Austin

The permanent collection of more than 13,000 works here ranges from ancient to contemporary art. — Michelin Guide

Located in the heart of Zilker Park, the three-acre pool is fed from an underground spring — Condé Nast Traveler

More than 45 million pages, an extensive collection of audio recordings, and 2,000 interviews fill a four-story glass-encased research room from floor to ceiling. — Travel + Leisure

Named after an illustrious Texas lieutenant governor, this sunset-red expanse of granite, framed by a 35ft-tall bronze star and the six flags of Texas, has three floors of exhibits. — Michelin Guide

Enjoy the native gardens and plants. The center uses solar power, has a green roof, and offers community outreach programs to restore the environment. — Travel + Leisure

Dominating Austin's skyline, the Renaissance Revival-style capitol was built in 1888 (Elijah E. Myers) of red granite and limestone. — Michelin Guide

A municipal park located on the western edge of the city above Town Lake... making it a popular spot for surveying the surrounding area. — Travel + Leisure

This museum will be of interest to children up to 12 years old...Tots enjoy the low-tech but creative playscapes; older kids take on a variety of "creation stations." — Frommer's

Pack your picnic baskets and head out to Zilker Park for an evening of live, local music. — Afar Magazine

The Contemporary Austin’s northwestern sister site is the Laguna Gloria. The site includes a sculpture park, gallery space, and historic villa. — Condé Nast Traveler

The Harry Ransom Center’s holdings are vast, varied and ever-growing, from Frida Kahlo paintings to Woodward and Bernstein’s Watergate notes to Robert De Niro’s papers — Travel + Leisure

Turns out, all flavors of music—rock, pop, hip-hop, alt country—pair well with Stubb's famous Texas-style barbecue. — Travel + Leisure

A gleaming copper dome, a soaring rotunda, and a 35-foot-tall bronze star out front set the tone for this museum, devoted to Texas boosterism; it’s as bold as the state itself, and loads of fun. — Frommer's

The Austin Nature & Science Center, located in Zilker Park, has a range of family friendly activities and hands-on exhibits. — Travel + Leisure

The city's namesake, Stephen F. Austin, is the best-known resident of this East Side cemetery, established by the state in 1851. — Frommer's

It has a small permanent collection of 20th-century Mexican art, photographs from the Mexican revolution, and a fascinating array of masks from the state of Guerrero. — Frommer's

The home of one of only 22 Anglo adult survivors of the Battle of the Alamo. — Frommer's

The exhibitions tend to be well-curated and interesting. — Fodor's

While you’re waiting for the bats, make sure not to miss the view to the West as the sun drops below the jagged skyline of the Texas Hill Country. — Fodor's

This 744-acre state park is 13 miles southeast of downtown Austin — Fodor's