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Things to do in Austin near UT

Museums, Barton Springs, trails, and state parks, with the bus for each

Museums and the Capitol

Three are free with your UT ID, and the Ransom Center and Capitol tours are free for everyone. The Bullock charges students $18.

  • Blanton Museum of ArtFree with UT ID

    With your UT ID: Free

    Everyone else: $15 for adults, $8 with another college’s ID, free on Tuesdays

    Hours: Tue–Fri 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Closed Mondays

    Getting there: 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. · UT Shuttle 640 and route 18 at MLK and Congress · MetroRapid 801 and 803 at Museum Station

  • Price: Free for everyone

    Gallery hours: Tue–Fri 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Sat–Sun noon–5 p.m. · Closed Mondays and Thanksgiving, Nov 26

    Getting there: 300 West 21st Street · UT Shuttles 640 and 663 at 21st and Whitis · UT Shuttle 642 and routes 1, 3, 20, and 30 at Guadalupe and 21st

  • With your UT ID: Free, no reservation

    Everyone else: $16 for adults, $6 with another college’s ID, half off on Tuesdays

    Hours: Every day 9 a.m.–5 p.m. · last entry 4 p.m. · Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day

    Getting there: 2313 Red River St. · UT Shuttle 640 at Clyde Littlefield and Red River

  • With your UT ID: Free

    Everyone else: $10 for adults, $6 with another college’s ID, free on the fourth Sunday of each month

    Hours: Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Sun 1 p.m.–5 p.m. · Closed Mondays, and home football Saturdays (next: November 21)

    Getting there: 2400 Trinity Street · UT Shuttles 640, 670, and 672 at 23rd and Trinity

    Good to know: Formerly the Texas Memorial Museum. Card only, no cash.

  • Price: Free for everyone, tours included

    Building: Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–8 p.m. · Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday

    Guided tours: Mon–Sat 9 a.m.–4:15 p.m. · Sun noon–4:15 p.m.

    Getting there: 1100 Congress Ave · MetroRapid 801 or 803 from UT West Mall Station, or route 1, 3, 20 or 30 from Guadalupe and 21st, southbound to Capitol Station

    Good to know: Tours take about 40 minutes and leave every 15 to 30 minutes from the South Foyer.

  • Students: $18

    Everyone else: $22 for adults, free on the first Sunday of each month

    Hours: Every day 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter

    Getting there: 1800 N. Congress Ave. · UT Shuttle 640 and route 18 at MLK and Congress · MetroRapid 801 and 803 at Museum Station

Parks, trails and Barton Springs

City parks are open 5 a.m.–10 p.m. unless a sign says otherwise.

  • Barton Springs PoolFree until Mar 13

    Price: Free for everyone until March 13, 2027

    From March 13: $5 for adults 18–62 who live in Austin, $9 for adults who don’t

    Hours: Fri–Wed 5 a.m.–10 p.m. · Thu 5 a.m.–9 a.m. and 7 p.m.–10 p.m. · Closed Thanksgiving

    Getting there: 2201 William Barton Dr · Route 30 from Guadalupe and 21st, southbound to Barton Springs (Zilker Park), then walk five minutes down William Barton Dr. to the main entrance

    Good to know: Lifeguards are on duty 8 a.m.–10 p.m. (7 p.m.–10 p.m. on Thursdays). Earlier, you swim at your own risk.

  • Price: Free to walk in

    Hours: Every day 5 a.m.–10 p.m.

    Getting there: 2100 Barton Springs Road · Route 30 from Guadalupe and 21st, southbound to Barton Springs (Zilker Park)

    Good to know: More than 350 acres, with Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Botanical Garden, the Butler Trail and Barton Creek Trail.

  • Price: Free

    Boardwalk: Every day 5 a.m.–midnight

    Getting there: Route 30 stops in Zilker Park, which the trail runs through

    Good to know: A 10-mile loop around Lady Bird Lake.

  • Price: Free

    Getting there: Route 5 at Lamar and 24th

    Good to know: Four miles along Shoal Creek, from Lady Bird Lake to 38th Street. Just north of 24th Street, it follows a 12-foot sidewalk on Lamar around a 2018 landslide.

  • Price: Free

    Hours: Every day 5 a.m.–10 p.m.

    Getting there: 1100 Kingsbury St. · Route 5 at Lamar and MLK

    Good to know: Kingsbury Commons has a playground, a basketball court, a water feature, an amphitheater and a treehouse lookout. Parking is very limited, so the city asks you to walk, bike or ride transit.

State parks you’ll need a car for

These parks often fill up. Reserve a day pass online or call (512) 389-8900 before you go. Plan on a car: the closest CapMetro stop is about 0.9 miles from McKinney Falls and more than 17 miles from the other two.

  • Entry: $6 a day for adults; free for kids 12 and under

    Gate: Every day 8 a.m.–10 p.m.

    Getting there: 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway

    Good to know: Nearly nine miles of trails, including the 2.8-mile paved Onion Creek Trail.

  • Entry: $6 a day for ages 13 and up; free for kids 12 and under

    Gate: Every day 8 a.m.–10 p.m.

    Getting there: 2585 Park Road 6026, Johnson City

  • Entry: $5 a day for adults; free for kids 12 and under

    Hours: Every day 6 a.m.–10 p.m.

    Getting there: 100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop

Getting there without a car

Your physical UT ID gets you on CapMetro buses, MetroRapid and MetroRail for free. Each place above lists its nearest stop and routes.

Which UT shuttle or bus to take

Events on campus

Games, talks, concerts, and free events at UT change every week. What’s on at UT lists them by day, with times and places. Texas sports schedules has every home game and how students get in.

SourcesEach place’s own website

Every price, hour and address comes from the place’s own website, the City of Austin or Texas Parks and Wildlife, checked November 11, 2026. Bus stops and routes come from CapMetro’s schedule data, matched to each address with the Census Bureau’s geocoder. Free rides with a UT ID come from UT Parking and Transportation Services. Prices and hours change, so check the place’s site before you go.

UT shuttles and busesGetting home at nightReplacing your UT ID

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