10 Best Sights in Downtown with Sixth Street and Rainey Street, Austin

Join the thousands of Austinites who frequent downtown's beloved hike-and-bike trail, which makes a sweeping 10-mile loop around the beautiful Lady Bird Lake. The trails are open to all ages and speeds, welcoming walkers, runners, cyclists, and people-watchers alike. This lush, urban path has recently expanded with a new boardwalk extension, allowing the full circuit to wind through some of the city's best sights, including lakeside parks, art installations, and downtown restaurants and coffee shops with walk-up windows.

Don't miss visiting the Austin Public Library's flagship branch, a striking architectural wonder reflecting the natural beauty of the Hill Country and affording beautiful views of Lady Bird Lake from the landscaped rooftop terrace. Wander through the six-floor structure, free of charge, filled to the brim with modern accoutrements that turn reading into a stimulating experience. There are art galleries, amphitheater seating for concerts and community events, kids' play areas, gaming and computer stations, and hundreds of cozy nooks and crannies to hide away with a book. On-site garage parking is easy to validate inside, and the first-floor gift shop is packed with lovely literary and Austin-centric keepsakes.

Built in 1888 from Texas pink granite, this impressive structure, capped by a 60-foot-wide cast-iron dome, stands taller than the U.S. Capitol (yes, everything is bigger in Texas), and it is certainly a crown jewel of the Lone Star State. The Renaissance Revival building dominates downtown Austin, visible from various points through protected Capitol view corridors, and it looks grandiose from every angle. The surrounding grounds, occupying 22 acres on a well-appointed hilltop, are just as impressive.

You can catch one of the free 30-minute historical tours, offered from 9:30 am to 4 pm on weekdays and from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm on weekends, or take a self-guided tour anytime during operating hours. No matter how you choose to experience the Capitol, be sure to stand in the center of the star on the ground floor under the main floor's rotunda and look up, up, up into the dome and lose perspective for a moment—it's a Texas rite of passage.

Since 2004, Austin City Hall has served as the home of the municipal government and the anchor of downtown's Second Street District. The striking building embodies the New Austin, featuring energy-saving elements like solar panels and modern architectural designs. The angular, four-story limestone-and-concrete building is clad in 66,000 square feet of copper, with a cascading 40-foot waterfall that flows inside and back to Lady Bird Lake just across the street.

Inside, "The People's Gallery" offers a public art exhibit showcasing local artists' work year-round, free for public viewing on weekdays. The outdoor pavilion and amphitheater host free concerts by local bands on Fridays in the spring and fall.

Located in the beautiful, historic Central Library building across from Wooldridge Square, the Austin History Center, part of the public library system, serves as the central repository for historical documents and photographs related to Austin. It houses a priceless collection of items, including over a million photographic images. It's worth stopping by to view one of their annual large-scale exhibits, which feature different themes relating to local Austin history and are free to the public.

Take a stroll through the Bremond Block Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and only a short walk from the Capitol. Admire the high-style, mid- to late-19th-century Victorian homes that belonged to Austin's first wave of wealthy merchants and bankers. While the private homes are not open to the public, self-guided audio walking tours are available for free on the Austin Visitor Center's website.

Short story writer William Sydney Porter, better known to the world as O. Henry, rented this modest frame house in Austin from 1893 to 1895. Moved a few blocks from its original location and now nestled among today's downtown high-rises, the quaint museum, filled with O. Henry memorabilia, artifacts, and original drawings, reopened in 2023 after significant but mostly invisible updates to preserve the historic structure and its surrounding Brushy Square Park. The park hosts free community events, including the museum's wildly popular O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships, held every May since 1977.

In 1876, Swedish baker Charles Lundberg built this charming building just south of the Texas Capitol and operated it as a bakery for 60 years. Rescued from demolition after years of neglect, the bakery is now a registered National Historic Landmark owned by the city and remains a beautiful mainstay of Congress Avenue. The Old Bakery & Emporium no longer serves baked goods, but it's still a welcoming space that houses historical collections from Austin's pioneer days. It also features a unique gift shop and an art gallery showcasing handmade artisanal crafts created by citizens aged 50 and over. Every June, they host a Midsummer Festival to honor Swedish American heritage in Texas.

As war stories go, the most defining for Texas is, of course, the Alamo. While Davy Crockett and James Bowie are the famous names you’ll hear linked with that infamous 1836 battle, it was Susanna Dickinson who, as the brave survivor, carried the news of its fall to Sam Houston. The historic frontier woman became a renowned Texas figure and was dubbed the “Messenger of the Alamo.” Today, her "rubble rock" home, located on the historic Brushy Square Plaza, is open to the public. It showcases her personal belongings and artifacts in a permanent exhibit, with occasional traveling exhibits related to the Alamo and the Republic of Texas era.

Located on the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds, this regal 1890s edifice is the only surviving government building from Austin's first 30 years. Its Gothic style is attributed to its German architect, Conrad Stremme. This 2½-story structure, made of stuccoed stone and brick, opened in 1858 as the first home of the Texas General Land Office. The writer O. Henry worked here as a draftsman and used it as the setting for some of his short stories. Today, the visitor center and gift shop serve as a great first stop when touring the Capitol. The helpful staff can provide maps and brochures for self-guided walking tours of the grounds.