Outdoor Fun for Kids in Austin
The Arboretum
This open-air mall may be home to some of Austin’s most upscale shopping,
but to young visitors it’s the location of “the cows.”
Let the kids climb on top of a life-size cow sculpture on the west side
of the mall, then feed the ducks at the lake. Location: 10000 Research
Blvd in Northwest Austin.
Austin Nature and Science Center
No need to tell the kids “look but don’t touch” at this
hands-on educational center. Here exhibits teach ecological lessons about
natural history, botany, and more amid 80 acres of canyons and meadows
just west of Zilker Park.Kids can even crawl through a "cave"
in the Nature of Austin exhibit and see over 50 native Texas animals that
cannot be returned to the wild. Location: 301 Nature Center Dr. in Southwest
Austin.
Austin
Zoo
This privately-owned zoo located near Oak Hill offers pony rides, train
rides, a petting zoo, and plenty of exotic creatures to keep the little
ones happy. Animal food is offered for sale so young visitors can feed
some of the inhabitants by hand. Location: 10807 Rawhide Terr., Austin
in Southwest Austin.
Austin's Bat Colony
Watch 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats make their departure from the
Congress Avenue Bridge on summer nights. The best viewing is from the
hike-and-bike trail, the bridge, or a free bat viewing area in the parking
lot of the Austin American-Statesman at 305 S. Congress Avenue. The best
viewing months are July and August. For more on the bats, check out the
information kiosks at the Four Seasons Hotel at 98 San Jacinto Boulevard
and across the river in the parking lot of the Austin American-Statesman.
Location: Congress Ave. Bridge at Town Lake, in Downtown Austin.
Barton Springs Pool
Even little non-swimmers will enjoy splashing around the shallow waters
on the upstream side of Barton Springs Pool. Restroom and changing facilities
are available and food and drink concessions are located just outside
the gates, or bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy in the shade of the
tall oaks. Location: 2200 Barton Springs Road in South Austin.
Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farm
This attraction is well worth the drive to introduce youngsters to life
in rural central Texas in the 1880s. The living history museum is built
on a 2,000-acre cotton farm and populated with docents who carry on the
chores of the period. Children can watch a blacksmith shoe a horse or
a family cooking their meals over a woodburning stove. Energetic youngsters
can even pitch in and help plant or pick cotton or scrub clothes on a
washboard. Location: 11418 Sprinkle Cut-Off Road in East Austin.
Lone Star Riverboat
You and your child will feel like Tom Sawyer aboard an old-fashioned paddlewheeler.
The 90-minute trip offers a great city view. Hours: March through October;
hours vary. Location: Congress Ave. at S. 1st St. in South Austin.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research
Center
Young botanists can enjoy the children’s garden, specially designed
to please young visitors. A Children’s Little House is especially
inviting to young travelers. Don't miss Ralph the Talking Lawnmower! Location:
4801 La Cross Ave. in Southwest Austin.
Zilker Botanical Garden
In the Pioneer Settlement in Zilker Botanical Garden in Zilker Park you’ll
see a collection of historic cabins from Austin’s early days. The
Esperanza School House was built in the Spicewood Springs area and was
in use until about 1873. The Swedish Pioneer Cabin is one of the best
preserved log houses in the country. The blacksmith shop contains equipment
used by pioneer blacksmiths to make and shape hand-forged metal implements,
and the Mamie Wilson Rowe Summer House is made of cypress wood. If you
look closely, you may see some of the original square nails. Location:
South Austin.
Zilker Dinosaur Trackways
Once restricted to tours only, these invaluable relics of 100 million
years ago are now open to the public, but the public is requested to please
tread carefully, with soft-soled shoes. The archeologists who discovered
the tracks in 1991, of what is believed to be an ornithomimus, an ostrich-like
dinosaur, say that 30 to 40 percent of the track definitions have been
lost due to carelessness. Location: Zilker Park in South Austin.
Zilker Railroad
Jump aboard this pint-sized train for a 3-mile, 20-minute ride through
picturesque Zilker Park. The railroad winds past the children’s playground
and along the hike-and-bike trail. Board at the station at Barton Springs
Pool, across from the concession stand. Location: Zilker Park in South
Austin.
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Travel Guide
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