Live Music and Outdoor Adventure in Austin, TX
Austin’s live-music scene is legendary. Whether in clubs, coffeehouses, taquerias or the world-famous Circuit of the Americas raceway, musicians delight residents and visitors alike.
The University of Texas offers a big-time college experience with world-class research and sky-high alumni success rates. UT faculty include MacArthur and Guggenheim fellows, members of national academies and recipients of globally significant prizes.
History
With its thriving food scene, state-of-the-art technological hubs, and world-class universities, Austin TX attracts entrepreneurs, artists, and trailblazers who leave their mark on the city’s history. The city has a long tradition of progressive politics and social change, including its role in the civil rights movement.
During the 1860s settlers from Germany, Sweden, and other countries helped make Austin’s population diverse. By 1860, the town had more than 350 families living in it. Congregations of Baptists, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Presbyterians built churches, while the elite constructed elegant Greek Revival mansions.
In 1888, the pink granite State Capitol (modeled after the U.S. Capitol) replaced an earlier structure. The city’s first public school opened that year, and the Tillotson Collegiate and Normal Institute offered educational opportunities to African Americans. Civic improvements continued to come: gas street lamps were installed in 1874 and the city’s first mule-drawn streetcar line opened in 1875. By the 1950s, racial tensions were transformed by the civil rights movement.
Education
The University of Texas established Austin as a college town, and the city is filled with top-rated schools that ensure children have a solid academic foundation and an excellent start in life.
In addition to the top public elementary schools, there are outstanding middle and high schools as well. In fact, the area boasts a number of highly rated schools that have been recognized by national publications, such as CNN Money and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
The Austin area has 29 public school districts, plus many private and charter schools. It also has numerous colleges and universities, including the University of Texas, St. Edward’s University, Huston-Tillotson University, Concordia University, and Austin Community College, plus several trade technical and specialty schools. Education Austin is the local labor union for certified and classified employees in the Austin Independent School District (AISD). It was created in 1999 through the merger of the NEA-affiliated Austin Association of Teachers and the AFT-affiliated Austin Federation of Teachers/Allied Education Workers.
Arts
In addition to world-class museums, one-of-a-kind shopping and scenic outdoor spaces, Austin is known for its rich arts scene. Art isn’t just a tourist attraction, but a vital part of the city’s soul and creative spirit.
Whether you tour a gallery, see a local film or marvel at some yard art that just happens to catch your eye, the arts are everywhere in this southwestern city.
The once-country-and-blues town now celebrates a range of musical genres and has dozens of venues for live music, including the acclaimed public television series, Austin City Limits. Many of these venues are located in the Warehouse District and Sixth Street.
From the moment you arrive at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, you’re immersed in the city’s culture and creative arts scene. The art installation Plume, commissioned by the City of Austin Economic Development Department’s Art in Public Places Program and inspired by moontowers, contrails and native wildlife, lights up the sky as you enter the city.
Outdoors
With an inland location bordering the Hill Country, Austin’s outdoor adventures are plentiful. With state parks, lakes and rivers and rugged hills within easy reach, visitors can hike, bike, swim, boat and play sports, whether with friends or family.
The percentage of time the sky is clear or mostly clear (as measured by the daily average hourly temperature) shows significant seasonal variation in Austin. The solid line is the median percent of clear or partly cloudy days, while the dotted lines are the 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
Explore nature and art in McKinney Falls State Park, just 13 miles south of downtown. Spend a day hiking or biking the trails, and for those who can’t get enough, campsites are available for an overnight stay. The Barton Creek Greenbelt also runs through the city, and is a vital part of urban outdoor adventures. Hike the scenic trails and visit Sculpture Falls, or test your mettle with some trad rock climbing at Gus Fruh.