiting to be explored. If you like experiencing places on foot, now’s the time to try a guided running tour of Downtown; traverse along scenic Lady Bird Lake and bustling Congress Avenue as you learn about local landmarks and soak up the sights and sounds of the city.

If you went to Austin and you didn’t go two-stepping at a hipster honky-tonk, did you even really see the city at all? At The White Horse the whiskey shots and Lone Star tallboys flow like water, the live performers (usually Americana and country) are reliably great, and the crowd is made up of equal parts tattooed hipsters and grizzled cowboys ready to take you for a spin.

Austin is a serious foodie paradise – the culinary scene here is off-the-charts good, spanning all cuisines, from Japanese to Tex-Mex to French-Vietnamese and everything in between. Take a “secret food tour” to experience what locals really eat. You’ll go to obscure spots to sample an array of different dishes and drinks, and you’ll get to do so alongside a knowledgeable local guide.

Casa Neverlandia is a visual representation of Austin’s quirky, earthy soul. One of the city’s weirdest homes (and that’s really saying something), Casa Neverlandia is a whimsical wonderland residence, full of wonderfully weird details. This rainbow-colored, mosaic-covered two-bedroom house in South Austin serves as an homage to homeowner and artist James Talbot’s past – some of the bricks and tiles are from his childhood homes in countries like Turkey, Morocco and Venezuela – and an ode to the natural world, in the form of solar panels attached to a four-story lookout tower and a rainwater collection system.

There’s nothing like a guided scavenger hunt to fully experience everything that Austin has to offer. Explore Downtown using your smartphone, while having a blast racing against other teams and learning all about the city’s rich historic and cultural sites. Team up and go against the clock to beat others at making it to the Capitol building.