The Top 10 Historical Sites in Austin

Our Local Expert Says:

Though any time at the capitol is awe-inspiring, seeing the Texas State Capitol during the holiday season is magical. Be sure to traipse through the vibrant green grounds—this is a perfect spot for a super cheap but utterly romantic date.

Description:

The Texas State Legislature meets only once every two years, so if the cavernous building seems oddly deserted, the legislature is probably not in session. Considered one of the nation's most distinguished state buildings, the Texas State Capitol, with its strong red granite facade and Renaissance Revival architectural style, sits regally on a hill overlooking Congress Avenue. Largest of all state capitols and only second in size to the National Capitol in Washington, D.C., the Texas State Capitol anchors the north end of downtown, just four blocks south of the University of Texas at Austin campus. Free tours of the capitol building cover Texas history, fun facts about the 17 monuments on the 22-acre, park-like grounds, and information about the Texas legislature, or take the self-guided tour to explore at your own pace. You'll need to go through a quick security check at the entrance, including having your bags scanned by a metal detector.

Our Local Expert Says:

This Sixth Street anchor and Austin landmark is said to harbor a handful of friendly ghosts, including the hotel's namesake himself, Colonel Driskill.

Description:

Location. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the Driskill Hotel was once the showplace of a cattle baron. Located seven miles from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, this historic 12-story hotel is adjacent to Sixth Street entertainment district and less than one mile from the Texas State Capitol Complex.
Hotel Features. Gargoyles and busts of The Driskill Hotel's owner and his sons still peer out from high above each entrance, and shorhorn steer heads adorn the outer walls. The lobby's three-story columns reach to a stained-glass dome ceiling canopying marble floors. The hotel features a full-service business center, elegant meeting facilities wired with high-tech capabilities, and a fitness studio complete with stretching room and massage tables. The Driskill Grill offers contemporary American cuisine in elegant surroundings, while old Texas-style décor is found in the 1886 Café & Bakery, serving full breakfasts and light entrees daily. The Driskill Bar is furnished with cowhide couches and features an extensive wine list, native Texas brews, and live piano music.
Guestrooms. Palatial guestrooms and suites span from the Driskill's Traditional Wing, built in 1929 featuring the colorful surroundings of the Texas Hill Country, to the Historic Wing's vaulted decorative ceilings, detailed woodwork and balconies. Both wings include original art, lavish draperies, and opulent beds featuring Frette Italian linens. Bathrooms are outfitted with black Brazilian marble tile, brass fixtures and bathrobes. Nightly turndown service, minibars and expanded cable television are room standards. Complimentary guestroom amenities include coffee service, newspapers and high- speed Internet access.
Expert Tip. Built in 1886, the Driskill is rich in history and serves as a landmark of Texas hospitality. Its dark mahogany bar with brass railings, scrolled mirrors and crystal globes was imported from Germany and has been featured in many movies throughout the decades, including "Cabaret" in 1972. This hotel is non-smoking.

Description:

This is one of the oldest governor's mansions in the country that is still being used on a continuous basis. Builder Abner Cook created a simple square home with four rooms downstairs and four rooms upstairs. A conservatory was added in 1914 along with a new kitchen area. The home showcases original artwork and furniture from yesteryear, as well as modern pieces added during the 1980s restoration. Guests are invited to enjoy viewing the first floor and lush grounds surrounding the home.

Description:

The city's namesake, Stephen F. Austin, is the best-known resident of this East Side cemetery, established by the state in 1851. Judge Edwin Waller, who laid out the grid plan for Austin's streets and later served as the city's mayor, also rests here, as do eight former Texas governors, various fighters in Texas's battles for independence, and Barbara Jordan, the first black woman from the South elected to the U.S. Congress (in 1996, she became the first African American to gain admittance to these grounds). Perhaps the most striking monument is one sculpted by Elisabet Ney, for the tomb of Confederate general Albert Sidney Johnston, who died at the Battle of Shiloh.

The narrow drive that runs through the cemetery is actually a state highway. In the 1990s, the cemetery grounds were refurbished and extensively landscaped. This was the pet project of Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, a politician who was nothing if not resourceful. Thwarted in getting funding passed by the state legislature, Bullock got the driveway designated as a highway so he could allocate funds from the Texas Department of Transportation. When you pay a visit, you can see the highway signs at the entrances. And you can check out a rather fancy tomb with Mr. Bullock's name on it. There are two self-guided-tour pamphlets at the visitor center/museum, which is designed to suggest the long barracks at the Alamo.

Description:

St. Mary's Cathedral, designed by noted Texas architect Nicholas J. Clayton, is the oldest Catholic church in Austin. Construction was completed in 1884, but exquisite French and German stained glass windows were added in the 1890s. A beautiful piece of Gothic architecture, this small cathedral now seems almost dwarfed by the high-rise buildings downtown.

Description:

Legend has it that Stephen F. Austin signed the first boundary treaty with the Comanche 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 the late 1980s 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 was allocated to local artists, whose works were auctioned off for the tree's 500th anniversary in 1993. Now such items as pen sets, gavels, and clocks made out of the tree's severed limbs are for sale, with proceeds going to plant additional trees throughout public areas of Austin.

Description:

The former home and studio of German sculptress Elisabet Ney is open to the public for exploration. This home was one of the first buildings erected in the Hyde Park neighborhood, which was developed as a suburb in 1892 by Monroe Martin Shippe. Ney referred to her space as Formosa (beautiful in Portuguese) and visitors flock to this museum to view nearly 50 busts and statues of Texas heroes, as well as Europeans she sculpted as a young artist. Her tools and several personal items are also on display. Admission is free.

Description:

Short story writer William Sydney Porter, whose pen name was O. Henry, lived in this home for three years while he spent time in Austin. It was constructed in 1891 and is filled with rare books, O. Henry's writing desk, original furniture, photographs, personal belongings and the chairs that brought The Gift of the Magi to life. Enjoy a guided tour and learn about the history of this home and its famous occupant. The home has been moved twice since from its original location at 308 East Fourth Street. It now features a gift shop with books, videotapes and more. The museum offers writing clubs for Austin children and sponsors many local events such as the Victorian Christmas celebration and the "O. Henry Pun-Off." Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

Description:

The Paramount Theatre has stood on Congress Avenue in the heart of downtown Austin for nearly 100 years. The site of the Paramount Theatre was once home to Sam Houston's office and the War Department of the Republic of Texas and later the Avenue Hotel. As Austin's oldest surviving theatre built in 1915, the Paramount has a long history of entertaining Central Texas audiences.

Description:

The ground where the One Texas Center stands was the site of the beloved Armadillo World Headquarters. One of Austin's most popular music hall, the Armadillo was a popular hangout for all kinds of people. The list of famous musicians who've played here is illustrious; from AC/DC to Frank Zappa, they've all graced the stage. The Armadillo World Headquarters shut down in 1980 on the grounds of bankruptcy. The commemorative plaque is still a testimony. Music may die, but it'll be remembered forever.