Best Things to Do in Austin with Kids
Austin Texas is an awesome vacation destination for families. The capital city offers both indoor and outdoor adventures kids of all ages will love. Our guest author and Austin resident Heidi Gollub gives us the scoop on the best things to do in Austin with kids!
Austin, Texas has enough live music, breakfast tacos, and barbecue joints to keep its visitors’ toes tapping and bellies full for days on end. It’s a vacation plan I heartily endorse: eat, dance, eat, sleep, repeat. You can’t go wrong.
But, if you’re bringing kids to visit The Lone Star State capital, and are feeling adventurous, strike out and explore beyond downtown Austin. You will be amazed at the beauty of the Texas Hill Country, and your kids will love it too!
Table of Contents
Things to do in Austin TX with kids
1. Hamilton Pool & Westcave Preserve
There is breathtaking scenery in the Texas Hill Country, which begins on Austin’s west side. Two nature preserves in particular offer such beautiful landscapes, you’ll feel as if you’ve been whisked away to another world.
An easy hike to the collapsed grotto and waterfall at Hamilton Pool Preserve is sure to delight the entire family. Small children enjoy wading along the pebble beach, and braver big kids can venture further into the depths of natural water for a swim.
Just be advised that there are no lifeguards and swimming is at your own risk. Reservations are now required during the busy season, May through September, due to the preserve’s immense popularity.
Also west of Austin, Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center offers guided weekend tours of the preserve’s lush canyon. Be sure to arrive early as tours fill quickly. You won’t want to miss exploring a small cave and seeing a 40-foot waterfall!
2. Barton Springs
If you are looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids, no trip is complete without a swim in the icy cold water of Zilker Park’s Barton Springs! A three-acre recreational pool created by floodgates along Barton Creek, this natural water pool remains a chilly 68 degrees year-round.
3. Inner Space Cavern
If you’re looking for a unique excursion that will make a lasting impression, take a guided tour of Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown. Explore caverns and natural wonders underground, then head up to the Inner Space Mine and pan for gemstones.
4. Take a bat cruise
Austin boasts the largest urban bat colony in the world. On summer evenings, tourists and locals alike line the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge to watch an estimated 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge in search of food.
While you can watch the bats from either the bridge or the shores of Lady Bird Lake, I recommend trying a kayak adventure to see the bats. Not only will you get a better view from the water, your boat guide will regale with interesting Austin trivia as you wait for the “show” to begin.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR CONGRESS AVENUE BAT BRIDGE TOUR
5. Head to the Austin waterparks
Austin has two awesome waterparks close by, both of which are worth the drive. Head south to Schlitterbahn New Braunfels, a 70-acre outdoor water park along the banks of the Comal River which boasts 40 attractions for all ages and heights. Parking and coolers are free, so pack a picnic and plan to stay for the day.
Or, head north to Typhoon Texas in Pflugerville, and enjoy a day of play at the combined water and adventure parks. You’ll be glad you did!
About the author: Heidi Gollub is the founder and of the award-winning website Free Fun in Austin.com. When not running around on adventures with her five children–ages three to 16–she volunteers for the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau and shares content with the local news. Recently, Heidi was a speaker at Mom 2.0 and the Texas Conference for Women.
Travel Tips
Book Your Flights
You can find discounted fares using sites like Momondo or Skyscanner. If you want to keep an eye on discount fares, we suggest signing up for Scott’s Cheap Flights, a daily newsletter with flight sales around the world.
If you travel frequently, consider investing in a Priority Pass for airport lounge access. It’s nice to have a space where you can relax before your flight.
Book Your Accommodation
We regularly use Hotels.com and Expedia.com to find lodging when we travel. It’s a great way to compare vacation rentals, hotels, and resorts.
If your family knows they want to stay in a vacation rental, we recommend looking at VRBO and Plum Guide.
Book Your Transportation
For rental car agencies, try Rentalcars.com. We tend to use Hertz simply for the quality of service.
Book Your Tours and Travel Photos
We regularly used companies like Viator and GetYourGuide to book tours when we travel. Both have great communication and a large variety of activities that work for all ages.
If you’re visiting a city with multiple attractions, be sure to check out a discount pass, such as CityPASS or Go City. Tiqets is another place to purchase tickets for attractions.
Context Travel is another option and they offer more educational based activities. The former teacher in me loves their tours.
One of our favorite things to do annually is take photos with Flytographer. They have photographers around the world and we’ve used them on four separate occasions. This is our favorite travel souvenir.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
With the state of travel these days, it’s important to have some type of travel insurance to cover any unforeseen accidents, illnesses, threat or cancellations. We always travel with insurance and would recommend SquareMouth, Travelex, or Medjet as good options. And if you want to compare different insurance options, use Travel Insurance Master to find the best policy for your group.
