Categories: TRAVEL

10 Fun, Weird, Unique, and Unusual Things to Do in Austin, TX

In Austin, Texas, being weird is cool. People pride themselves on eating at the little hole in the wall restaurant or sipping a latte at a trendy mom and pop coffee house over a large chain. For a tourist there are many weird and unusual things to do in Austin, from marvel at unique natural wonders to enjoy a man made cathedral of junk. Here is a list of 10 unusual things to do in Austin, Texas.

1. Ann W. Congress Avenue Bride Bat Cave: No the people standing by the Congress Avenue Bridge every night are not admiring the Austin traffic, they are there to see bats at my favorite and one of Austin’s most unusual attractions. Every night from mid March to early November about 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats rush out from underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge and fill Austin’s skyline in search of food. This is one of the largest urban populations of bats in the United States. You can watch the bats in the water on a kayak, on a bat watching tour boat, or on land at the Southeast corner of the bridge. Parking is very limited in the area so expect a healthy walk to get to the bridge.

2. Hippie Hollow Park: If you prefer to run around your birthday suit, then Hippie Hollow Park is the place you want to visit. You will find plenty of places to wander around in the buff with 109 acres to explore including the rocky shoreline of Lake Travis; if you are lucky you can catch a glimpse of the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo, two endangered species. The park is reasonably priced for this unusual attraction in Austin, Texas located 20 minutes from interstate 35; it costs $10.00 plus $2.00 per vehicle to enter the park or you can enter by bicycle or foot for $3.00 plus a $2 surcharge. Senior citizen and veteran discounts are available. The park is open from 9:00 am to dark.

3. Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve: Hike around the enchanting blue green water of Hamilton Pool and maybe even cool off under a 60 foot waterfall that was formed by a collapsed cave. With 232 acres to explore, you will not get bored. If you are lucky you can see a chatter box orchid at the this unusual attraction in Austin, Texas. Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve is located at 24300 Hamilton Pool Rd and is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily.

4. Cathedral of Junk: It really is a building full of junk, but it has an odd sense of appeal like Salvador Dali’s melting clocks. On one level you are amazed that one person could accumulate so much stuff and another level you got to respect a guy who can cohesively stack so much stuff into his home. It is like walking into an episode of hoarders without the smell of garbage lying around. This is one weird Austin attraction that will take you hours to walk through because there is so much stuff to feast your eyes upon. The Cathedral of Junk is located on 4422 Lareina Drive.

5. South Austin Trailer Park Eatery: If you wander on to the south side of town you can eat a trailer park. Who knew a trailer park could be so cool? You can experience awesome cheap tacos with odd flavor combinations like fried chicken, green chilies, lettuce, pico de gallo or you can be trashy and get your taco with cheese instead of lettuce at this unusual Austin, Texas attraction. The trailer park is located at 1311 South First St.

6. Go Wild Parakeet hunting: No you don’t really get out your big old Texas shot gun to hunting pretty little green birds, but you do wander around aimlessly looking up to find the wild parakeets. Don’t worry about looking weird in Austin by looking up in search of the birds. In Austin weird is a compliment. Don’t try to take one home with you because wild parakeets don’t make good pets.

7. Search for Leslie, Austin’s “Unofficial Mayor:” One of the poster children for Austin’s weirdness is a cross dressing homeless man named Leslie who has become an Austin celebrity. You can find him at almost any free event in Austin. Thanks to Austin’s warm climate you can see Leslie any time of year wearing heals and thong.

8. Texas Music Museum: Come see why Austin considers its self a music capital. You can reminisce about all of your favorite Texas songs and see some rare photographs of famous tejano singers. The museum is free and is open Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4:30 pm and is located at 1009 E. 11^th Street.

9. See a Lonestar Rollergirls game: See women in wild costumes jam around a roller skating rink in order to score points. The games are short with four 8 minute quarters, but you will get one heck of show. These women are daring, athletic, and entertaining. The roller derby season is from April to October. Tickets are $15 at the door or $13 on-line.

10. Falkenstein Castle: Think castles are only in Europe? Think again. Fifty miles outside of Austin, Texas is Falkenstein Castle where you can drive by and see a real castle in the middle of the Texas hill country at this unusual attraction. The castle is reminiscent of a small Neuschwanstein castle in Füssen in Bavaria, Germany. The only downside to the castle is that you can not go inside the castle unless you are there for a private wedding as the owners do not do tours. The castle is located on Park Road 4 South, seven miles west of highway 281.

From unique natural wonders to odd celebrities and manmade marvels, Austin, Texas has it all with its unique attractions. If you are looking a fun, weird, unique, and unusual vacation, then Austin, Texas is your ideal vacation.