Things to Do
Things to Do across Austin, TX.
Showing 145–168 of 402 places
Half Step
Austin
Half Step sits on Rainey Street in a converted bungalow, where the focus is on classic cocktails made with house-cut ice and a back patio that fills up on warm evenings. It's worth knowing that the bar leans into live music, so you'll often find a band tucked into the corner rather than a DJ.
Tiki Tatsu-Ya
Austin
Tiki Tatsu-Ya is the South Lamar tiki bar from the team behind Austin's Ramen Tatsu-Ya, trading ramen counters for a maximalist, transportive space packed with carved tikis, grotto-like nooks, and a long list of rum-forward cocktails. Expect Japanese-inflected island fare alongside the drinks, and note it's an evening spot — doors open at 4 PM and it doesn't take the kid-friendly approach of its ramen siblings.
Highland Lanes
Austin
Highland Lanes is a longtime Burnet Road bowling alley on Austin's north side, the kind of unpretentious spot with lanes, a full bar, and a neighborhood feel rather than corporate polish. It opens late morning and runs into the early hours, making it a reliable option for an afternoon game or a low-key night out.
Austin Proper Hotel
Austin
Austin Proper Hotel sits in the city's downtown 2nd Street District, just a short walk from Lady Bird Lake and the warehouse district's bars and restaurants. The interiors, designed by Kelly Wearstler, lean into a layered, textural take on Texas style, and the rooftop pool overlooking the skyline tends to be the first thing guests gravitate toward.
IPIC Theaters
Austin
Movie-anchored point of interest aside, this is a copywriting task, not a coding one — let me just write the description. IPIC Theaters in north Austin's Domain area trades the standard multiplex experience for reclining leather seats and in-theater food and cocktail service brought to you during the film. It's worth knowing the box office keeps limited hours, opening only in the early afternoon, so it's geared more toward evening showtimes than a spontaneous midday matinee.
The Tavern
Austin
Housed in a distinctive Tudor-style building near downtown, The Tavern has long been an Austin standby for catching a game across its many screens, with a two-story layout that keeps the upstairs livelier and a little quieter than the bar below. Expect classic pub fare, a steady local crowd, and the kind of worn-in atmosphere that comes with a building that's been around long enough to attract its own ghost stories.
COTA Karting
Austin
COTA Karting sits in the infield of the Circuit of the Americas, the Formula 1 track outside Austin, so you're driving go-karts in the shadow of a world-class motorsport venue. The track winds through tight technical corners that reward smooth steering over brute speed, and note that it currently runs evenings only, Monday through Wednesday in this listing.
Mavericks Dance Hall
Pflugerville
Tucked into a strip off Grand Avenue Parkway in Pflugerville, just north of Austin, Mavericks is a Texas dance hall in the classic mold — a wide wooden floor made for two-stepping and line dancing, a bar along the side, and live country music drawing regulars and newcomers alike. Note the unusual hours: it opens its doors only a couple of nights a week, with the dancing running late into the early morning, so it's worth checking the schedule before you head out.
Casa de Luz Village
Austin
Casa de Luz Village serves a single set macrobiotic, organic vegan plate each day, eaten at communal tables in a tucked-away compound near Zilker Park and Barton Springs. Beyond the dining hall it functions as a small community hub, with yoga classes, events, and a quiet, unhurried pace that surprises first-time visitors expecting a typical restaurant.
Live Oak Brewing Company
Austin
Live Oak Brewing Company is one of Austin's longtime craft breweries, known for traditional German- and Czech-style lagers like its flagship Pilz, brewed using old-world methods such as decoction mashing and open fermentation. The Del Valle location, out near the airport, trades a cramped taproom for a sprawling beer garden where you can settle in with a pour and a bite, though it's worth checking ahead since it keeps limited daytime hours.
Fuzz Lab Craft Store
Austin
Tucked into a suite off North I-35 in Austin's Highland area, Fuzz Lab Craft Store is a small art studio and shop geared toward makers, so plan around its afternoon-only hours, Monday through Wednesday. It's the kind of spot where the focus is hands-on creativity rather than browsing, so it rewards visitors who come curious and ready to make something.
Antonelli's Cheese Shop - Hyde Park
Austin
Antonelli's Cheese Shop has anchored the Hyde Park neighborhood as a dedicated cheesemonger, where the staff cut to order from a case of domestic and imported wheels and are happy to walk you through a tasting before you commit. Beyond the counter, they run cheese classes and build boards for events, so it's worth stopping in even if you're just curious about what's good that week.
Blazer Tag Adventure Center
Austin
Tucked along Ben White Boulevard in South Austin, Blazer Tag Adventure Center is a longtime laser tag venue built around a large multi-level arena, with an arcade to round out the visit. It's an indoor, weather-proof option that tends to draw birthday groups and families, so expect a livelier crowd on weekends than during its midday weekday hours.
Seven Grand
Austin
Seven Grand is a downtown Austin whiskey bar on East 7th Street, known for its deep brown-liquor selection and a relaxed, old-school atmosphere that leans toward classic cocktails over flash. It opens in the late afternoon and stays open into the early morning hours, making it a solid stop for an unhurried evening drink rather than an early one.
The LINE Austin
Austin
The LINE Austin sits right on the shore of Lady Bird Lake downtown, occupying a renovated mid-century tower whose lobby and rooms lean into a clean, retro-modern look. Ask for a lake-facing room if you can—the views toward the water and the Congress Avenue bridge are the main draw, and you're within walking distance of the Rainey Street bars and the hike-and-bike trail.
Violet Crown Austin
Austin
Tucked into downtown's 2nd Street district, Violet Crown is an independent cinema that leans into arthouse, foreign, and documentary films you won't easily find at the multiplex, with intimate screening rooms that keep the focus on the movie. Before or after a show, the lobby bar and café let you carry a glass of wine, a craft beer, or a plate of small bites right to your seat.
The Dirdie Birdie
Austin
The Dirdie Birdie pairs indoor mini-golf with a full bar and kitchen in Austin's Domain area, so a single visit can shift from putting through themed holes to settling in for drinks and a meal. It's built for groups and events, which is worth keeping in mind on weekend evenings when the crowd skews lively.
Lonestar Rage & Entertainment
Austin
Tucked into a strip-mall suite in far northwest Austin near the FM 620 corridor, Lonestar Rage & Entertainment is the kind of off-the-highway amusement spot whose name hints at the smash-and-release style of fun it trades in. Keep its hours in mind before you go—it's closed Mondays and opens only in the afternoon most days, so this is an outing to plan around rather than drop in on.
The Hole in the Wall
Austin
The Hole in the Wall has anchored the stretch of Guadalupe Street known as the Drag, across from the UT campus, since the 1970s, serving as a no-frills bar and live music room where countless Austin acts have cut their teeth. Expect a worn, unpretentious space with a pool table up front, a stage in back, and a nightly rotation of local bands spanning country, rock, and punk.
The Highball
Austin
The Highball sits on South Lamar, sharing its space with the Alamo Drafthouse, and leans into a retro-leaning mix of cocktails, private karaoke rooms, and a dance floor that hosts live music and DJ nights. Expect themed parties and event programming alongside a full food menu, with the rooms decked out in vintage Americana touches you'll notice the moment you walk in.
Darwin's Piano Bar
Austin
Darwin's Piano Bar sits on Austin's storied East 6th Street, where dueling pianos and crowd requests drive the entertainment rather than a setlist. Expect an interactive, sing-along atmosphere built around live keys—a more participatory night out than the bars and music clubs that surround it on the strip.
Sam's Town Point
Austin
Sam's Town Point is a low-key live music venue and bar tucked into far South Austin, the kind of unpretentious roadhouse where you'll likely catch local country, honky-tonk, or roots acts on any given night. Note the limited hours—it opens in the evenings and isn't a daytime stop—so check the show schedule before making the drive out to Allred Drive.
Thicket Food Park
Austin
Tucked back from South 1st Street under a canopy of trees, Thicket is a food truck park where the shaded, woodsy setting does as much work as the menu—picnic tables scattered among the oaks make it easy to linger over a meal. You'll find a rotating lineup of trucks and plenty of room to spread out, which makes it a calmer alternative to Austin's busier, more central food-truck lots.
Lil' Easy Fine Cajun Food & Bar
Austin
Tucked along East Cesar Chavez on Austin's east side, Lil' Easy leans into Cajun and seafood cooking with the easygoing feel of a neighborhood bar, where live music and game-day crowds are as much a draw as the food. Come hungry for the boils and fried seafood, and expect a casual, sociable room rather than a quiet sit-down dinner.