Top 10 Austin Parks & Cultural Places
Spend the day exploring some of the city’s fascinating hidden gems.
Austin Parks & Recreation has been a steward of iconic Austin places and historic sites since 1928. While you’re visiting Texas’ Capital City, set aside a day to discover our many hidden gems, ranging from must-see museums to scenic nature preserves and diverse cultural places. We’ve put together a Top 10 list to help you plan.
1. Oakwood Cemetery
Visit historic Oakwood Cemetery, established the same year as the city of Austin itself (1839), and view the graves of early pioneers. Be sure to stop by the stunningly renovated Gothic Revival Oakwood Cemetery Chapel Visitor Center, where you can learn about the cemetery’s history and sign up for a tour. Also, explore historic Evergreen Cemetery, the final resting place of prominent African American civic leaders of Austin.
2. Wooldridge Square
Wooldridge Square, with its Classical Revival bandstand, has been a mainstay of Austin’s outdoor social, musical and social life since the park was revitalized in 1909. Explore nearby historic sites, including the 1931 Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse (named for the first African American student to attend the University of Texas School of Law), the Austin History Center and an 1890s moonlight tower, located at the corner of Guadalupe and 9th Street.
3. Mayfield Park & Mount Bonnell
Nature lovers can easily spend the day at two outdoor destinations that are just slightly off the beaten path. Start at Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve, a beautiful green space known for its historic cottage, lush gardens and vibrant peacocks. Then, head over to Covert Park at Mount Bonnell and hike up the flagstone steps to reach the awe-inspiring views of Lake Austin and the downtown skyline. Be sure to see the restored 1938 Covert Monument, the oldest man-made feature of the park.
4. Historic Rosewood Park
Historic Rosewood Park was founded in 1929 as the only public park for East Austin’s African American community. Today, the park remains a recreational hub for the East Austin neighborhood, offering a pool, splash pad, pickleball courts and plenty of fun. Be sure to check out the recently rehabilitated 1863 Henry Madison Log Cabin. Madison, Austin’s first African American council member and a community and political activist, enveloped his modest cabin in a larger home in 1886. Long forgotten, when the house was being demolished in 1968, the crew discovered Madison’s original cabin inside; it was relocated to Rosewood Park in 1973.
5. Zilker Park
Spend the day exploring the 385-acre Zilker Park, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The spring-fed Barton Springs Pool, with its historic Art Moderne bathhouse, is an ideal spot for swimming and sunbathing on the grassy hillside. Then, tour the 12 different gardens of Zilker Botanical Garden, featuring butterflies, waterfalls and a recreated prehistoric dinosaur habitat. Stroll past the historic Ashford McGill House at the Austin Nature and Science Center to enjoy hands-on nature exhibits, educational programs and recreational activities.
6. Downs Field
Downs Field has been synonymous with baseball and the East Austin African American community since the 1940s. The Austin Black Senators, which included National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and hometown hero Willie Wells, played on the original stadium site. Today, Downs Field is home to the Huston-Tillotson University Rams. Check out Downs Field’s amazing murals and catch a game.
7. Deep Eddy Pool
Step into a true Austin classic at Deep Eddy Pool, where over a century of history meets refreshing, laid-back fun. What began in 1902 as a natural swimming hole has evolved into one of Texas’s oldest pools, once alive with traveling shows, trapeze acts and open-air movies. Today, you can dive in year-round, float beneath the Texas sky and soak up the charm of the 1936 WPA-era bathhouse. Fed by fresh well water for a natural feel, Deep Eddy isn’t just a swim, it’s a cool, timeless slice of Austin.
8. Pan American Park
Pan American Park pulses with East Austin energy where history meets music, art and play. The Rec Center was relocated from Comal Street in 1956, and the vibrant park is now a go-to spot to swing through the playground, rally on the pickleball courts and soak up the vibe. The real magic happens at the Hillside Theater, where free concerts fill the air Tuesday nights in July — pure Austin, the Live Music Capital of the World. Framing it all are story-filled murals by Raul Valdez, created with the community in 1978, making every visit feel alive, local and unforgettable.
9. Hezekiah Haskell House
Take a docent-led tour of the storied Hezikiah Haskell House in Clarksville, a Freedom Colony established by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. The 1879 home stands as a reminder of the community’s historic roots, and is named for former resident Hezikiah Haskell, a Black U.S Cavalry member who served as both a Union and Buffalo soldier. Open 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on the second and fourth Sunday of every month, except December. Check their website for upcoming events.
10. Parque Zaragoza
Whether you’re looking to have a picnic, play some basketball or volleyball, go for a swim or let the kids loose on the playground, Parque Zaragoza can provide a whole day’s worth of fun for the whole family. Since 1931, Parque Zaragoza has welcomed East Austin’s Latino communities, and nearly a century later, at its 95th anniversary, it remains a place many call the heart of the neighborhood. Park events, like Cinco de Mayo and Diez y Seis, burst with music and community spirit, creating a lively, welcoming atmosphere for all who attend.