Self-Guided Tours
Historic Austin Tours
Get out and explore our city’s incredible heritage with our specially curated library of self-guided tours! Our tours are complemented by GPS-enabled bike routes from our friends at Bike Austin that will take you across the city as you explore all that Austin’s incredible historic fabric has to offer.
Click Below to Download Historic Austin Tours
C-Boys Heart & Soul: 1937
South Congress
South Congress has an energy all of its own. From a humble rural road to a world-renowned cultural district, the evolution of South Congress demonstrates the incredible adaptability of Austin’s historic neighborhoods. This 2-mile route features 15 stops along and around the South Congress corridor for explorers on foot.
Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross: Black Heritage, Living History
This tour is a companion piece to our 2021 Virtual Homes Tour. It showcases homes featured in the film as well as East Austin sites with important ties to this historic postwar community. To get the full 2021 Virtual Homes Tour experience, watch the virtual tour on Preservation Austin’s YouTube channel found here before you head out!
Della Phillips House: 1964
Cambridge Towers: 1965 (Photo: Leonid Furmansky)
Downtown Doorsteps
This 5-mile bike route and walking tour is a companion piece to Downtown Doorsteps, our 2020 Virtual Homes Tour. The route features stops at featured homes and historic sites in between, including the Paramount Theatre, Westgate Tower, and the Bremond Block Historic District. To get the full Downtown Doorsteps experience, watch the virtual tour on Preservation Austin’s YouTube channel found here before you head out!
Green & White Grocery: 1936
East Austin Barrio Landmarks
This self-guided tour was prepared by our Fowler Family Foundation Underrepresented Heritage Interns. Through extensive archival research and outreach to important community members, this project seeks to honor the historic and cultural significance of East Austin's Mexican American community. Read our companion series of in-depth blog posts on several of these sites found here.
St. Martin’s Lutheran Church: 1960
Historic Austin Churches
This 12-mile bike route explores some of Central and East Austin’s amazing historic churches, spanning various denominations and architectural styles, including David Chapel, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, and St. David’s Episcopal.
Historic Austin Tours are Made Possible By
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT MADE BY
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas | The Creekmore & Adele Fath Charitable Foundation | Lucy Perez Photography | Tenderling Design
Otocast Tours
Preservation Austin's free Historic Austin Tours series through the Otocast App allows users to experience Austin's history and culture as never before. These self-guided audio-visual tours explore the city's heritage through narrated histories and historic photographs. Grab your cellphone, download the app, and Austin's fascinating past will be at your fingertips!
All tours are available through Otocast. Download today through iTunes or Google Play.
This Series Includes
AFRICAN AMERICAN AUSTIN: Rosewood Courts and the Modernist works of John S. Chase, FAIA
AUSTIN’S POSTWAR BOOM: The mid-century heritage of Allandale, Brentwood, and Crestview
CONGRESS AVENUE: The Capitol complex and Paramount Theatre
EAST SIXTH STREET: The Driskill Hotel and Alamo Ritz
ICONIC MUSIC VENUES: The Victory Grill and Broken Spoke
OLD WEST AUSTIN: The Castle and Moonlight Towers
TEJANO TRAIL: Cristo Rey Catholic Church and Zavala Elementary
The Garcia’s Newning Avenue Home (Photo: Melanie Martinez)
Preservation Austin is proud to share our East Austin Barrio Landmarks Project, which honors the historic and cultural significance of East Austin's Mexican American community.
Learn More About the East Austin Barrio Landmarks Project
Other Programs
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Homes Tour
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Grants
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Virtual Programs