It's been a while since our last visit to the Austin Capitol Visitor Center, and it was nice to be back! Such a great stop before or after exploring the Capitol Building. The folks here are super friendly and welcoming, and the little museum and gift shop are worth a quick look. We had a relaxed Sunday morning here--definitely worth the two-hour drive from San Antonio! We'll surely be back this fall when our NJ guests come to visit. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Great to have a glimpse of history - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This is where you stop at the Capitol for tour information. Helpful and friendly folks to provide answers to any questions on self-guided tours (free). This is the starting point for touring the Capitol and also the starting point for guided tours. Those tours are also free. Located in the General Land Office Building. Gift shop is here too. read more

We are doing a nationwide tour of taking pics in front of every capitol building and i must say Texas has been the most grand so far

The Visitors Center was informative and well organized. I learned a lot about the history of the Capitol and Texas. The exhibits were easy to follow, and the staff were helpful. It was a great starting point before exploring the Capitol itself. read more

Took the free 30 minute tour. I would recommend, they gave some pretty good background info. You can explore on your own after. The outdoor grounds have some really cool statues and picture spots. Would definitely recommend, this is a must if in Austin read more

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Texas State Capitol Visitors Center was quite huge. It had multiple floors. Tons of history on display. Gift shop had lots of souvenirs and fun stuff. I ended up buying a few magnets (yes, besides being a Yelp Elite reviewer... I am also a dedicated magnet collector for all my travels... my refrigerator and white boards are full of magnets... one fine day, I'm going to have a magnetic wall built to hold all of them... you know I will LOL). It was really nice walking around this visitors center. It was very bright, clean and organized. One neat thing I saw was the Texas State Capitol in leggo form... I wondered how long it took to put it together... I'm sure this information was posted somewhere for patrons to read all about it... I just didn't catch it as I was too busy admiring the leggo LOL. You can easily spend a couple hours here. The staff was very nice and friendly. My overall experience was fantastic! If you're in Austin and you're a local or just visiting, do drop on by and check out this visitors center. Learn some beautiful TX history and enjoy your visit! read more

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The vistors center and gift shop was closed on Christmas Eve. But the grounds of the capitol was open. Not sure if the capitol building itself was open. But, my family took a nice stroll around the capitol. The architecture is beautiful. It kind of looked like Washington DC. The landscaping was nice. Squirrels everywhere too! It's a nice place to visit and take some photos. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The staff here are super kind and helpful. We didn't come early enough for the tours but they said we could do a self tour of the capital building up to the 4th floor. The grounds are beautiful and so it the building. Definitely recommend a visit here. We found metered parking right in front of the visitor's center. read more

I live in Austin and enjoy stopping in for the short 30 min tour every so often. I haven't been in 2 years due to Covid but stopped in today. Was a great tour led by a fabulous young guide, Lauren. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and her delivery was engaging and a perfect performance. Even a homeless man who crashed the tour briefly and was handled by security did not cause Lauren to miss a beat. Even though we are proud to be the lone star state, she gets a 5 star review! read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - 5* guide, Lauren - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

It was hot but had a great time. Walked a 1000 stairs... not really. But there is a lot yo see and a lot of history here. Plus it's FREE! read more

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I'm giving this tour five enthusiastic stars. I enjoyed it so much! This is a really great rainy day activity if you're visiting Austin. It is within walking distance of the main drag so you don't even have to take an Uber. The tours are given by very sweet, knowledgeable guides. The great state of Texas has just as great of a visitors' center. It was helpful and informative especially since this was our first time in Texas. read more

The visitor center on the front lawn of the state capitol is small but very well done. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. There are lots of displays about not only the state capitol but about the history of Texas. There is a very good video. Worth an hour of your time before or after visiting the capitol. read more

Pretty cool that you can come into the Capitol building for free and wander the different floors and rooms - they basically give you free reigns to explore. Pretty neat seeing the chamber floor and the antique desks and photos of all the governors along the walls for all the different counties. Grand staircases with a view in the main foyer up to the dome ceiling! Cool place to check out if you're ever in the area! read more

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It was helpful and the way to start our plan for the day. Take a tour of the history inside the visitors center watch a short movie and find out why the capital is brown rather than white. The lady at the entrance was very helpful. We arrived the day after Christmas first thing in the morning and it was not crowded. By 1:00 the crowd picked up. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - The view from the visitors center. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

This was a really cool experience. I'm sure it's like other capitals because it did remind me of DC but the people were so nice and walking around was great. You had employees you could ask questions to and it's a beautiful capitol. You go through a security station but it was pretty easy nothing crazy. Wear comfy shoes. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Loved the capitol - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

Stopped here after the Capitol Building tour to specifically check out the original star from the original Goddess of Liberty statue that used to adorn the top of the capitol. Firstly, parking is a pain in the patootie! They have a 30min customer service lane right in front of the building, but it is strictly monitored, so I would recommend finding a parking meter or parking in the visitors parking garage (which is $$$), but if you plan on doing the capitol building tour and then properly exploring here, you will need to move your car if you street park as most meters are limited to 2hrs. As far as the exhibits go here, they are pretty neat and historical and have a lot of artifacts from the 1890s, which is interesting. They also have a little movie about Texas history. I was even impressed that some of the exhibits has text and QR codes for coupons to the State Museum and a video of the 1986 replacement of the Goddess of Liberty statue. The restrooms are in the basement are a little hard to find because you feel like you are entering a labyrinth if you take the stairs. The staff I interacted with were nice enough, but not very engaging. The entire set-up is definitely designed for school fieldtrips, of which there were two being conducted when I was there. Wouldn't recommend specifically coming here, but if you have some time after the Capitol Building Tour, it is worth a gander. I would definitely do the Cap Bldg Tour before coming here and not the other way around as there are definitely some informational gaps, but well done for what it is. WARNING: it is on a hill, so I am not sure if you are disabled where the entrance would be from the Capitol Grounds because the only place I could see to enter was via a steep sidewalk entrance with stairs, so you might have to inquire via the website or by phone for the ADA entryway. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Awesome! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

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They say everything is bigger in Texas... and this state capitol building, modeled after the Capitol Building on Capitol Hill, is the epitome of that saying! It's free to enter and they even offer free tours throughout the day. Keep in mind, you will need to pass through a metal detector before entering. There are lots of ornate wood work, portraits of all the governors that ever were in Texas, and stairs abound! We walked into the congressional hearing room, which they had up for display since no current meetings were in session. People actually come here to work, but the section open to the public is but a small fraction of the entire square footage of the building. Nevertheless, I'm sure people are still irked by the hoards of people who make their way in here every day. You can enter from either direction -- North, South, East, and West. The building is just that big; a sight to behold! Also, during the holidays, I hear they have a pretty epic light display on the outer court yard sections. The giant Christmas tree still lingering out front after the New Years was all but a tease of what was! read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Very helpful staff ! Free local tour. A must see when in Austin. The Visitor'a Centre offers a video on the birth of Austin and houses great artifacts but walk across the grounds and take a trip to the Capital Building where the real tour begins. Best news is that this is all free! read more

Amazing tour brought my mother in law to see this beautiful building as she has studied design. Very nice and great history tour ! read more

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If you are already on the grounds be sure to stop by the visitors center. It's very informative and has many interactive activities for children. It also has a good display on what's going on with the Governor's Mansion (it was deliberately set on fire a few years back). My favorite display is the one that shows the Capitol's dome construction. It shows the inner and outer domes, and gives you an idea just how cool it would be if you could ever make it to this part of the capitol. Also in the visitors are place to pick up a plethora of information on Texas, so if you need brochures or maps, this alone warrants a stop. PS. The building is very nicely air-conditioned, so it was a welcome respite on this 100+ day. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - (snagged from URL) - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

So many wood and wood placards. Every Texas State Representative celebrated. You can say Austin doesn't have American pride. Being from a capitol city myself, Sacramento California, the grandeur of Austin's puts my hometown's to shame. They fly the USA and Puerto Rican Flag outside. There are four levels, which take eight flights of stairs to get all the way up to the top. People visit day in and day out, so don't expect to be alone. It's a quiet place (or it was when I came). Just wander, explore and have fun for a few minutes. Yes, there's an elevator to all floors and yes there's a restroom and water fountain (on the fourth floor). Some of these boardrooms look so stately, its impressive! read more

There's not TOO much to see in here - mostly brochures for tourists. There are a few rooms with exhibits, though. It's free, so no harm in looking and it gets you out of the Texas sun! read more

The Texas Capitol visitors center is located in the castle like building that once served as the Texas General Land office Building. Admission is free, and the second floor is a mini Texas history museum. I was surprised by how nice the upstairs section is. They have interactive exhibits and films, very child friendly. On the first floor, you will find a large Austin themed gift shop. Also, they have two information desks staffed with friendly people who can help answer questions and provide you with free travel information. One room is devoted to just information about parks and wildlife in Texas. I walked away with a free plastic "don't mess with Texas" bag stuffed full of pamphlets. A great place to stock up on maps and tourist information for when out of town guests come to visit. I also noticed a sign that mentioned free tours on weekdays. read more

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The Texas capitol is absolutely beautiful! There are so many statues outside with history! When we walked in there were security personnel checking belongings before entering. Cameras are allowed inside! It was absolutely breathtaking! We were lucky to be able to get a personal tour guide. She was very knowledgeable about the history and she was very prompt in answering our questions. After the tour we were left to explore on our own which was really neat! After my friend and I decided to admire the beautiful goddess at the top of the building. I would recommend people to come here and enjoy the history and the architecture of the place. It is on for the books! The bad thing about the location is trying to find parking, and getting overwhelmed with the amount of people in the city. My friend actually lost her keys here, and we didn't realize until we had walked all the way to her car. When we got to the capital, the officers were very nice and willing to help us. They had a box full of stuff with lost items! Due to her losing her keys we did a whole circle around the property, and were able to admire the building from a different angle. P.s everything is bigger in Texas! read more

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I love the capital of Texas (Austin) and I love the capitol (building) tour. If anyone would like to enlighten me on why these are spelled differently, please do! But, I digress. The tour is awesome. Although I have only lived in Austin for about a year and a half, I have been on the tour over ten times. Each time has been different and each tour guide has told me something new about the state capitol. I guess each docent is allowed to talk about what interests them and how cool is that! Some want to talk deeply about the building and all its features, others will talk to you in-depth about the paintings and sculptures. Some will talk about the battles, others about famous legislators. I LOVE the tour -- always something new. Every visitor I have is forced to come with me on a tour of the capitol before they get to have bbq. read more

Beautiful building. Gets packed on the weekends. The Capitol is a Must See Ehen visiting TEXAS. It has lots of history. Be sure to check out the small details in the architecture to include the door hinges and chandeliers read more

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I walked in I was greeted by 3 girls who were super friendly. They were super helpful and gave me all of the information I needed to have a fun tour of the location and the capital. There was a lot of history here and some really nice movies too. I enjoyed the movie that showed the capital building. I really loved seeing the cameras go all the way into the dome. As a tourist, you are only allowed to go up to the 4th floor, so it was nice to see what it looked like up there. There was a gift shop here and the staff was really nice but I did not buy anything. Being from Chicago I kind of liked the cup coasters but thought that cow hide coasters with stars on them might not work with my bar in Chicago. There was also a really nice model of the dome too...it was cut in half to show the construction. It was cool to see the building like that. The girls at the front door suggested that I see the lady with a free map and she would point out some fun things for me in Austin. I have to really give her 1 star because she seemed not happy to help me. I had to ask for a map and then she gave it to me. I then asked her for a lunch recommendation and she pointed to the sponsors printed on the map. I said, "What about local flavor? Where do you go for local food?" She looks at me and says, "I bring my lunch from home!" Wow!!! Luckily I didn't need her for a lunch recommendation because I knew my secret weapon would be Yelp. And Yelp did not let me down but that is another review! This is a great starting point before touring the capital building!!! read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - You are here! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

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If you've never visited a capitol before, I highly recommend. I've never had the opportunity to, but decided to take the tour during our trip. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny! We enjoyed learning the history of the state, and walking the grounds. Highly recommend. read more

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The Texas Capitol building in downtown Austin, TX is absolutely gorgeous and a must visit if you are in the area. During the week the have regular free guided tours of the building every 30 minutes, sometimes more frequently if it is busy. The building is currently under construction, so the best entrance is on the south east visitors entrance. You walk in and you go through metal detectors and your bags are checked, they have armed officers up front for security and they are all very friendly and helpful. Our tour started quickly and our guide was Nick. What a great tour guide!! He was incredibly informative of the buildings structure, history and answered all of our questions. He also has a wonderful, deep theatrical voice that made the tour that much more entertaining. The tour only took about 30 minutes and we walked around the building a bit more after. We had a great experience and we are so glad we got to know more about Austin's rich history. read more

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Nancy is great. And was very shocked when I asked for her name. She was so sweet to my wife and I when it came to gifts to bring home and or destinations to see or even which cities have the worst traffic. We ended up buying on her recommendation a shot glass, and 2 coasters made out of cow hide. She even helped me find the penny machine for a penny. Thank you Nancy for all your help, and your kindness towards my wife and I. read more

History Buff Heaven. If you're a Texan, and haven't been here at least once for Historical purposes, shame on you. read more

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**This is not the capitol. It's a separate building, with exhibits.** I can't vouch for what's upstairs because we ran out of time, but the first floor was pretty interesting. I really enjoyed the room dedicated to war veterans. Also, there is a free parking garage just a few blocks NE of here. read more

Don't know what to do in Texas? Pick up a brochure. They also have "Don't mess with Texas" stickers, which makes for a nice memento. Nice people that work there. read more

This is a great place to visit when your by the capital. Clean restrooms and water fountains. Go visit them to get out the Texas heat and learn a little about this great state of Texas. Lots of great info. Great place to take the kids to learn about our state. The gift shoppe is great also. Lots of cool and unique items. read more

Texas Capitol Visitors Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Visitor Center is a great stop for learning about Texas history, including the Republic's origin, the migration to Texas, and the construction of the Capital building. The exhibit is essentially on one floor, so it is family friend and not too taxing for kids. read more

Did you know you could visit the Capitol 24x7? So say it is 11 PM on a random Tuesday and you have out of town guests visiting. You are done with dinner and looking for fun. Drive them up to the Capitol and pretend that you are going to sneak them in. Of course there are others doing the same thing. You can even lay down on the big star on the floor and look all the way up to the top. The Capitol police just look at you like they've seen it all already. What a hoot. Ann Richards picture on the wall to smile at. Bush picture on the wall to scowl at! Update: I just found out the extended hours are only during legislative sessions. If not in session, you can only frolic until 10 PM on weekdays and 8 PM on weekends. Minus one star for that! read more

The Capitol Visitor's Center is not the State Capitol, folks. It is the 3-story white limestone building situated on the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds that serves as an official visitor's center. It houses a gift shop and numerous displays, some permanent and others are temporary. The DPS has a Travel Center here with free maps and other items that are useful if you are not from Austin. The CVC is the oldest state building in Texas (c. 1856-57). At one time, the building served as the General Land Office and housed drafting tables, men in top hats and maps. William Sidney Porter, whose pen name became O. Henry, worked here drawing maps from surveys and field notes. This castle-like building he worked in was woven into some of his tales such as "Bexar Scrip No. 2692" a fascinating story about a widow and her son who loose their land to an unscrupulous land shark and his eventual demise. When you visit, check out the display of the wall section. This mid-century mock medieval style building has walls thicker than any of the 1000 year old oaks on the grounds. Enjoy the fun and informative interactive exhibits and films about the Capitol and Texas history. Find out how the Goddess was placed on top of the Capitol or how soldiers were paid during the Texas Revolution. The gift shop features an annual Christmas ornament, numerous Texas collectibles, gifts and books. read more

A must see when visiting Texas. The tour person was very good. He was friendly and knowledgeable. Many steps so wear your comfy shoes.

This was the first thing I did when I came to Austin. How can you resist going to the Capitol when you see this tall, beautiful, easy to recognize building everywhere you walk in downtown? The garden surrounding the Capitol is gorgeous, with lovely rose garden, small fountain and some interesting statues. Sometimes, many times, they will have events outside of Capitol. The free tour is a must if you get in there. It's informative and educational. read more

Beware. The capital is open BUT the offices, chambers, rooms, are all closed on the weekends. So if your driving any distance to visit then set up a tour on a week day. I tried to do that but was unable to get anyone on the phone. I waited on hold for 15 minutes TWO times before giving up on the idea. They need to have detailed information on their website letting travelers know about this OR at least someone answering the phone. read more