Free Stuff To Do in Austin

On the last Saturday of every month as well as Mondays through Thursdays during the summer months, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar screens free kids movies. Films include 1950s science fiction movies and family classics like Swiss Family Robinson as well as more recent features such as Iron Giant and Spy Kids. These films are sponsored bythe Austin Chronicle, Ain't It Cool News and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The Free Kids Club at Alamo Drafthouse was started more than ten years ago at the original downtown location by Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News and he continues to fund the series with a birthday party benefit each year.

The Austin City Limits studio doors are open to the public for official, organized tours every Friday beginning at 10:30 a.m. Admission is free. Bring a camera and have your picture snapped in front of the famous Austin City Limits skyline backdrop.

Austin Convention and Visitors Center offers two free guided walking tours of historical homes and places in downtown Austin. Both tours require 24 hour advance reservations and reservations may be made through the Austin Convention and Vistors Center website. The Historic Congress Avenue and Sixth Street tour times are 9 AM Thursday through Saturday and 2 PM on Sunday and include 19th century buildings such as the Old Bakery, the Driskill Hotel and St. Mary's Cathedral. The Bremond Block Historic District tour examines a collection of homes belonging to members of the John Bremond family built during the Victorian era and tour times are at 11 AM on Saturday and Sunday. The departure point for oth tours is the South entrance of the Capitol building at 1100 Congress Avenue.

Austin Recovery offers free Recovery Enrichment Workshops on the second Saturday of each month that are open to all members of the Austin community. National and local speakers present on topics related to addiction and recovery. Refer to the Austin Recovery website for the schedule of speakers and topics.

Home to the world's largest urban bat colony, the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge is one of three bridges linking the downtown area to South Austin across the Colorado River or what is usually referred to as Town Lake, but recently renamed Lake Lady Bird. Each night from mid-March to November, approximately a million or more Mexican free-tail bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food. The bats generally emerge before dark, but may fly late as the time of year and weather conditions affect bat emergence times. July and August are the best times to see the most dramatic flights when new born pups first begin to forage with their mothers. It is possible to view the bats from the bridge, but the bridge itself is a high traffic throughfare. The best way to see the bats is to bring a blanket or lawn chairs to the Bat Observation Center located at the Austin American Statesman offices at 305 South Congress Avenue on the southeast side of the bridge where there is a viewing area and an educational kiosk. If parking is not available at the Austin American Statesman, additional parking after 6 PM is located at Texas Department of Transportation offices located around the corner off Riverside Drive. Bat Conservation International Bat Interpreters are present Thursday through Sunday nights in the months of June, July and August. Please remember to look, but DON'T TOUCH THE BATS. Bats are wild animals and like all wild animals, they may bite in self-defense if handled.

Thursdays are free to the public at the Blanton Museum of Art. The Blanton Museum of Art is the largest art museum in Austin and features a substantial permanent collection of important works of art as well as traveling collections from around the world.

Free two hour guided hikes on the second Saturdays and Sundays of the month at Bright Leaf Preserve. Bright Leaf is a natural area over 200 acres in size within the Austin city limits.

Blues on the Green is a free summer concert series presented by KGSR radio station at Zilker Park Rock Island (on the north side of Barton Springs Road). The shows take place on Wednesday nights from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM and feature performers such as Asleep At The Wheel, Los Lonely Boys, Marcia Ball, Eric Johnson, Ian McLaughlin and Doyle Bramhall. Concert goers can bring their own food or purchase food or soft drinks from vendors on site. It is also a good idea to bring chairs or blankets. Glass containers and alcohol are not permitted in City of Austin parks. There is usually a fee for parking at Zilker Park and parking is available off Stratford Drive under the Mopac Bridge or on the other side of Barton Springs by Barton Springs Pool.

The Free Day of Yoga in Austin is every Labor Day and has been held every year in Austin, Texas since 1999. There are over 100 free yoga classes in the greater Austin vicinity on this day held from dawn to dusk at locations all over the city of Austin.

Keeping Austin Free is a blog style website that updates daily with current free events and activities in the Austin area.

Live at the Lake is a free summer concert series sponsored by KGSR at Lakeway Resort and Spa located 18 miles northwest of downtown Austin. Bands perform by a 3-tiered pool with a swim-up bar overlooking Lake Travis on Sunday afternoons. Gates open at 4 PM with shows running from 6 PM to 8 PM. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Past performers have included Carolyn Wonderland, Fastball, Jimmy LaFave, Shawn Sahm and Hayes Carll.

The Moonlight Prowl at the University of Texas is a free night time campus tour of UT illustrated with stories of student life, history and UT lore. Moonlight Prowls are held several times a month and you must register on the Moonlight Prowl website to participate. All Prowls start at 8 PM and last 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Austin Parks Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to building partnerships, advocacy and action for parks. In conjunction with Alamo Draft House, the Austin Parks Foundation sponsors outdoor movies in downtown Austin at Republic Square Park. Dogs, picnics and lawn chairs are welcome. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the park. Republic Square Park is located at 5th Street and Guadalupe Street. There is free parking on surrounding streets. Movies begin at dusk which is usually around 8:30 and there is pre-show entertainment starting at 7 PM. Check the Movies in the Park website for a schedule of upcoming movies.

Admission to the Ransom Center at the University of Texas is free and open to the public. The major focus of the Ransom Center is the study of the literature and culture of the United States, Great Britain, and France. Exhubits at the center include manuscripts, rare books, photographs, works of art and major collections in theater and movie memorabilia including the David O. Selznick and Gloria Swanson archives. The Harry Ransom Center also offers a number of free special events including poetry readings, lectures and movies.

REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) a national retail cooperative selling outdoor gear and clothing, offers a variety of free classes, clinics and events for both children and adults including rock climbing, guided hikes, attracting outdoor birds and map and compass basics. Refer to the REI website for specific dates and details.

Ruta Maya Ruta Maya Coffee House presents free kids shows featuring quality children's entertainment and children's music every Sunday at 10:30 AM. Past performers have included Joe McDermott, Darren Peterson and Circus Chicken Dog, Magical Mystical Michael and Mr. Steve's Drumming Extravaganza.

Ruta Maya Coffee House in South Austin offers a wide variety of community classes that are free with any purchase from the coffee house including Qi Gong, Medical Terminology, Latin Tutorial and English Word Power with Professor George Doig, Tai Chi with Guy Forsyth and Angel Quesada, and free astrology charts and readings from Twin Wolf.

Ruta Maya Coffee House in South Austin offers free yoga classes with any purchase from the cafe every day of the week except Sunday including Happy Hour Yoga at 5:30 PM on Monday and Wednesday and Family Yoga for Kids at 10 AM on Saturday mornings. All classes welcome all levels of students and use a unique approach which addresses each person at their own level of flexability. It is highly recommended that you bring a yoga mat, however a limited number are available at the cafe.

Located five miles southwest of downtown Austin, Sunset Valley is a small community of less than two miles square located close to the intersection of West Gate Boulevard and Highway 290. The Sunset Valley Arts Commission sponsors a series of summer concerts that take place once a month in the the backyard of Sunset Valley City Hall at 7 PM on Sunday nights.

Admission to the Texas Memorial Museum is always free and it is a great place to spend the time with kids of all ages. Located on the University of Texas campus, exhibits at the museum include dinosaurs and fossils, Texas wildlife, and gems and minerals. There is alwo a working Paleontology Lab where visitors can ask questions as scientists research dinosaur bones and other fossil finds and the Virtual Science exhibit, the first immersive 3-D museum exhibit in the country.

Unplugged at the Grove is a free, all ages outdoor music series that runs each Thursday night from April to September at Shady Grove restaurant on Barton Springs Road adjacent to Zilker Park. Sponsored by KGSR Radio for over fifteen years. Unplugged at the Grove has presented some of Texas most accomplished musicians including Shawn Colvin, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, the Dixie Chicks, Nickel Creek, Guy Clark, The Gourds, Alejandro Escovedo, Guy Forsyth, Bruce Robinson, Jim Lauderdale, Bob Schneider, Del Castillo, Ray Wylie Hubbard and more. Tables fill up fast, but it is allowed to bring folding chairs and blankets to sit on the lawn. Parking available in the Shady Grove parking lot, but do not park in the nearby neighborhoods. It's always a good idea to get there early for a good parking spot and a good seat.

Zilker Hillside Theatre is located in Zilker Park across the parking lot from Barton Springs swimming pool. The stage is located in a natural amphitheater under a stand of 100 year old pecan trees and features numerous locally produced musical and dance oriented events including the Austin Symphony, Shakespeare in the Park and the annual Zilker Summer Musical. Admission to events at the Zilker Hillside Theatre is always free but there is a $3.00 fee to park in the Zilker Park parking lots. Most events start at 8 PM and blankets can be placed on the hillside after 6 PM. Most theatre goers bring a picnic or other refreshments, but alcohol is not permitted in the park.