Mother's Botanics

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.

Enjoy an adventure of a lifetime with Lake Travis Zipline Adventures, which provide active outdoor ziplining fun for people of all ages. The world-class tour offers ziplines that last three lines and is the longest and fastest ziplines in Texas. Your adventure includes all necessary equipment, boat transportation, and unlimited bottled water throughout the tour. You can also enjoy all-day access to the private lakefront property, where you can picnic, play beach games, or relax in one of the hammocks.

Of all the ways to get around Austin, Barton Springs Bike Rental offers plenty of choices. Rent a bike for the day or week, or reserve a spot on one of their many downtown bike tours.

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.