My brother in law (BIL) will be visiting us in Texas from Chicago for the summer starting in June. I was supposed to return to work after vacation on Tuesday, but I am too jetlagged for intensive work. Thus, I will not be starting back to work until next Monday. I have some time this week to recover and do a little scouting for things to do for my BIL. We have taken my BIL to most popular spots in Austin, however, we were looking for some new things to do. Thus, I headed to the Austin Visitors Center located on 5th Street near Congress. Let me be the first to say that the Austin Visitor Center has completed changed since I was there last. The last time I visited they were giving out maps, bluebonnet seeds and other trinkets. It is a full-on operation now...y'all! The Austin Visitor center has transformed into a one-stop shop for travel info, local recommendations, and shopping (yes...shopping!). Shopping includes clothing, hats, magnets, stuffed animals, to name just a few. Wow...I was not ready for this paparazzi of items. Other services include free maps and guides, tour booking services, free Wi Fi, restrooms, charging stations and luggage storage for a small fee. In addition, their coffee shop, 5th and Brew, is a nice respite for tourists. The space is large and spacious. The ladies in the Austin Visitor Center were super sweet and helpful! Such a pleasant experience.... Great space...excellent services. read more

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When friends and family come to visit, I send them here (or I sometimes accompany them). You can get anything here, from gifts and souvenirs to maps and coffee (they have a cafe). Tours are booked in and out of the center as well. A good idea if you only have limited time in Austin and want to see as much as possible. It's truly a welcoming place and a great representation of our city. I also like that there is a large room with comfy seating to rest your weary feet after a day of sightseeing, or to prep for your day of exploration. I can't say enough nice things about this place. It's clean and modern. The staff are so incredibly knowledgeable about everything related to Austin. Super friendly too. read more

An amazing place to hang out while waiting for your double decker bus tour to begin. They have a small cafe to get drinks, and snacks for the ride. There is a public restroom which is convenient before and after the tour. It's air conditioned and has comfortable seating along with brochures and magazines about Austin. I would recommend this place. read more

Austin Visitor Center - Austin visitor center. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Every family that comes to Austin, Texas, needs to stop by this store/visitor center! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Such a cute little shop and information center. ALL of the staff was welcoming, kind and so informative! The store is so inviting and each of our kids found something to buy. Anything that you or your family want to do in Austin, come here first and early and they can get you on a tour or whatever you're looking to do! read more

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The ATX Visitor's Center was walking distance from our hotel. We dropped in and was pleased with the merch available. We bought souvenirs and postcards. The left-hand side opened up to two rooms. The first was a coffee shop and seating area. It's a good idea to come by in the morning to plan your day. The second room they were having a fundraiser type of event to promote local musicians and artists. It was nicely arranged with high-top tables and chairs. They are open 7 days a week and close promptly at 5pm. Please note their restrooms are open to customers and were very clean. Sincerely, Rosemary (California) read more

Austin Visitor Center - It's a gift store and coffee shop too. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

The minute we walked in we were greeted with a very friendly "welcome!" Veronica had remembered us from the previous day when we had walked in 3 mins before closing. (We had been wanting to stop in since we arrived but we were always too late! Lol) They are all here to help visitors find their way around Austin! Inside is a large open space with great items for sale, postcards and trinkets. Something for everyone...The staff here can answer any of your questions concerning the Austin area. Especially when it comes to music! They also have a coffee lounge where I purchased my oatmilk latte with 3 shots:) which was fantastic! I was able to walk around the shop looking at all the items while sipping my latte. read more

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You can pick up a free map, a tourist guide, and a historical overview of Austin at the counter. The shop itself is quite large and also includes a café, where every drink is under $7. The café connects to a live music lounge, which visitors can use as a relaxed hangout space when there's no performance going on. The staff in both the gift shop and the café are very friendly and welcoming. read more

Austin Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

High prices but lots of cute stuff. I recommend coming here everyone was friendly and inviting. Lots of tour guides options to check out.

A perfect place to grab some postcards to send out. The staff was also very friendly both times we went in!

It was an impromptu visit, and well worth the time. Nice collectibles , extremely friendly staff, options for music and coffee . Couldn't try the city rides but I'm guessing it's popular . read more

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Lots of touristy things to buy that you love, clean bathrooms and lots of free maps and guidebooks. Clean bathrooms and tours are also available. Very nice staff who are very helpful with any questions. read more

Austin Visitor Center - Inside - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Fantastic experience at this beautiful Visitor Center. Paige, to be specific was super-efficient and friendly. She did help me to create my itinerary and gave me maps, and advice to make sure I could see everything in 1 day. Especially where to go to have the best view, regarding the bats at dust... Really this place is an asset for this city. Charming seating area where you can enjoy a good coffee while relaxing before your next stop, buy some souvenirs. Thank you Paige. read more

I signed up for Austin Tours (I think it's called AO Tours- which I highly, highly recommend) & this is the meeting spot. Super cute & funny books, hilarious stickers & coasters, cute clothing (my mom bought a lilac/lavender shirt that is soooo soft & flattering), keychains, a kids section, an array of free Texas magazines & maps, water & soft drinks, jewelry, hats, etc. One of my favourite places honestly. read more

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I typically have at least some idea of places I want to check out when I travel, but it's always nice to get recommendations from locals, whether that's bartenders, servers, or friendly employees at a visitor center! Nate and I were wandering around on our first day in town and stopped by the Austin Visitor Center, where Kathy was so friendly and welcoming. She showed us several landmarks and points of interest on the map and answered all our questions. The Center itself has restrooms, souvenirs and fun items in their gift shop, and plenty of brochures and pamphlets advertising lots of entertainment in the city. Glad we stopped in and would recommend a visit to anyone who's in from out of town. read more

20 Oct 2023 A really nice, well-run center. A person was outside the place waiting to open the door for us and to welcome us. Once inside, the rest of the crew was just as friendly. Asked us right off what tour we were waiting for. They verify that you are in the right spot for pickup. The center is also a gift shop. The place is just light and airy. Pleasant. Some really nice jewelry and books, as well as the usual really touristy stuff. You can sit on several chairs and sofas while waiting for your tour pickup. They sell snacks and sodas. They are located right across from the convention center and about two blocks north of Moonshine, a pretty good restaurant. Go there when in Austin. read more

Great staff. Very friendly and knowledgeable. New location has a coffee bar. Make sure to park in the Frost bank garage and get the code for a flat $9.99 rate. read more

Visitor Center has a lot to offer for...well...visitors! Anything available to do within the city can be found here! We had all of our stuff planned out before we got here, but two of our meet up places for activities (the double decker bus tour and pedicab tour) were here. We browsed around and there was a ton of gifts related to Texas and information about things to do in the city of Austin. The staff seemed super helped as well. Multiple people came up to us to ask if we needed help. read more

Our tour guide, Joey, was too fun!!! We were so lucky with our group. We were absolutely the poster bus for 'start as strangers, leave as friends' We did the BBQ and Wine Tour and it was simply awesome!!! read more

Nice selection of souvenirs. There was also good information about what to do in Austin.

Visitors center is cool. So many wonderful gifts for those tourist, or even if you're a local looking for gifts for out of town family friends. It's a great gift center. I actually had a friend from out of state come visit, and we booked a tour with AO tours. Doug was our guide. The people working the visitor center were very helpful. Told us that we can meet the van outside. As we waited for our tour to start we did walk around to see everything. Just check out my finds. read more

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This place actually has a gift shop in the entrance! I definitely recommend checking out this place if you're looking for souvenirs. We surprisingly did not find many gift stores in the area, but this place had everything we needed to bring back home for people. read more

Located just down the street from our hotel, this was an excellent resource for us as we wanted to learn more about the city. They have a very relaxing environment with all of the necessities for any tour or Austin gifts, they also have some wonderfully friendly people working there whom are more than willing to help you in any way. More cities should put time and attention into what Austin has done. Cheers! read more

Okay this place truly made my whole trip a breeze. My boyfriend was in Austin on a work trip and I tagged along just to explore a new city. I am always SO aware of my surroundings whether I am with anyone or by myself, but I knew I had to be extra careful traveling in an unfamiliar city. This was my first stop in Austin since my duck tour met here. The building is absolutely adorable inside! They have an information desk and the lady working the day I went was SO helpful and nice. I explained to here I was looking for things to do close by that were safe and she pulled out a map and really took the time to highlight everything and explain what I should look out for and what not. There is also so many cute souvenirs! I actually got most of my shopping for family and friends done here. They had such eccentric and quirky items, I loved it. I also felt safest in this building while I was waiting for my tours to meet. The surrounding area can be a bit sketchy, so if you are alone I would deff recommend stopping by the visitors center! read more

Austin Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This is a well-placed, clean, easy to find (huge Austin sign high on the building) and well-kept visitor center. It has the usual touristy Texas and Austin-themed items for sale as well as a few cool artists works (like the Willie Nelson and other famous singers) mirrored prints by the bathrooms, but mostly it's the little stuff you get for friends and co-workers to take home. The bathrooms are really nice, new, clean and updated and open to all and there is a huge waiting and seating area for those who are booking or taking city bike or Duck tours. It's worth a stop if you have never been to Austin and are in downtown looking to book tours or get oriented and if you happen to just be walking by - it's not a bad stop off either. read more

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Such a Cute set up with such friendly people. A lot of the tours book out of this location, but while you're waiting there's a store with snacks and things you can do while you wait. You can get all sorts of items with Texas written on it or Austin written on it. Little things to take home as gifts. The people there are great and really know the city. Stop in to get free maps and advise!!! read more

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The visitors center has a cool gift shop with a great variety of TX memorabilia. It does unfortunately get super crowded with tour groups which is unfortunate. The visitors center is near the convention center which is convenient. read more

We were in town for the weekend and this spot was by far the best spot to get souvenirs. We were looking everywhere and couldn't find any souvenir shops in the area. I highly recommend if you are looking for quick souvenirs in the go! The staff were very helpful and friendly as well! read more

One of the only places I found to get souvenirs for Austin! Highly recommend! They have great prices as well. Found the same thing at the airport and it was $3 less at the visitor center. read more

Lots of Austin merch. And fun Texas items. Bought t- Shirts and stickers. With the bed weather has oy for something close to out hotel. read more

My family has a tradition of finding an ornament in each city that we visit. We saw some nice pictures online and thought to go here first. They had so many cute options and found the cutest cowboy boot ornament. The staff was also very friendly! read more

Austin Visitor Center - Ornament - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

We check out of our Airbnb early in the day and my flight wasn't until 7 pm. They hold your bags for a small fee which definitely saved me from carrying my backpack and carry on through all of Austin! Cute souvenirs and the people share little snippets of history behind some of the gifts in the shop! read more

One of the worse visitor centers I have been in. Almost no information of use. It appeared their main interest was in selling tours and souvenirs. I asked them for any information on biking and they said they had nothing. A day later I was in a different tourist spot with information and sure enough they had bike maps. The workers were unhelpful and put off by my questions. Seems like they are in the wrong job! read more

Clean and nice place to stop in for information and to purchase Austin themed trinkets. You can sit down for a rest or use the restroom. There are a lot of maps and tours to book. The employees were friendly, but cashiers do seem to like to talk to each other more than the patrons. read more

Austin Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Obviously couldn't go in because of COVID, but really there was not need. The guy helping at the entrance was really friendly and helpful. read more

Austin Visitor Center - Got a map , a couple of magazines and some info about a cool panoramic experience tour. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Austin Visitor Center is like a little oasis. The staff's pretty chill, they had free wifi and plugs to charge your phone, a cute shop to buy all things Austin-related, and the bathrooms were absolutely clean. What a luxury! We waited there for the Double Decker Bus tour and it was really great that they had an abundance of information on-hand, not to mention the many, many brochures they had on display. read more

A visitors' center is always the first place to go in any city. You will find information and brochures and a wealth of collected information in the heads of the volunteers. There are two *free* walking tours given and you can find out all the details about them right here: http://www.austintexas.org/visitors/plan_your_trip/historic_walking_tours I went on the one that started at the Capitol. It was super informative and really covered a decent swath of the downtown area. We even had a chance to walk inside the historic Driskill hotel. PS As an aside my guide gave a decidedly "Yankee" slant to the Texas history part of the tour. I found it to be a humorous bit of revision, given that Yankee soldiers cut down some old beautiful trees here in Austin when they occupied it, just to be malicious, to say nothing of the normal looting and pillage that almost all Yankee soldiers did to all Southern cities. Those Confederate monuments on the Capitol grounds are memorials of brave men who died fighting for their country and way of life. The slaves who enlisted - and fought for - the Confederacy from almost Day 1 were doing that too. Blacks weren't allowed to enlist in the Union Army until 1862, and even then, they were used for work detail. Racists? Read your history. read more

It's not your average visitor center and you should start your trip here. If your looking for souvenirs, you're better off starting or ending here to avoid the cheaper looking but more expensive ones elsewhere. (The airport has many of the things here for almost double) Also, hipster food and shopping guides for free on the table. (Like Edible, vs the all-ads thing in the hotel) The young man behind the register is really nice but the older guy by the tourist table is not so welcoming. Skip him and just ask the register guy if he's free. read more

The staff and atmosphere were very welcoming. Loved the AO bus tour; it was very informative and travelled an expansive area both inside and around the outskirts of the city. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the small bus made it a personal and chill experience. Gift shop had some cool things and good variety. read more

The Austin Visitor Center is right in the heart of Austin on 6th Street where all the action is located. The visitor center has all kinds of information on what to see and do in the area. When I was there a lot of older people were waiting for a tour, so there must be tours that start at the VC. The whole back half of the store is a gift shop that has all of the Austin souvenirs that you could desire. The prices are decent and there is a large selection. This should be your first stop when visiting Austin. read more

This stop has some good cheap tours and souvenirs. Actually was cheaper than the other shops in the area for t-shirts and hats. You can take tours from here including the Duck truck tour. Check Groupon before you go as their is usually a 2 for one and will save you $25! read more