Texas Volunteer Firemen Monument
Landmarks & History
About
100 1/2 W 11th St, Austin, TX 78701, USA Get directions
Tucked into the Capitol Complex in downtown Austin, this monument honors the volunteer firefighters who served Texas communities before the days of professional, paid departments. It's an easy stop to pair with a walk around the Capitol grounds—small and easy to miss, so keep an eye out as you pass along West 11th Street.
More like this
Zilker Botanical Garden
Austin
Tucked into Zilker Park along Barton Springs Road, this collection of themed gardens winds across a hillside, with the serene Taniguchi Japanese Garden and its koi ponds usually the first stop visitors gravitate toward. Don't miss the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, planted with cycads and ferns around the site where dinosaur tracks were discovered on the grounds.
Texas Capitol
Austin
Visit Widget's Texas Capitol sits at the head of Congress Avenue, its dome rising a few feet higher than the U.S. Capitol in Washington and clad in distinctive "sunset red" granite quarried from nearby Marble Falls. Free guided tours walk you through the rotunda and legislative chambers, and the surrounding grounds and underground extension are worth the extra time if you have it.
Pennybacker Bridge Overlook
Austin
A short scramble up the rocky trail on the north side of Loop 360 brings you to a clifftop view of the burnt-orange steel arch of the Pennybacker Bridge spanning Lake Austin, with the surrounding Hill Country rolling off in every direction. Come toward sunset when the light warms the limestone and the water below, and expect company—it's a well-loved spot, so the small pullout parking fills quickly.
Get the inside scoop on Austin
Events, new openings, and seasonal guides — straight to your inbox, about once a month.