2 Best Sights in Central Austin and the University of Texas, Austin

This nearly 450-acre university campus has a lot to do with Austin's reputation as a lone liberal island amid the roiling seas of conservative Texas. UT Longhorns are as passionate about football as they are about education, with 13 distinct colleges and schools and outstanding graduate programs that produce global leaders, Nobel Prize winners, and committed lifelong academics. Nicknamed the 40 Acres after the original tract of land set aside by the state in 1883, this now-sprawling campus is a feather in the cap of the Texas university system. Stroll the grandly picturesque grounds at your leisure, attend a home game at DKR Stadium, drop in to one of the award-winning campus museums, archives, or libraries (from the LBJ Presidential Library to the Ransom Center), or take a self-guided "Landmarks" walking tour of the campus' top-notch public art collection, which includes a Skyspcace by James Turrell.

Located on the UT campus, this oft-overlooked Austin institution is one of the world's greatest arts archives and humanities research centers. Among its fantastic riches are original self-portraits by Frida Kahlo, Einstein's notebook calculations on general relativity, Robert De Niro's archive of film costumes, and a complete copy of an original Gutenberg Bible. Tour the permanent and rotating exhibits, access millions of rare literary documents, photos, scripts, and artistic artifacts in the Reading Room, or check the monthly events calendar for special poetry readings, film screenings, and various artist-led discussions. Certain research materials can only be seen with advance notice, so call ahead if you have a specific item in mind.