Austin might not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking of a family-friendly destination in the US - nicknamed the "Live Music Capital of the World", it’s a city often associated with live music, late nights and barbecue. But having spent a week there with our 3 year old daughter, I was pleasantly surprised by how much there is to do for kids here - both in terms of museums/indoor activities and nature (and if you’re child is a fan of music, there are a couple of family friendly spots for live music too!).

In this guide:

• Top things to do in Austin with kids

• Where to stay

• Getting around

• When to visit

When to Visit Austin with Kids

As Austin is located in the south of Texas, it can get very hot with temperatures reaching as high as 40°C in peak summer. My Auntie lives in Austin, so I have been there a couple of times and the first time I went (pre-kids) was mid-July. The days were almost unbearably hot and we mainly planned indoor activities to escape the heat. It was pretty brutal and I wouldn't recommend going at this time, especially when visiting with children.

I would instead recommend going in spring (March-April) or autumn (October-November). This time, we went at the end of October and although the days were still hot, it was much more comfortable. October also has the bonus of Halloween events and, if you go further afield to San Antonio, Day of the Dead celebrations that are definitely worth making the trip for.

Where to Stay in Austin with Kids

Austin's neighbourhoods feel very different from each other and the one you pick shapes the whole trip. Here is a quick overview of the four areas we would recommend, with our top pick for each:

Mueller is where we would base most families visiting with young children for the first time. You're within walking distance of the Thinkery children's museum, Mueller Lake Park and its excellent playground, the Texas Farmers Market, and several good restaurants. The Origin Austin sits right in the heart of it and has family rooms and a restaurant that's reliable enough for tired evenings. Worth knowing: no cots are available at this property, so bring a travel cot if yours still needs one.

Zilker puts you on the doorstep of Austin's best outdoor space. The Carpenter Hotel is a beautifully converted 1948 union hall with a year-round outdoor pool, a café and a restaurant, and direct walking access to Zilker Park, Barton Springs and Lady Bird Lake. The rooms are individually styled and the atmosphere is relaxed and design-led in a way that feels more Austin than chain hotel.

South Lamar is a good option if Zilker is fully booked or over budget. The area is walkable, independently minded and close to Barton Creek Greenbelt for families who want hiking. The Code Hotel offers self-catering rooms with full kitchens and balconies plus access to a pool.

Hyde Park is the quietest and most residential of the four, about ten minutes from downtown. Strickland Arms is a historic 1904 home run by the same family for over thirty years, with a garden, a seasonal pool, a hot tub and a generous included breakfast. It's the right choice for families who want to slow down and feel embedded in a neighbourhood rather than a tourist zone.

Getting Around Austin with Kids

Like many US cities, public transport isn't the best and places are often far in between. The easiest way to get around is definitely by car. Depending on if you want to do any day trips out of the city, renting might be the best option, otherwise the easiest might be to use Uber and Lyft. Whichever you choose, make sure you have a kids car seat that adheres to US regulations - US laws are pretty strict on this and Uber/Lyft drivers are likely to refuse to take you if you don't have a car seat with you.

When booking Ubers, you might get the option to choose a Waymo, a self-driving car, instead. We tried it for the first time earlier on our trip in Atlanta, Georgia, and we were definitely a bit hesitant at first, but it felt a lot safer than I thought it would, and we actually really enjoyed the experience!

1. Thinkery Museum

If you're visiting with young kids, this place is a must! Thinkery is a children's museum in Mueller, a neighbourhood in east Austin, is an interactive science and creativity museum aimed roughly at ages 0–11. There are water play areas, a building and construction zone, a light studio, a maker space, and a whole outdoor play area.

The exhibits are well-designed with enough sensory variety that it works for different ages and temperaments. Admission is around $14 for adults and children over one (under ones are free) - I would recommend booking ahead and arrive early as it can get busy! We spent the whole morning here and our daughter had so much fun exploring (the water play and the supermarket role play area were some of her favourites!).

If you’re planning on bringing a packed lunch, it’s worth noting you’re not allowed to bring food inside the museum, but you can leave and come back and there were some benches right outside where we had our lunch. There are also a few cafes and restaurants nearby, and a park with a playground right next to the museum. This was such a hit with our daughter and the perfect place to escape the heat for a few hours!

2. Bat Cruise on the River

Under Congress Avenue Bridge in central Austin lives the largest urban bat colony in North America (around 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats that roost there from spring through early autumn). Every evening at dusk, they fly out from underneath the bridge in a mass spiral that lasts anywhere from twenty minutes to over an hour. It is definitely one of the most unique things to do in Austin and a must for any itinerary when visiting the city! 

The best way to see it with small children is from the water. We did a dedicated bat-watching cruise with Capital Cruises, which runs from the dock on Riverside Drive, and the boat gives you an unobstructed view of the bats without the jostling crowds on the bridge itself. As it is a sunset cruise, it does mean a slightly later bedtime, but our daughter stayed entertained the whole time (she did, however, fall asleep in the taxi on the way back...). 

The cruise lasts approximately 75 minutes and tickets are around $15–$20 per person (children under three are typically free, but worth confirming directly with Capital Cruises as pricing can vary by season). The bat season typically runs March through October, with peak numbers in August and September. By late October numbers start to thin as they migrate south, however we caught the tail end of the season and still saw loads of bats!

3. Swimming at Barton Springs Pool

If you’re in Austin on a hot day (which, let’s be real, is most days…), then there’s actually a place where you can cool off with a dip right in central Austin!

Barton Springs is a natural spring-fed pool in Zilker Park, right in the heart of Austin, and it is definitely one of the most pleasant places to spend a few hours with kids in the city. The water stays at a consistent 20°C year-round, which means it's refreshingly cool in summer and perfectly swimmable in autumn when the air starts to drop. We went on a particularly hot day and it was pure bliss!

The pool itself is around 300 metres long, so there's plenty of space, and the grassy banks on either side are perfect for picnics. Our daughter actually ended up napping the whole time we were here, but I saw several families in the water with young kids and the water is clear and shallow at the entry points.

Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children (under 12 months are free), though on the day we went it happened to be free of charge. The surrounding Zilker Park is also great for kids with several playgrounds and open green spaces.

4. Live Music: Family-Friendly Venues in Austin

You might not think of live music as a kid-friendly activity, but there are plenty of venues in Austin that are great for kids with open spaces, music in the daytime and even adjacent playgrounds. And if your kid is a music enthusiast like mine, then this is definitely worth a spot on your Austin itinerary!

Here are a couple of family-friendly venues to consider:

Austin Beerworks

A brewery in North Austin with a big outdoor space. Apart from being a great place to enjoy some local beer, they also host a variety of different events like run club, pinball tournaments and live music. There's also a playground, so you can have a drink, listen to some live music while your kids have a play!

Central Market

Central Market is a gourmet grocery store north of the University of Texas at Austin which sometimes puts on live music performances out on the patio. It's located in a calm area right next to a small park and has plenty of outdoor seating and a great playground - it's the perfect spot to grab some snacks or a coffee from inside and enjoy some live music out on the patio while the kids play at the playground!

Güero's Taco Bar

A vibrant, colourful Tex Mex restaurant in SoCo (South Congress) where there's live music in the Oak Garden every week from Thursday-Sunday. It's a great place to enjoy some Tex Mex food (I'm still dreaming of their guacamole!) whilst listening to some local live music, with space for our kids to dance.

For a full list of family-friendly venues, check out Visit Austin's website here.

Kids’ Horse Riding at Maverick Horseback Riding

If you have the time for a day trip, I can highly recommend a visit to the nearby town Lockhart, a small charming town about 50 minutes south of Austin, known as the "BBQ capital of Texas". The town has been used as a filming location for films like 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' and 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' and the TV series '1923'.

But the main reason we visited was because of Maverick Horseback Riding - a ranch just outside of the town centre that offers horse riding lessons for kids aged 2 and up. My daughter loves animals, and especially horses, so this experience was one of her highlights of the entire trip!

From the start, the experience was very hands-on and instructive. The owner Joan Marie taught us how to groom and saddle the horse, as well as how to handle a horse in a safe manner. Our daughter then got to sit on the horse by herself, whilst my husband led the horse and I held on to her so she wouldn't fall off. We went for a short walk around the beautiful landscape down to a small pond, and when we got back we spent some time on the ranch and even met some newborn goat kids!

Rides start from around $35 and the whole experience was about an hour long, so It's a great morning activity to pair with lunch and an afternoon in Lockhart. We spent some time exploring the town - a few quirky shops, cafés, and of course, BBQ grills. I personally don't eat meat, but my husband tried some brisket from Terry Black’s and highly rated it! I would

also recommend trying some of the famous banana pudding from The Culinary Room and check out some of the quirky street art around the town.

Recommended tour: Austin: Maverick Horsemanship Trail Ride

Exploring South Congress (SoCo)

If you want to do some shopping while you're here, the trendy South Congress Avenue (known locally as SoCo) is the place to go!

Here you’ll find independent boutiques and vintage stores, as well as food trucks, cafes and restaurants. It's the perfect way to spend a morning/afternoon and buy some souvenirs or presents. I would definitely check out Allens Boots, which was voted Austin's best boots shop in 2015 and sells all types of cowboy boots, hats, buckles and accessories. My daughter loved this shop - especially since they had kids' sized boots that she could try on!

You'll also find some decent Tex Mex food in SoCo - Güero's is a really cool place with quirky interiors, and the best guacamole! This is also a venue for live music, so depending on when you go, you might be able to listen to some local live music in their Oak Garden while you're here.

And if your child needs a break, there are a couple of neighbourhood parks with playgrounds about a 10-minute walk either east or west from South Congress Avenue, or there’s Butler Metro Park down by the Lady Bird Lake which is a 20-25-minute walk/5-minute drive away and has both playgrounds, green areas and a splash pad where kids can cool off.

Pumpkin Nights at Pioneer Farms (Halloween Special)

Pumpkin patches in the US are just a different ball game so if you happen to be visiting Austin in the lead up to Halloween then Pumpkin Nights is something you don't want to miss out on!

Pioneer Farms is an outdoor living history museum about 20 minutes north of central Austin, and during Pumpkin Nights the whole site is transformed with over 7.500 illuminated carved and decorative pumpkins arranged into large-scale scenes and displays. The trail takes about an hour to complete and takes you through the woods into different immersive worlds, like the Forbidden City and Pirate Cove. It is another nighttime activity as you want to do the trail after it gets dark, but there were different activities and play areas along the trail to keep children engaged throughout.

Although the trail is the highlight, there were also other things to do like a fire show and a festival area with food stalls and activities (and of course, more pumpkins!). We brought a pram with us which was doable, although the terrain is a bit uneven so a lightweight pram is necessary and you might want to consider using a carrier instead, especially if you have small children that can’t walk.

Tickets need to be booked in advance online and tend to sell out, so plan ahead if this falls in your travel window. Prices vary by date but are typically around $20-$25 for adults and $15-$18 for children (under-twos are usually free).

Day Trip to San Antonio

If you're staying for a bit longer and want to venture further out of the city, I would highly recommend a trip to San Antonio, a city about 1.5 hours south of Austin. Although it's also a big city, it has a more compact city centre which gives it more of a small town feel.

The River Walk (Paseo del Río) is the obvious starting point - a network of pedestrian paths along the San Antonio River, lined with restaurants, bars, and hotels, located a level below the main street grid. It's both scenic and easily accessed with a pram, with little bridges and barges going up and down the river. We had lunch at the Rainforest Café, right next to the river, which my daughter loved. Another thing not to be missed is the Alamo - the historic site where the Battle of Alamo took place in 1836 - just a short walk from the River Walk.

San Antonio also hosts the largest Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations in all of the US, so if you happen to be here in late October/early November it is definitely not to be missed! We went specifically for this and it was quite possibly the highlight of our entire trip! It's a full day of celebrations with music, altars, parades, face painting, marigolds, and food. There were lots of activities for kids (especially since a lot of the stands and activities were centred around the large Hemisfair playground. Our absolute favourite was the River Parade on the Friday night, where dozens of elaborately decorated barges float down the river with giant illuminated ofrendas (altars), catrinas, music and costumed riders.

If you intend to visit for the Day of the Dead celebrations I would recommend spending at least one night here to make the most of all the festivities. Most activities are free, but make sure to book accommodation far in advance as it gets very busy!