Austin History Tour
Nowadays, Austin is one of the great cities of America: a high-tech powerhouse, center for higher education, cultural juggernaut, and political capital all rolled into one. However, as many longtime residents can tell you, things weren't always like this. How did Austin reach the heights it stands at today? Come on our history tour to learn the story.
Armadillo World Headquarters
Once the most important cultural touchstone in a city full of them, the Armadillo World Headquarters is no more. Throughout the 1970s, as Austin's music scene began to flourish, the Armadillo played host to some of the greatest musical acts in the world.
Tour highlights include:
Texas State Capitol
No understanding of Austin history can start without a trip to the capitol building. Originally designed as a planned city to house the seat of government and prepare for Westward expansion, Austin endured a rough beginning patch.
Driskill Hotel
Intended to be “the finest hotel south of St. Louis,” the Driskill was the crown jewel of Austin's post-Civil War boom. However, as the state railroad network developed, Austin went from a boomtown to a backwater.
Littlefield Fountain
Founded in 1881, The University of Texas has slowly become one of the country's premier institutions of higher learning. It’s difficult to talk about Austin without talking about UT, and hard to exaggerate the effect that the university has had on the city.
Theater District
As Austin turned into the seat of power for one the wealthiest states in the country, its citizens began to look for new ways to spend their time. At its peak, the theater district entertained thousands of Austinites daily, and set the stage for a world-class cultural scene.
East 11th St/Rosewood Ave
Once an extremely segregated city, some of Austin's hottest neighborhoods today were once the center of the African-American and Hispanic communities. As the city's population began to swell, many longtime residents were priced out.
