Great little store with something for everyone. Full of interesting items full of history and worth keeping or bring a little Austin Texas home. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

The star inside the top of the rotunda dome is 8 feet wide. A scene from Spy Kids 2 was filmed in the outdoor rotunda. The capitol building is made of "sunset" granite, quarried 50 miles from Austin by 1000 prisoners. Texas had a woman governor before women were allowed to vote. Want to learn more trivia like this? Then visit the Capitol! If you haven't taken the 45 min. tour of the State Capitol, you should go! It's free, and the tour guides are well-informed with interesting details and good stories. The building is beautiful and the grounds are really well kept. In fact, I like to eat lunch outside there sometimes during the week. This is a great place to take out of town guests. The Bob Bullock Museum is walking distance, and there are plenty of places to eat nearby, so you could definitely make a day of it. Metered parking is available on nearby streets, and I've never had trouble finding a space, but if you prefer a garage, you can pay to park at the Bob Bullock museum north of the capitol or you can park for free at 13th and San Jacinto, east of the capitol. See map here:http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/spb/plan/Map.htm read more

Worth a looksie. Didn't bother with the tour but ease dropped on one; so that worked out I liked the Great Walk most...it's beautiful stroll through history. Read the signs read more

There's no doubt that the State of Texas has an extensive history - and touring the State Capitol was like walking into history itself. I've done the state capitol tour in Sacramento, California and visited the legislative branches for both the House of Representatives and Senate. We were not allowed on the house floors - so to be allowed to be in the rooms at the Texas State Capitol was awesome. Looking up at the rotunda - you just had to be in awe of the architectural structure and how skilled the craftsmen of that time had to be in order to build such an amazing structure. We spent most of our afternoon on the State Capitol grounds before we left to return home - definitely time well spent. read more

Love being a Texan and coming here to see where all the action happens. They have free tours every 15 minutes and have some specialized tours as well throughout the day. You can walk around all four floors, there are elevators if you don't feel like climbing the stairs. Make sure you check out all the governor pictures and library. read more

Make sure you go down to the basement of the original building. In the wings are hung enormous composite pictures of legislatures past. Each congressman gets an oval photograph with his name and district lettered neatly around it. In the early ones from the turn of the previous century you can still see layout pencil marks and slight flaws in the hand-inked text. The photographs have been cut with scissors into ovals and glued to the pasteboard. They've cut out tiny pictures of newborn babies and pasted them in the middle - not sure why, but they made sure their children are entered into the historical record of the legislature. Those babies are octogenarians now. Take a long look at those be-grizzled Texas politicians, the young clerks. It's easy to imagine them sitting stiffly and self-consciously in the photographer's studio. Harder to imagine them laughing or dancing , or at play. read more

Ok, love kids, have 2 plus a grand baby, but this place was crawling with lovely curious 3rd graders. AGH! Oh, just kidding...I love kids. The visitor's center is very informative. I learned about land aquirement, the Mexican revolution, Native Americans, how people lived, what to find, what to do and how they west was won...so to speak. I need more time here. Very informative. They featured an exhibit on Veterans of Texas and their stories. Yes, we would all learn more about history and battles and life if it was told in stories! read more

I could have spent an hour in the gift shop alone, but the fact that their visitors' center was staffed with friendly and helpful people was a pleasant start to the day in Austin. Maps, brochures and advice. Thank you Texans. read more

Holy S*%@! They have a statue commemorating the Confederacy!!! AAAAAK!!!! THAT IS NOT NORMAL!!!! Texas is considered a weird state by any self-respecting Northerner and my visit to the Capitol Building confirmed this suspicion. read more

What a great place! My family and I walked in to get penny pressed coins and walked out with a bunch more than that. The guy who was working one of the information desks was so helpful and provided us with a bunch of maps and magazines. We were fully armed with anything and everything that any sight seeing tourist would want to see in Austin and even the whole state of Texas. Best thing about it? It was completely free! Yes, it is a small little center with not much to see and it definitely seems that way from just being in the first floor. The second floor has a lot of little treasures though! There is an amazing view of the Capitol from one of the windows, telescopes that are focused on the Goddess of Liberty, a cute little area where you can try some Texan gear such as cowboy hats and last but not least a walk through the famed spiral staircase. I highly recommend stopping by especially if you're already going to be visiting the Capitol. read more

Another must-see site is the Texas state capitol. The dome is really nice - there's the lone star you can see at the top of the dome when you stand inside. They take you on a guided tour, which is nice. After the tour you can walk around a bit, and shop at the gift shop. Texas has a rich history, and this is definately a place to learn about some of it. The state capitol isn't just some other state capitol - you are in the capital of the Republic of Texas, afterall. read more

Came here to visit the gift shop to get some post cards to send to my friends back home (like the old soul I am). This is a separate building across the lawn from the Capitol. I was greeted when I came in and was told where the gift shop was, and that there were more exhibits upstairs. The gift shop was small, but had a good assortment of different TX souvenir items. On the main floor, and up the old white winding staircase were more exhibits, which included information and pieces from the war for independence, the cowboy lifestyle, and costumes from that era. For a small free museum, you can't really complain. Park in the Capitol Visitor's Center garage on 12th street for 2 free hours! Each subsequent hour is only $1 each. read more

Hushed tones met with tired stares from security made me and Brad W all the giddier as we sauntered over here after seeing TEXAS: The Big Picture (on IMAX, of course), and after learning that our capitol building is taller than the nation's capitol, we had to push our wannabe coolness aside, because it IS impressive. The best part? The succession of governor's portraits...George W right next to Ann Richards... Bizarre and food for thought. read more

Texas has an awe inspiring capitol. Go to the visitor's center, take the tour, and learn a bit more.

Neat place for kiddos because of the interactive exhibits. Informative video about the making of the Capitol (2nd floor). Bathrooms are located in the basements. Check out the gift shop for your 'Come and Take It' shirt! Nancy in the gift shop was very sweet to my five year old son. read more

See all

Did you know that O. Henry staged a murder story at the spiral staircase at the Capitol Visitors Center? How cool is that? Turns out he worked here when it was the General Land Office. Guess you have to write what you know, and what a place to know. The Capitol Visitors Center is home to rotating exhibits about Texas history and the Capitol complex - separate from the Capitol itself - and is totally kid-friendly and a great place to get a big 'ol slice of Texas history. This isn't your traditional old-school storytelling - they do a lot of postmodern exhibits that can appeal to the entire family. Important for summers: There's free parking nearby at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage and the place has great air conditioning. Need a break from strolling? Come in here, get yourself a piece of free Texas history, and chill out. read more

I took the trip in from Dallas and spent a few hours touring this place with my family and really had a good time. We did a free tour as well, and found it informal but a bit short. I would have liked more information but to the credit of the guide, she kept my young kids listening intently so kudos for the engaging presentation. Perhaps making it longer would have made it less interesting for many people. They do not mind if you bring a camera, tripod, and flash and take all the pictures you want which is nice as well. Overall great place to see at least once. The Texas Capitol building is one of the best Capital buildings I've seen and a great way to help kids see where the state government operates. read more

Great place to visit for free and learn some interesting things about the Capitol. The bonus is that the A/C is very refreshing on those scorching Texas afternoons. There are bathrooms on the bottom floor, and water fountains. Both were very much appreciated, and necessary the day we were there. There are several Poke-stops around the Capitol, so you can come in here and cool off and browse the history and gifts, when the heat gets too much. Glad we came in here. read more

The tour was outstanding. Worth the short wait for sure. We loved the 30 min informative walking tour through part of the building. It is beautiful and you can bring water in. We laughed a little and learned a bit. Amanda our tour guide knew everything. read more

Not a ton to see here and the staff didn't seem to have much patience with our group. Maybe it was a off day but that was the general vibe. The exhibits they do have have good information. If the staff was friendlier it would have been 4 stars. read more

I have already admitted numerous times my ability to be a complete nerd and/or geek. And for that reason alone you should listen to me. The Captial Building in Austin, Texas is awe-inspiring. It is indeed both beautiful and historic and everything you might be looking for both for a third grade field trip, or an adult side trip for FREE. Free is always good, my friends. I love architecture, and the Austin Captial is glorious! Not only that, but you can wander through and see every governor of the state there ever was, even before they were called governors. Sometimes, if you're there at the right time, you can be involved in book readings, or just sit on the senate chamber floor. How effing cool is that? Ok... that's the geek in me talking. But really, I had the most wonderful time here. It was full of information, design, history... it was amazing. I even got a picture of me next to the bronze bust of LBJ and my good friend, President Bush the first. I gave him a little kiss. They have an awesome mosaic of the Alamo as well. I was looking for my bike, but still couldn't find it. Something about basements? Anyway... if you're into history and geekidness like me... should totally check out the state capital. It's well worth it, and well worth the price, free. The ground also holds some pretty awesome park like features, and a few monuments, like the one for fallen Texas Rangers. Wonderful. I can't wait to see it again!!! read more

They have all the maps and tourist info you could ever want! I walk by this place all the time and have never been inside. Could be a nice place to stop for some a/c in the summer if you are outside exploring the Capitol grounds. There are a few exhibits, many geared toward school kids, but I was there to look for some Texas brochures or swag to mail to some kids in Pennsylvania for a school project they were doing. They had this in spades (I got free Don't Mess With Texas stickers and bookmarks). They also had lots of brochures and maps of Texas attractions, state parks, wine trails, etc. I will be back here the next time I need some travel inspiration or information. They have volunteers at an information desk, who were very nice and helpful. There is also a small gift shop I didn't have time to venture into, but I assume they have the same type of souvenirs that the Capitol Gift Shop does. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

The State Capitol tour was excellent, where else can you learn about Texas, it's independence and the scene for the Spy Kids movie?

Beautiful, spacious lawns with statues telling the history of Texas. I recommend that you take a tour inside the Capital. It's really beautiful in the inside too and it's very interesting to learn about some Texas politics! read more

Talking about site seeing at Austin, this is a must go place! We spend there for a couple of hours with the guided tour, and it was nice. I highly recommend this place for touring Austin. read more

If you're going to visit the Capitol, you may either miss this place or think it's too far away. I think you should take the extra 5 minutes and give it a try. Yes, a gift shop is there, but there are multiple exhibits in there too. read more

Seeing is understanding. If you don't "get" Texas, you might start here. Free entry, free tours, and the building stays open late. The grounds are pleasant to stroll through. You'll probably even learn something. read more

I moves to Texas 6 years ago and never have I drive on many hills roads, makes me miss California. The capital is big and looks nice. Such a wonderful historical place to come see if your in Austin. read more

The Capitol tour began promptly at 12 and we conveniently arrived from our double decker bus tour to join in. Our tour guide was enthusiastic, but spoke in a very thick accent, from a different country . It was extremely difficult to understand the guide and we left the group after a few stops. As we walked around the Capitol without a guide we noticed other groups being led on the same tour and we were able to better understand them. It is worth waiting for the next tour slot if you find yourselves in a position as we did. read more

Visiting from California and really impressed by the upkeep of the buildings and the grounds. Worth seeing for certain. The 3 women in the gift shop were not very friendly at all, however, did not greet us and were not very warm as I checked out. Other than them, it was a good experience. read more

Best place to get a great history lesson. The people that run this place are truly wonderful. If you need help finding anything or if you are lost stop on by for a history lesson and a cool breath of fresh air. read more

You can totally catch us hanging out at the Capitol just about anytime of year. (Once we were there during the Monarch migration and found the trees literally dripping with millions of Monarch butterflies.) You can park in the Capitol Visitor's Parking Garage free for the first 2 hours and after that it's only 75 cents for every half hour. We often park, walk down to the AMOA, and then back up to hang out on the large lawn. It is perfect for picnics and meeting up with friends. The kids run, play, and roll down the hills. We've even done a scavenger hunt here! The Visitor's Center always plays a major part of our visit. The computers upstairs are fun to play on and are full of Texas State facts. They also have cowboy dress up, movies to watch, and museum quality stuff to peruse. If you're thinking about visiting a state park or two, you can pick up brochures on every park in the state here. They also have free state maps that are quite large. (You can then get them laminated for cheap at Teacher Heaven and the kids can use them to plot out vacations, etc with dry erase markers.) (Btw, if you have a stroller or wheelchair, you have to take the sidewalk around and behind the building to get on the elevator to the 1st floor.) read more

I never went into The Capitol but had the joy of walking around the premises waiting for Daft Punk to possibly perform. The area is clean and the architecture is beautiful. This is great place to take a nice stroll with a loved one or family. Downtown is nearby if you want to grab a meal and drinks. read more

The state capital building was a great experience. I highly recommend to do the free tour. They start every 15 minutes and they last about 30 minutes. I learned a lot about the fine state of Texas. You definitely have to go underground to the annex. 100's of office UNDERGROUND! Super cool Free tour. read more

What can I say? The staff was friendly and made sure we didn't miss the fun stuff for our Kid. I did learn about a free African American that was pretty wealthy and owned two slaves. Something about that just... irked me. Whatever. It was definitely an amusing learning experience. read more

Holy moly I was shocked about how massive this place was. But it was beautiful and very informative, we were there when there were singing groups in the main lobby and it was very nice. My only thing I didn't like was the amount of children running around, and subsequently into me. I know it's not the buildings doing, but it did take away from the experience read more

The visitors museum was really nice, they had a museum upstairs as well as some info on O. Henry downstairs. We also got some tourist information, and the lady who was working behind the desk was really sweet and helpful. This is a nice stop before visiting the capitol (hence the capitol visitors center), and is definitely worth the while. read more

Very interesting place right next to the Capitol. They had a lot of historical presentations and displays that were informative and really interesting. read more

I would suggest just going to the capital building. There isn't anything here that isn't at the capital. The hostess was just telling everyone to go to the capital. There is a gift shop at the capital and brochures. read more

The people at the information desk are the best, especially Mary, Gus, Kat.