Landmarks and Attractions

• The Capitol of Texas—The second largest state capitol building in the country is a beautiful pink granite building situated right at the top of downtown. Tours are given. Call 512-305-8400 for the visitors office and 512-463-0063 for the tour guide office. The Governor's Mansion is directly across the street from the Capitol.
• The University of Texas at Austin—UT's campus has grown past its original 40 acre borders, but it is still a beautiful campus that instills a feeling of academia on its visitors. The famous (or infamous) UT Tower, also called the Main Building, can be seen from many parts of town. Tours are available.
• Sixth Street—Austin's famous entertainment area features numerous bars, music venues, and dance clubs. Interesting during the day, Sixth Street really comes alive at night.
• Bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge—The Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world (1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats, to be specific). July and August are the best times to watch the bats emerge at sunset, and it's quite a dramatic site to behold. Don't worry, the bats don't get close at all.
• South Congress—South Congress (Congress Avenue south of Town Lake) is the heart of the older part of Austin. There are many neat local shops, vintage stores, and several good restaurants nestled along South Congress.
• National Instruments—National Instruments is the world leader in virtual instrumentation and also is where we met! The three-building campus resides on a beautiful wooded piece of land at the corner of MoPac and Duval.

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