Top Outdoor Venues in Austin

Attendees will rave about the Austin city views from the rooftop deck at Inn Cahoots, a four-story boutique hotel. The roof’s event space is 2,400 square feet (large enough for 180 people), but the hotel offers a total of 8,000 square feet of space outdoors and inside. Book a dinner for 15 or arrange a full buyout for 520 guests.

For an intimate gathering at an iconic Austin locale, visit Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, situated across from the Austin Convention Center and just steps from noteworthy hotels and entertainment areas. Located in the historic Waterloo area and housed in a refurbished 1852 mercantile, Moonshine offers an outdoor patio that can fit 100 and serves classic comfort food in a casual atmosphere.

Courtesy UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum.

Close to downtown Austin, the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum is a lovely option for meetings and intimate events — including seated dinners — for 40 to 250 people. Groups have exclusive use of the light-filled Crenshaw Room overlooking the scenic garden. And guests are welcome to explore the leafy grounds during events. 

Meetings and events don’t have to be quiet at the downtown Austin Central Library‘s indoor and outdoor spaces. Book the Roof Garden for up to 225 guests, who will enjoy Lady Bird Lake and downtown views. For smaller groups, 25 people can gather for music or talks around the stone seating at the Outdoor Amphitheater.

Outdoor sculptures by international artists dot the landscaped grounds of The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria, a historic landmark on the shore of Lake Austin. The Italian-style villa makes the perfect setting for exquisite events and corporate gatherings. Whether you choose the villa, amphitheater or outdoor spaces, Laguna Gloria can accommodate 150 to 175 seated guests.

Mattie’s at Green Pastures, housed in a lovingly restored turn-of-the-century farmhouse, offers elegant private event and dining spaces, as well as an outdoor patio shaded by live oaks and a pavilion. Natural light streams into the 2,300-square-foot Marion Hall, which accommodates 160 for dinner. Cocktail parties or intimate seated dinners for 32 people can be held in the cozy Lounge Room.

Book a fun event at the Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden at The Linc for events with capacities ranging from 40 seated for dinner to 200 enjoying outdoor activities such as playing ping-pong. At the South Lamar location, guests can enjoy picturesque Barton Creek Greenbelt views from the deck.

Check out the Rainey Street district’s Clive Bar. An upward expansion in 2022 added extra floors, providing several areas in which to gather, especially the third-floor bar and covered roof deck. The ground-floor, open-air back area includes a stage for music or presentations. The venue is available for small gatherings and full buyouts.

In the heart of Austin, attendees can tee up and wind down at Butler Pitch and Putt with a lesson by a PGA-certified pro. The nin-hole, par 3 course attracts beginners to pro players. For private events, the venue can accommodate 20 to 500 guests. Three-time James Beard Award finalist chef Michael Fojtasek leads the food program that features burgers, biscuits, sandwiches, cookies and a 23-degree bar.

The Contemporary Austin-Jones Center offers its modern art space for hosting meetings and events. The stunning, modern building's meeting spaces include the 3,300-square-foot Moody Rooftop with panoramic views of the city, a bar, a big screen and an open-air canopy. Inside, arrange for up to 65 people to attend meetings on the second floor overlooking Congress Avenue.

In a gorgeous, garden-like gathering space, sustainability-focused Cosmic Saltillo in East Austin features private spaces indoors, on the outdoor patio or rooftop deck. Reserve a space at the bar and cafe for groups of more than 50. 

Courtesy of Meanwhile Brewing.

Spread out on 3.7 acres at Meanwhile Brewing Co., where at least a dozen freshly brewed beers are always on tap. Venue choices include a 50-seat private space, 225-seat taproom and the beer garden that can fit 500. Meanwhile also offers food truck fare and a variety of beverages, including wine and ciders.

Plan a private tour for your group at Still Austin Whiskey Co., the first whiskey distillery within Austin city limits since Prohibition. At this grain-to-glass distillery, everything is made with locally sourced ingredients. After the tour for 40 to 130 guests, enjoy a cocktail party or dinner in the Whiskey Garden or tasting room.

Enjoy ranch views at Vista Brewing in Driftwood at the gateway to the Texas Hill Country Wineries trail. The 21-acre brewery, restaurant and farm offers multiple indoor and outdoor spaces for groups of any size. The on-site catering team crafts dishes made with farm ingredients that can be paired with Vista beers. Arrange for tours, tastings and group culinary classes.

The Venue is ideal for anything from concerts to conferences and fashion shows. The multilevel space includes a full-size stage with sound booths, high-end lighting systems, a dance floor, eight screens for presentations, VIP areas and a Green Room with a kitchenette. A balcony overlooks historic Sixth Street, plus there are three bars and an area perfect for food truck catering.

At fun-loving Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden, picnic tables are sprinkled throughout the huge beer garden, 100-plus craft beers are served on tap and the menu features 30 house-made, grilled sausages ranging from wild game to veggie. Live music and pig roasts are part of the experience. Book a dinner party for groups of 12 or more guests, or rent the whole place for 1,000 people.

At the historic intersection of Bouldin Creek and lively South Lamar Boulevard, Bouldin Acres offers approachable eats and drinks in a fun indoor/outdoor environment. With two acres overlooking Bouldin Creek, this is a great place for your group of 20 to 300-plus to watch sports, play games and network in quirky South Austin.

Assembly Hall. Credit James H. Ruiz Photography.

New to the area, Assembly Hall is an elegant event venue with industrial influences ready to be tailored to fit a variety of event types. The venue boasts a private courtyard, meeting room and large main hall with gorgeous arched windows, polished concrete floors, 16-foot ceilings and exposed steel beams. The space can flex to your event with a thoughtful design that can accommodate up to 750 guests. 

Looking for a laid-back garden setting for your next outdoor gathering for 50 people, or even 500? Check out South Austin's Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden, bedecked with outdoor space heaters, chicken coops and raised garden beds. Sip specialty coffees, locally brewed beer or craft cocktails while eating food truck fare and listening to live music.  

The Fair Market’s expansive indoor community space occupies a funky, 12,000-square-foot Quonset hut-style building. The warehouse offers a blank canvas to host events in the eclectic East Austin neighborhood. Take the party outdoors, where 1,200 guests can be accommodated on the versatile 10,000-square-foot lawn.

With 24,500 parking spaces, you know the Circuit of The Americas can handle just about any event. Its more than 50 indoor and outdoor event spaces include the huge Grand Plaza, which can accommodate 400,000 people. For smaller groups, arrange for driving packages so guests can drive a car or kart on the racetrack, take a tour of pit lane garages, or simply reserve one of the track-view venues, along with catered food and drinks.

Major League Soccer spurs excitement in Austin when the Austin FC plays in the 20,500-seat Q2 Stadium. Co-owner and Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey is often in the stands cheering for the team. One of the features of the modern, multipurpose venue is an outdoor amphitheater, which has a maximum capacity of 3,000 for special events.

By day, Stubb’s Bar-B-Q serves slow-smoked Texas barbecue for lunch and dinner in an 1850s limestone building. At night, it’s a rollicking live music venue, featuring the outdoor Waller Creek Amphitheater and an indoor stage. Private Old West-style spaces, including two bars and an upstairs patio, make your event a true Texas experience for 20 to 2,200 guests.

Armadillo Den. Credit Alex Thomas.

The neighborhood bar with a fun name, Armadillo Den, welcomes events to its 3-acre property. Two bars are housed in a large building, which features a covered open-air area downstairs, a back deck and an upstairs deck. In the outdoor entertainment area, you’ll find more bars, food trucks and live music nightly. The venue can accommodate 50 to 2,500 guests. Coordinate your menu with four on-site food trucks.

Take your event rural at Star Hill Ranch near Bee Cave. The re-creation of an early-1900s Texas Hill Country community features historic buildings that were relocated to Main Street Plaza and are illuminated at night. It’s a perfect place for outdoor receptions, dinner parties and tented events accommodating 20 to 2,000 guests. Rent vintage props to add to the ambience.

Republic Square dates back to the birth of Austin. The renovated urban greenspace offers daily programming, modern amenities and a full-service cafe. Republic Square Park is available for event rental, with flexible layouts to accommodate 50 to 5,000 people.

Soccer fans should consider hosting an event at The Pitch, a dining and entertainment destination near Parmer Field. With four restaurants and two bars, The Pitch offers a number of venues to accommodate meetings and events of various sizes, ranging from 40 to 5,000 guests for a full buyout. It’s a great place for cocktails and viewing soccer matches in the beer garden. 

With amazing views of Austin’s skyline, the indoor-outdoor Palmer Events Center offers two exhibit halls with 70,000 square feet of space, with 5,000 square feet of meeting space on the second level. Outdoor canopy-covered spaces add 50,000 square feet. An in-house team handles technology details, and the on-site catering department works with 30-plus vendors to provide local flavors.

Waterloo Park, Moody Amphitheater. Credit John Sutfin.

In 2021, the revamped Waterloo Greenway unveiled the architecturally stunning Moody Amphitheater located within 11 acres of greenspace that includes gardens, elevated walkways and hiking trails. The downtown venue accommodates 5,000 people for special events, concerts and festivals.

A world-class venue, Moody Center debuted in spring 2022. The arena is on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin and is home to the Longhorns basketball teams. Moody Center has 15,000 seats and provides an impressive venue for touring concerts, shows and a variety of special events. Spacious balconies and an expansive plaza offer stunning downtown views.