4 Best Sights in South Austin and South Congress District, Austin

Austin is home to the largest urban bat population in the world, with as many as 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats taking up residence in the capital city every year. Every night starting in late March and continuing through fall, locals and visitors congregate all along (and underneath) Congress Avenue to watch the bats take flight from under the Congress Avenue Bridge for their nightly feeding ritual. On hot nights (with no rain), right around sundown, don't miss the incredible opportunity (for photographers, families, and nature lovers alike) to witness this natural phenomenon set against the backdrop of the downtown skyline.

Depending on when you visit this lush green park, you’ll have a totally different experience. If you manage to make it here for a concert or festival (whether it's SXSW or the annual Austin Reggae Festival), the park transforms into a venue with one of the finest views of the downtown skyline as a backdrop. On any random day of the week, however, you’ll find that the wide-open, lakeside green space is the perfect place to stretch out and read a book, catch a pickup game of Frisbee, or snap a photo of the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial statue along the hike-and-bike trail.

If you're in need of an Instagram-able memento of your trip to the capital city, head to the Greetings from Austin mural on South 1st Street. The welcoming phrase is depicted in the form of a colorful 1940s-inspired postcard that draws crowds of snapshot-happy visitors for a quick photo op. On any given day, you'll see tour bus groups, costumed bachelorette parties, high-end fashion shoots, and even locals taking their annual Christmas card photo with an on-site Santa Claus, at this popular public artwork. The mural is on the side of Roadhouse Relics, a small art studio and gallery showcasing the incredible work of local neon artist Todd Sanders.

This simple mural, featuring the phrase "i love you" scrawled in red spray paint on the side of Jo's Coffee on South Congress, has become an unlikely art installation and permanent photo op for locals and visitors alike. On any given day, you could see a couple getting their engagement photos snapped or families taking their Christmas card portraits in front of the cheekily scrawled love letter. Lines for a quick photo in front of the now-famous green wall can stretch around the block, especially on weekends, but it doesn't seem to matter to most folks who use the same line to queue up for one of Jo's signature lattes and turbo cold brews.