Austin RCR

The breathtaking beauty and unusual construction of the Texas Capitol are the stuff of legends in the Lone Star State. View artifacts of Texas history, including the original flag from the Battle of San Jacinto, historical paintings, and some of the original Senator desks from 1888. Take a guided tour through the Capitol Building, which has 400 rooms and more than 900 windows. Then check out the Capitol Grounds, which spans 22 acres featuring historical buildings, 17 monuments, and beautifully landscaped lawns.

The Cathedral of Junk is in the backyard of the artist who created it as a living sculpture, meaning it is always in flux as its creator, owner, and curator, Vince Hanneman, also known as The Junk King continues adding to it. The building is like a Cathedral that has a hollow framework of improvised trusses and wires that are packed with lawn mower wheels, car bumpers, kitchen utensils, ladders, cables, bottles, circuit boards, bicycle parts, brick-a-brack, and a lot of stuff that is unidentifiable.

Stop and smell the wildflowers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, where they use native plants to restore and create sustainable, beautiful landscapes. Learn how they inspire the conservation of native plants through the gardens, research, education, and outreach programs. In doing so, we improve water quality, provide habitat for wildlife, and enhance human health and happiness.