Austin Double-Decker City History Tour

Learn all about Austin and its rich history while enjoying an awesome view of the city from the top of a double-decker bus. You get the best views of Austin from our unobstructed upper deck, making this the best tour for taking photographs. People on the street also love to interact with people on the upper deck! For your comfort, the lower deck is climate-controlled. This tour passes by more downtown attractions than any other Austin tour. Every tour has a driver and tour guide with absolutely no audio recordings. Enjoy your Austin experience much more by interacting with our guides, whose sole focus is making your experience fun and interesting.
This is a single loop tour in which you stay on the bus for the duration of the tour, which will last about 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the traffic. You tour will conclude when you get back to Stop #1 at the Austin Visitor Center.

Meeting Point

Austin Visitor Center

602 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701, USA

Bus stop is on Red River Street between 4th Street and 5th Street.

What's included:

• Cold Water
• Sunscreen

What to expect:

Duration: between 1 hour, 15 minutes and 1 hour, 30 minutes

6th Street

115 E 6th St, Austin, 78701-3651, Texas

Historic 6th Street Entertainment District

Pass by without stopping

Austin Convention Center

500 E Cesar Chavez St, , Austin, 78701-4121, Texas

Austin Convention Center

Pass by without stopping

Austin Fire Museum

401 E 5th St, , Austin, 78701-3705, Texas

Located in historic Central Fire Station No. 1, the Austin Fire Museum features 19th to 21st Century uniforms, photographs, and memorabilia from the firefighters of Austin.

Pass by without stopping

Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig Museum

411 E 5th St, Austin, 78701-3705, Texas

The 1869 home of Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig was saved and deeded to the City of Austin in 2003. Joseph Hannig built this home in 1869 for his new wife, Susanna Dickinson. She survived the Battle of the Alamo and carried the news of its fall to Sam Houston, which ultimately led to Houston's defeat of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto and won independence for the Republic of Texas.

Pass by without stopping

O. Henry Home & Museum

409 E 5th St, , Austin, 78701-3705, Texas

Explore William Sydney Porter's life in Austin and take a look at the inside!

Pass by without stopping

Museum of The Weird

412 E 6th St, Austin, 78701-3740, Texas

The Museum of the Weird is one of the last true dime museums in the United States. Originally introduced to the mass public by P.T. Barnum in the 1800s, dime museums became popular forms of entertainment (and pseudo-education) around the late 19th to early 20th century, and were also the birthplace of the sideshow.

Pass by without stopping

The Driskill

604 Brazos St, , Austin, 78701-3212, Texas

The Driskill Hotel is a Romanesque-style building completed in 1886, is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas, United States, and one of the best-known hotels in Texas generally. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing "the finest hotel south of St. Louis".

Pass by without stopping

Texas State Capitol

1100 S Congress Ave, Austin, 78704-1728, Texas

The Texas Capitol is widely recognized as one of the nation's most distinguished state capitols. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Pass by without stopping

Texas Governor's Mansion

1010 Colorado St, Austin, 78701-2334, Texas

This premier historic home has served as the official residence of Texas governors and their families since 1856. It is the fourth oldest continuously occupied governor’s residence in the country and the oldest governor’s mansion west of the Mississippi River. On June 8, 2008, the Governor's Mansion was severely damaged by arson. The Mansion was empty and all its prized contents in storage, but significant structural and architectural damage occurred to the house. With broad support from preservationists, lawmakers and Texans from all walks of life, the arsonist has not been given the last word in the history of this Texas treasure. The Governor’s Mansion has been fully restored and will be occupied by governors and their families for many more decades to come.

Pass by without stopping

Capitol Complex Visitors Center

112 E 11th St, , Austin, 78701-2403, Texas

Exhibits, tours, gift shop, and travel center.

Pass by without stopping

LBJ Presidential Library

2313 Red River Street, , Austin, 78705-5737, Texas

“It is all here: the story of our time with the bark off...This library will show the facts, not just the joy and triumphs, but the sorrow and failures, too.” —from the words of Lyndon Baines Johnson at the dedication of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, May 22, 1971

Pass by without stopping

Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium

2139 San Jacinto Blvd., , Austin, 78712, Texas

Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium located in Austin, Texas, on the campus of the University of Texas, has been home to the Longhorns football team since 1924. Prior to construction to build permanent south end zone seating and luxury suites, the official stadium seating capacity was 100,119, which made the stadium the largest in the Big 12 Conference, the eighth largest stadium in the United States, and the ninth largest stadium in the world.

Pass by without stopping

University of Texas Tower

23rd St and Guadalupe, 2400 Inner Campus Drive, Austin, 78705, Texas

The 307-foot tall UT Austin Tower was completed in 1937 and through the years has served as the university’s most distinguishing landmark and as a symbol of academic excellence and personal opportunity.

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Bullock Texas State History Museum

1800 Congress Ave, , Austin, 78701-1342, Texas

Opened in 2001 as the official history museum of the State of Texas, we engage the broadest possible audience to interpret the continually unfolding Story of Texas through meaningful educational experiences.

Pass by without stopping

The Blanton Museum of Art

200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, 78712-1727, Texas

As the primary art collection for the city of Austin, the Blanton Museum of Art is a major resource for the community. With more than 19,000 works in the collection, the Blanton showcases art from across the ages, from ancient greek pottery to abstract expressionism. With a year-round schedule of traveling exhibitions, art lovers are sure to discover new and old favorites at the Blanton.

Pass by without stopping

Harry Ransom Center

300 W 21st St, University of Texas, Austin, 78712-1455, Texas

The Ransom Center is an internationally renowned humanities research center at The University of Texas at Austin. Our extensive collections provide unique insight into the creative process of some of our finest writers and artists, deepening the understanding and appreciation of literature, photography, film, art, and the performing arts.

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Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Watching

100 Congress Ave, , Austin, 78704-4072, Texas

Congress Avenue Bridge shelters the largest urban bat colony in North America. Between 750,000 and 1.5 million bats fly out near dusk. Best viewing dates: April-October.

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SoCo District

501 E Oltorf St, , Austin, 78704-3522, Texas

This vibrant neighborhood south of Lady Bird Lake is a must-stroll for visitors and a popular hangout for locals. South Congress oozes homespun character and boasts the story of Austin’s yesteryear in its boutiques, eateries, galleries and music venues.

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Long Center

701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, 78704-1269, Texas

The Long Center is proud to say that we’re a product of our environment, and even prouder to say that we’re cultivators of it. They present the performances, music, movies, hangouts, festivals, and countless other interests that unite, delight, and inspire us all. We’re not just putting Austin culture on display. We’re extending a firsthand, front-row invitation to help shape it.

Pass by without stopping