Neighborhood 48H guide
UT & Capitol: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Capitol tours, the Bullock Museum and the Blanton.
North of downtown, the pink-granite Texas Capitol sits just south of the University of Texas campus and its museums.
Photo gallery
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Walk to the Capitol and museums, with downtown a few blocks south.
Who it's for: History and art lovers, families and parents visiting UT.
Pros
- Free Capitol tours
- Major museums
- Calmer evenings
Cons
- Game-day crowds
- Fewer bars
- Campus traffic
48H by UT & the Capitol
Capitol, Texas history, art.
10:00 – Texas State Capitol
Free guided tours.
12:00 – Bullock Texas State History Museum
Open daily.
14:30 – Blanton Museum of Art
Includes Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin; closed Mondays.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
Texas State Capitol
1100 Congress Ave
The granite statehouse, with free guided tours.
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Bullock Texas State History Museum
1800 Congress Ave
The story of Texas over three floors.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Blanton Museum of Art
200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
UT’s art museum and Ellsworth Kelly’s chapel-like Austin.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
AT&T Hotel & Conference Center at the University of Texas
1900 University Ave
Campus hotel steps from the Bullock.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for UT & Capitol.
The City of Austin requires short-term rentals to hold an operating license. Look for it on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in UT & Capitol on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Austin
- Downtown & Sixth Street — The Driskill, the Paramount and the Congress Avenue bats.
- Rainey Street — Bungalow bars, Banger’s beer garden and music at the Van Zandt.
- South Congress — The Continental Club, Jo’s Coffee and Allens Boots.
- East Austin — Franklin Barbecue, the Texas State Cemetery and East Sixth bars.
- Lady Bird Lake & Barton Springs Road — Barton Springs Pool, Umlauf and a kayak on the lake.
- The Domain & North Austin — Domain Northside and Austin FC at Q2 Stadium.
- Lake Travis & Lakeway — The Oasis at sunset and the Mount Bonnell view on the way.
- Fredericksburg (Hill Country stay) — Main Street, the Pacific War museum and Enchanted Rock.