Austin is the capital city of Texas where we spent three beautiful days and indulged in all of our favorite activities: from splendid art to delicious food and of course, some really lively music. This progressive, LGBT friendly city (read this Gay Austin City Guide to find out more) in Texas has a lot to offer and I have compiled some very fun, unique and definitely the best things to do in Austin in this 3 day Austin itinerary guide.
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3 day Austin itinerary: Visiting Mount Bonnell
Mount Bonnell/Covert Park is generally considered the highest point in the city of Austin (780 feet above sea level) and reveals beautiful views of West Austin, specially Lake Austin. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1969. A short flight of stairs will lead you to the very top where you can get your fill of some breathtaking panoramic views of Austin’s greenery and water. Don’t forget to get there early to avoid the crazy joggers and exercise freaks!
Things to do in Austin: Pennybacker bridge and Lake Austin
If you are looking for some offbeat things to do in Austin, then stop by for a quiet moment at Pennybacker bridge arching over the tranquil Lake Austin. In the neighborhood of Mount Bonnell, lies Pennybacker bridge, traversing the northern and southern parts of the capital and providing some spectacular views of Lake Austin itself. You can either park at one of the lookout points of the bridge or better still take an exit to get all the way down to the lake itself to catch a quiet moment by the water. We sure did.
Three days in Austin: Exploring museums
a) Mexi-Arte museum
If you are an art lover and wondering which museums to include in your 3 day Austin itinerary, then do not give the beautiful Mexi-Arte museum a miss! This museum in downtown Austin with past exhibits on Borderland symbols and art is definitely a must visit for its socio-politically relevant message showcased via art and its importance in this extremely polarizing world of ours.
The exhibits that we saw talk about the volatile US-Mexico border through the vibrant lens of art stemming from the Mexican, American and Mexican-American traditions the come together in a rich tapestry of shared heritage at the border. The symbolism of Chicano beliefs fused with vintage Americana made the exhibit enthralling.
As a pacifist and art lover, I felt that there is so much more to the border and people living there that their multi-dimensionality cannot be boxed in black and white by a single swath of a brush that paints them as hostile, rapists and thieves, unwelcome in another country and dangerous. There is so much cultural exchange going on where two countries meet and although there are problems and issues and crime, sharing our borders has infused new life in American art via traditional beliefs, colors and motifs of the south. This exhibit was a beautiful reminder of how enriched one society and its art can become if it allows the entry of other ideas and societal mores.
b) Blanton Museum of Art
Keeping the museum theme intact, I now move to our second museum outing at the Blanton museum of Art, on the UT Austin campus. Since the second floor was closed for renovation, we could only view the first floor gallery with two exhibits, but both were extremely thought provoking. The first was by the internationally renowned Chinese artist Xu Bing (winner of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation“Genius” award) called “Book From The Sky” which is considered one of the most breakout works of art in the post-Mao era.
This installation is simply a book consisting of reams of pages of characters made up by the artist and is somewhat of a fusion between Mandarin and western characters. The method to this madness is that language itself can be twisted and contorted to control the masses and on a more philosophical note, it can also be open to interpretation by the reader.
The second exhibit that we visited was by the famous Spanish artist Francisco de Goya and was titled “Goya: Mad Reason” which is a collection of sketches borrowed from Yale University Art Gallery’s distinguished Arthur Ross Collection. Goya’s art reflected his torment and disappointment under the oppressive regime of Ferdinand VII, who with his regressive ideology, had wreaked havoc on free speech, satire and art in early 19th century Spain. Goya’s work was a reminder as to how changing political landscapes can influence art and artists in profound ways, similar to what is continuing till this date in so many countries.
c) Bullock Museum/Texas State History Museum
This was my most entertaining museum visit ever, this is why I finally figured out the origins of Texas and the political affiliations and belief of this state. I highly recommend this as one of the top things include in your Austin itinerary for 3 days if you are a history nerd. The exhibits were marvelous and outlined the Texas revolution (freedom of Texas from the Mexican government, its inclusion in the Union to become the 28th state, its secession to join the confederacy and finally the ill-fated civil war on slavery where the south lost).
Although I am not a big fan of Texan politics and its pro-slave stance, I couldn’t help admire the guts of the Anglo-settlers who took on the might of the Mexican government (yes, Texas used to be part of Mexico; oh the irony!) in the epic battle of Gonzales where a small rag-tag group refused to hand back the loaned cannon to the Mexican Army with a war cry of “Come and Get it!”. There was also another beautiful exhibit on the ill-fated ship La Belle and the famous French explorer La Salle, who sailed to USA hoping to colonize the Mississippi for the French but failed as the ship lost course and landed at Texas. La Belle sank in a storm and was discovered in the 90s and now the ship’s hull is part of the museum exhibit.
d) O. Henry Museum
If you have three days in Austin but not enough time to devote an afternoon to neverending museum exhibits, just make one short stop at the O. Henry museum, an ode to the famous American author and playwright. This museum in downtown is basically his house converted to a museum and maintained by the city. William Sydney Porter lived here for 3 years before he was imprisoned where he took on the pen name O. Henry and churned epic short stories with a cunning twist at the end.
One of my absolute favorite American authors, he died nearly penniless in New York but left behind an anthology of 300+ stories for literature lovers to enjoy. His wife died of pneumonia and his daughter died in her 30s of the same disease as well. The house is well maintained with all his possessions and furniture and gives you a glimpse into the life of the man before he became O. Henry.
Austin itinerary for 3 days: Zilker Botanical Park/Lady Bird Lake/Umlauf sculpture garden
Zilker botanical park is to Austinites what Central Park is to New Yorkers: a vast expanse of green and an oxygen artery in the chaos of a concrete jungle. Although Austin is nowhere close to being a dense urban sprawl like Manhattan, the park and its many attractions are a big draw to locals and tourists alike. You can canoe on the Lady Bird lake (formerly called Town lake) or catch a glimpse of the city skyline from the Town Lake Metropolitan park.
Better still, spend an afternoon in the shady lily grove amidst the beautiful sculptures donated by Charles Umlauf to the city of Austin in the Umlauf sculpture garden, now celebrating 25 years since its opening to the public. A first generation American born to German parents, Umlauf went on to become a world famous sculptor and yet chose Austin as his home. His work is breathtaking and involves all kinds of subjects (the diver boy sculpture is modeled after his own son) ranging from saints to refugees to mother and child (the latter being one of his recurring themes). The details and emotions captured in these sculptures is amazing.
What to do in Austin for 3 days: Visit to the Capitol building
Austin is the state capital and therefore a trip to the Capitol building, taller than that in Washington DC, is a must do on your 3 day Austin itinerary. For daily tours you can go the visitor center (open from 9-5) or do what we did and simply stroll around. Most of the building was under renovation of some kind, but we did manage to get photos of one wing that was intact. War hero, the iconic Texan Cowboy on his steed and “Remember the Alamo” statues were seen everywhere. My favorite though were the statues of Texan kids, the proud women of Texas and the replica of the Statue of Liberty.
3 day Austin itinerary: Exploring Graffiti Park
A visit to Graffiti park is one of the most fun things to do in Austin and should definitely be on your Austin itinerary. Located in the quiet neighborhood of Clarksville, graffiti park packs in a punch with a riot of colors, messages, drawings, sketches, tags and socio-political messages scribbled, splashed, painted and sketched on every inch of its decrepit walls. A manna from heaven for all maverick art lovers and mural maniacs, you too can get started by buying a spray can from the friendly artist patrolling this area with his adorable pooch. This is not the only spot to catch murals since Austin has plenty of them scattered all over and you can find them all here with locations mentioned in the Austin mural guide.
Best neighborhood and shopping spots in Austin
Three days in Austin is a good time to explore the many diverse neighborhoods and get a taste of the city. The urban explorer in you can get her/his fill in downtown Austin (2nd street) for live music and shopping, the lively South Congress Avenue for some more local boutique hopping (their chalkboard art is seriously on point) and the hipster neighborhoods of East Austin and Holly for good food and you guessed it, more local shopping to include in your 3 day Austin itinerary!
Apart from the Willie Nelson mania (see his statue below on W.N. Boulevard), Austin is crazy about is local music scene and everyplace form dive bars to restaurants to even stores have some form of live music performance or the other in the evening. If you are into shopping, then do not forget to check out Congress Ave, the main street of Austin which has tons of good local shopping spots. Stop by Parts & Labour to pick up mementos from art work by all local Austin or Texas Artists (we picked up some cool Tim Doyle prints for our study) and check out Solid Gold, a local apparel boutique for cute one of a kind dresses and jewelry curated from independent artists all over in USA.
Unique things to do in Austin: Bat watching
This was perhaps our most interesting experience and something very unique to Austin, home to the largest urban colony of bats! From March to November, these nocturnals emerge religiously from under the South Congress Ave. bridge, at dusk and after and it is indeed a sight to behold. The bridge is the best vantage point to view them and you can get a fantastic view of the city skyscrapers as well as the capitol in the distance, all lit up and shimmering.
The perfect 3 day Austin itinerary: Exploring Austin street art
Austin is chock-full of vibrant street art which is a testimony to its progressive and cultural outlook. We saw so many breathtaking murals scattered all over the city that it was tough to keep count. From busy streets lined with murals to some eye catching ones in the most obscure places, Austin surprised us with its treasure trove of street art. Although I have a separate post on where to find the most instagrammable murals in Austin, some of my favorite ones that you should check out when planning your 3 day Austin itinerary are as follows:
a) “Greetings from Austin” (720 S 1st St)
b) Murals on Guadalupe street
c) Congress street murals including the famous “I love you so much” (1300 S. Congress street)
d) “You are my Butter Half” (2000 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd)
Where to eat in Austin: the best places to include in your Austin itinerary
Texas is mostly associated with meat, meat and more meat with its BBQ being the showstopper, but there is so much more to Austin than just that. Austin is a thriving foodie mecca with local chefs providing their own spin on seasonal produce and coming up with dishes that reflect seasonal produce and are true to the geography and weather of the place (hot and humid and bursting with flavor). I have written an entire post on where to eat in Austin if you dare to look beyond the BBQ and I hope you can include these in your Austin itinerary for 3 days.
Where to stay in Austin (updated as of 2020)
Having visited Austin twice, I highly recommend staying close to downtown since it is central to everything and is within walkable distance to the Capitol. On our first visit, we stayed in a quiet neighborhood right next to graffiti park using Airbnb and there are many reasonable options in Austin that will not break the bank. I have also been to Austin on business and stayed at Hyatt Place Austin Downtown which boasts of an excellent location and has spacious rooms, gym, pool and provides airport transportation. For those not looking for either of these experiences but something more unique, I recommend Brava House, a beautiful 19th century Victorian home converted to a B&B, a stone’s throw from the famous Josephine House restaurant.
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Three days in Austin: best time to visit
Austin has very hot and humid weather for the most part of the year. We visited end of September and the mercury was in the upper 90s with humidity draining our lives off! The best time to visit is undoubtedly in winter from November-March with cooler, drier weather.
This ends my travelogue of best things to include in a 3 day Austin itinerary. I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Do share your experiences with me and if you have already been there, let me know if there is something else that I need to add to this list.
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