Known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin boasts hundreds of concert venues and is overflowing with local talent. Historic concert halls such as Antone’s, The Little Longhorn Saloon and The Broken Spoke continue to be a vibrant part of “Old Austin” while more modern facilities like The Moody Theater and The Paramount offer state-of-the-art acoustics and amenities.

In addition to live music, Austin is well-known as a hub for the film and television industry. The city is the birthplace of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain, while movies such as Dazed and Confused and TV shows such as Fear the Walking Dead have been shot there. Popular variety program Austin City Limits is often credited with having fostered the city’s reputation as an arts mecca.

One of the country’s pre-eminent cultural events, South by Southwest, has taken place in Austin annually since 1987. Staged in mid-March, this engaging combination of film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences is attended by hundreds of thousands of ‘culture vultures’ and notable celebrities galore.

The Austin Film Festival was founded in 1994 and has since hosted numerous high-profile movie premieres over the years. Other cultural events that are regularly staged in Austin include the Texas Craft Brewers Festival, the Austin Reggae Festival and Carnaval Brasileiro.

Austin’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is a sophisticated public transit system featuring buses and light rail cars that makes getting around town a breeze. Major cities such as Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and more are also easily accessible via the several major highways running through Austin.

The city’s primary airport is Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, which offers flights around the globe. Austin is also known as the most bike-friendly city in Texas, with numerous bike paths situated in and around the area.

Austin affords its residents myriad opportunities to get out and enjoy the fresh air. Running, hiking and swimming in natural bodies of water such as Lady Bird Lake are all popular local pastimes, while the Barton Creek Greenbelt offers the ability to enjoy additional aquatic activities like kayaking, fishing and paddle boarding.

Several well-known golf courses can be found in Austin, including prominent public courses such as Lions Municipal and Horseshoe Bay. More adventurous outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy rock climbing, mountain biking and more pulse-pounding action sports year-round.

In addition to traditional Tex Mex fare like the nationally known Franklin Barbecue and its famed brisket dish, restaurants offering sophisticated cuisine from around the world can be found in Austin. Nearly 60 breweries also call Austin home, including Jester King, Zilker, Hold Out and Live Oak. 

Shopping malls and districts featuring retail outlets of all kinds are located throughout Austin. Outdoor shopping center The Domain, the indoor Barton Creek Square Mall and the sprawling Arboretum all offer a unique shopping experience for their patrons.

No matter what sport you enjoy watching, Austin has you covered. The American Hockey League’s Texas Stars and the National Basketball Association G-League’s Austin Spurs both play at the 6,778-seat H-E-B Center at Cedar Park while Major League Soccer’s Austin FC calls the 20,738-seat Q2 Stadium home. The AAA-level pro baseball team the Round Rock Express play out of the 11,631-seat Dell Diamond and there’s even a pro rugby team in town—the Austin Gilgronis.

Austin’s most famous sports attraction is the University of Texas football program, which has won four national championships and 32 conference championships while producing 100 First Team All-Americans and two Heisman Trophy winners in addition to countless National Football League players. The Longhorns play their home games at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 100,000 fans. Texas’ men’s and women’s basketball programs are also noteworthy, as are its baseball, softball and track & field programs.

With the prestigious University of Texas calling Austin home, the city has been referred to as the "Athens of the South" in recognition of its historic academic and cultural influence. In addition to UT, the Texas Military Academy building, the oldest standing educational structure in Texas, is also Austin-based.

Prestigious media outlets such as Forbes Magazine and CNN Money have praised Austin’s public-school system and the city ranks high on several national rankings in education. Austin has also earned high marks for its innovation and use of technology in its schools at all levels.

Museums of note in Austin include the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, the Texas Memorial Museum, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Blanton Museum of Art and the galleries at the Harry Ransom Center. The Texas State Capitol itself is also a major tourist attraction, as is The Austin Zoo and The Austin Aquarium.

Landmarks aplenty also proliferate Austin’s streets, including statues celebrating famous Texas musicians Stevie Ray Vaughn and Willie Nelson. Austin’s breathtaking sunrises and sunsets have led to it being referred to as the “City of the Violet Crown.”

“Silicon Hills” has been a nickname for Austin since the mid-90s, a reference to both the hilly landscape of the city’s west side as well as the prevalence of high-tech companies in the area. Companies with offices in the area include Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon.com, Apple Inc., ARM Holdings, Cisco, eBay, ESO, Facebook, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, NXP Semiconductors, PayPal, Procore, Silicon Labs, Texas Instruments, Oracle Corporation, VMWare, and many more. Dell's main headquarters, meanwhile, can be found in nearby Round Rock.

Camp Mabry, Fort Hood and the Del Valle Army Air Base are all located in or near Austin’s city limits. Austin has a proud military tradition dating back to the 19^th century Texas Revolution when the city was known as “Waterloo” and played a key strategic role in the conflict.

• Sandra Bullock (Actress)
• Owen Wilson (Actor)
• Drew Brees (Football Player)
• Steve Austin (Wrestler)
• Matthew McConaughey (Actor)
• Richard Linklater (Filmmaker)
• Dan Rather (Journalist)
• Mike Judge (Cartoonist)
• Ben Crenshaw (Golfer)
• Connie Britton (Actress & Singer)