9 Best Sights in Central Austin and the University of Texas, Austin

One of the largest university art museums in the United States, with 200,000 square feet that includes two buildings and the adjacent Ellsworth Kelly Austin installation, the Blanton is the city's de facto art collection. There are more than 19,000 various works on display (from ancient Greek pottery to abstract expressionism) and a year-round schedule of incredible traveling exhibitions. As part of an ongoing "New Grounds" initiative, the Blanton campus (featuring outdoor and indoor event spaces, classrooms, a museum shop, and a café) will soon include additional public art installations, such as a massive mural by Cuban-American artist Carmen Herrera that will span both sides of the entrance. Admission is free on Thursday.

The 38th lieutenant governor of Texas, Bob Bullock—a potent political force in his day—lobbied hard to establish a museum of state history during his years of public service. Bullock didn't live to see it happen—he died in 1999—but his dream came true in 2001 with the opening of this fascinating museum just a few blocks north of the Capitol. Now, over 9 million visitors from around the world have toured the museum's 34,000 square feet of exhibit space that showcases "The Story of Texas." See exhibitions of archaeological objects, historical documents, and touring shows from regional museums throughout the state. You can also check out educational and family-friendly programs, or get tickets to a show at the 400-seat IMAX theater.

The centerpiece of the University of Texas campus is a living piece of Austin history. Still functioning as a university administration office, the 27-floor tower (which shines with bright-white and burnt-orange lights on special occasions and game days) houses rich regional and national experience from the 1930s on. Self-guided tours (complete with 360-degree views of the campus and city from the observation deck) are available, but advance reservations are required.  

Named in honor of former governor Dolph Briscoe, the Briscoe Center at the University of Texas is a go-to scholarly resource for 750,000-plus photographs, thousands of archival documents, hundreds of handmade quilts, and over 50,000 music recordings. The staff are expert researchers who sift through these artifacts to chronicle a fascinating stockpile of American and Texas history. While much of the center functions as a research facility (available by reservation only), frequently changing exhibits of items from the collections are open to the public on weekdays.

Longhorns bleed burnt orange and nowhere is that more evident than at a game at Darrell K. Royal—Texas Memorial Stadium. Originally constructed in 1924, the stadium was renamed after the famed football coach in 1996. Today, it stands as a large reminder of his legacy. Catch a game or tailgate party, and make sure to look ahead: sometimes there are special exhibits in the end zone. The stadium does offer tours, but you'll have to check the website to see when the next one will be held.

Part of the University of Texas, the Ransom Center is one of the world's greatest collectors and exhibitors of important literary papers and other artifacts related to the arts and humanities. Among its fantastic riches are the papers of Norman Mailer, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Arthur Miller; Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate research materials; more than 10,000 film, television, and radio scripts; more than 10,000 film posters; and one million rare books, including an original Gutenberg Bible. Traveling exhibitions bring artifacts from classic masterpieces like Gone With the Wind and artist Frida Kahlo's "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird" to the space. 

Many documents can only be seen with advance notice, so call ahead if you have a specific item in mind.

The artifacts and documents on exhibit here provide some insight into the 36th president's mind and motivations, and though his foibles are downplayed, a clear sense of the man—earthy, conniving, sensitive, and wry—emerges. In an age when the average car is loaded with digital gadgets and 12-year-olds with cell phones are commonplace, Johnson's black Lincoln limousine and clunky, command-central telephone seem quaintly archaic, though they were state-of-the-art during his presidency. If you schedule your visit to the reading room in advance of your arrival, you can listen to recordings of conversations Johnson had using that telephone. The 30-plus hours of tape recordings include ruminations on Vietnam, economic inflation, and a New York City transit strike. Gordon Bunshaft designed the monolithic travertine building that houses the library; like the limo and the phone, it's a bit of a period piece. There are rotating temporary exhibits on the ground floor.

Be sure to check out the second floor, where a life-size audio-animatronic figure of LBJ spins humorous anecdotes; it's a hoot.

French architect Paul Cret's 1936 plans for Texas Memorial Museum called for north and south wings to extend from a central building, a tailored limestone box with subtle art deco flourishes. The wings were scuttled because of funding difficulties, leaving only Cret's alabaster midsection. But the chic interior, with brass doors, glass embellishments, and blood-red marble walls, floors, and ceilings, mitigates any sense of abridgement. Among the popular draws at the museum are the dinosaur models (including a 30-foot-long mosasaur and a 40-foot-long pterosaur) and the life-size dioramas, which depict buffalo, roadrunners, cougars, mountain lions, and flying squirrels.

The nearly 450-acre campus breeds Texas Longhorns, as passionate about football (and other sports) as they are about academics (UT has one of the country's top research libraries). The university is the largest employer in Austin (even more than the state government), employing more than 80,000 people. The number of students here is staggering, too: 39,500 undergraduates and more than 51,000 university-wide. Come to the grounds any time to stroll on your own, visit one of the museums or libraries (the Harry Ransom Center, for example, is the repository for the Watergate papers), or attend a fun annual event like Explore UT, Gone to Texas, or commencement, which includes fireworks.