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Explore the "jewel in the heart of Austin," also known as the Zilker Botanical Garden. The garden was established in 1995 and sprawls through 31 acres of downtown Austin, offering a sweet escape from city streets and greeting more than 400,000 visitors annually. Themes among the gardens are as varied as nature itself. There's a Japanese garden and koi pond, a rose garden, an herb garden, a butterfly trail and garden, and a cactus garden among the selections to tour. Another unique feature is the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, which recreates the habitat of local dinosaurs. Visitors can tour the gardens for free and take home a Texas succulent or majestic orchid among the many offerings.

The Elisabet Ney Museum is the historic home and studio of Elisabet Ney, a wildly iconoclastic German sculptor who moved to Austin in 1882. The museum enthusiastically celebrates her art, history, and legacy through exhibitions and events for the whole family. Her commissions include notable European luminaries and those who shaped early Texas history, including well-known Texans Stephen Austin and Sam Houston, whose portraits both stand in the national and state capitals today.