78704 Paid parking . You can visit the building and grounds during their operating hours without a fee. The Kayak Bat Watching Sunset Tour typically consists of a one hundred and twenty to one-hundred-and-fifty-minute endeavor that embarks from the Kayak Tour Offices on Riverside Drive and is an amazing way to view Austin up close and personal. This tour encompasses some of Austinâs more historical and awe-inspiring sights, along with viewing the bats gobbling down bugs. 3636 2.1 Luxury â Archer Hotel Austin ($240+ per night) 2.2 Mid-Range â Residence Inn Downtown ($150-$200 Per Night) 2.3 Budget â Hampton Inn & Suites ($80-$100 per night) 2. On any given night, the Austin bats consume around 20,000 pounds of insects, and according to locals and the Austin-based Bat Conservation International, the most spectacular flights tend to take place on hot and dry August nights. For those who are interested in dining overlooking the Austin Bat Bridge, the Four Seasons lobby lounge offers both drinks and light fare. Between March and November, up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats shelter in the narrow crevices of the Congress Avenue Bridge, emerging at dusk to sortie en masse across Lady Bird Lake. If you are up for it, rent a kayak and watch the bats from the south bank (opposite of downtown). There is also a Bat Hotline which you can call for details and times about when and where you should view the bats. Grab some food to-go (or snacks from Whole Foods) and enjoy it at Zilker. The bats population reached maximum capacity in approximately three years, stacking on top of one another in the aforementioned crevices. This brought about the locals dubbing the northern portion of the bridge the ânurseryâ, which is where the mama bats leave their offspring as they go about their night-time insect hunting. They then return to the nursery and use scent and echo location to find their bundles of nocturnal mammalian joy, which they then nurse before resting. These interesting and fastidious little bug eaters are actually pretty common in terms of animal population, but in recent years destruction of their nesting sites has earned them a place on the protected species list in some States â making the best place to see them on an Austin Bat tour all of your very own! They even offer free tours of the State Capitol. The Bat Walking Tour is approximately a ninety-minute tour guided by one of Austinâs leading bat experts. Initially, the meeting point before the start of the tour is the Hyatt Hotel. From there, the walk begins towards the Congress Bridge and stops at the Statesmen Observation Center where the bat experts then explain, in a thorough and vividly detailed manner, the history and backstory of Austinâs bats and how it all came about. Texas has 34 species of bats. Once a year, Austin, also known as âBat Cityâ, hosts an extravagant celebration in honor of the Mexican Free-Tails. People from all around gather together to celebrate these mammals with food, professional vendors, and music. Tourists, bat aficionados, and locals alike, all take pride in and cherish this annual event. If you want to stay ahead of the curve in all things Mexican Free-Tailed Bats then please do sign up for our mailing list, where you can get access to special bat new and discounts that’s enough to make any fellow bat fan smile! 16 to determine when the bats will be taking their flight. The BEST way to see the bats is from the water! Austin bat watching has become a very popular pursuit since Mexican free-tailed bats started roosting under the Congress Avenue Bridge in 1980. The bats came out in droves and it was an incredible experience for my kids to see. Go in Late July â Late September to see the best flights 2. Barton Springs in Austin is ⦠The Congress Avenue bridge spans Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin and is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America known as the Congress Bridge Bats. You can also visit our shop to browse all the best in bat goodies. Season runs from March to November with peak being late July â early August when you can see 1,5 million bats at sunset. Red Ash. You can visit the building and grounds during their operating hours without a fee. There is also a Bat Hotline which you can call for details and times about when and where you should view the bats. 1.5 MILLION bats migrate each spring from Mexico to Austin and in early June each mommy gives birth to a baby. Looking out from a restaurant or down from the bridge makes them difficult to see. The bats are generally in town from March till November. Itâs the perfect place to people watch and see so many cute puppies! The concrete holes in the expansion joints of the the Anne W. Richards Congress Avenue bridge are the perfect size for a bat hiding place. This colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Reserve. The newly renovated Line Hotel (formerly the Radisson) is ideally situated for bat viewing at the corner of Congress and Cesar Chavez. Round Rock. We just couldnât get enough of the bats that we love â Austin has a Bat Festival. The Mexican Free-Tail bats can be found in quite a few places around Austin. Not only are they seen in most of the caverns and caves dotting the countryside, but they can be seen just south of Austin, at Bracken Cave, at the Hancock Center, at McNeil Overpass and the I-35 bridge, and dotting the alcoves and sides of various buildings around the city. AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Parks and Wildlife says Texas has one of the largest congregation of bats in the entire world and Austin is no exception. City Hall 301 W 2nd St. Austin, TX 78701 https://austinbatrefuge.org/, Public Bat Watching and Sunset Tours of Austin Famous Congress Avenue Bridge Bats, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Bat Flight Time: About 45K bats under the bridge; taking flight before or during sunset from 7:45 - 8:18 p.m. Each year, approximately 100 thousand people come to watch the bats leave the bridge. 1.6 Watch Bats under Congress Bridge; 1.7 Kayak on Lady Bird Lake; 1.8 Swim in Barton Springs Pool; 1.9 Listen to Live Music on Sixth Street; 1.10 Austin Museums; 2 Where To Stay In Austin. Austin Bat Tours is a proud sponsor of Batcon and the Austin Bat Refuge. Magics Theater and Museum Enjoy sleight-of-hand magic, stage illusions and an array of audience participation magic as well as a museum showcasing the history of magic. The Austin Bats are Austin's most popular visitor attraction. â 02/11/2021. If legend can be trusted, the Mexican Free-Tail bats started to frequent Austin, Texas, from spring to fall, at the same time the Congress Avenue Bridge was renovated, which attracted the bats already living in the drains located in the underbelly of the northern part of the bridge, seemingly by accident, and caused other bats of the same species to migrate from Mexico with the local bats making the same migration. We just couldnât get enough of the bats that we love â Austin has a Bat Festival. Catherine of Austin 214 Barton Springs Rd. The Embassy Suites Austin Downtown Hotel and the Hyatt Regency Austin are two other hotels worth keeping in mind if you want to be close to the Austin Bat Bridge. Thanks! It is not unusual for âBatmanâ to show up several times a week. Hundreds of people come to ⦠Numerous vantage points offer good views of the Austin Bat Bridge at dusk, including the lakefront restaurants and hotels that can be found close by. Thousands gather on the Congress Avenue Bridge for Bat Fest, Austin’s most popular “Bat” celebration held every August featuring 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerging from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. There are so many options showcasing the best of the best in Austin, from plentiful food trucks to award-winning barbecue to mouthwatering tacos to refreshing drinks. TX 78704. What to Wear: Dress Warmly for this Post-Sunset Spectacle. They have been around for over 10 years (if not 15) and are one of my favorite restaurants in Austin to eat at and recommend (Not to mention my favorite margarita in town). You can also stand on the bridge itself and look down from above. Help need for the most interesting places for k... Hi there, The newborn pups will generally stay at the colony for the first season, or so, of their lives, but the mothers that birthed them can always be expected to return to where they birthed their offspring the year prior. With all of the female bats in Austin, let us not forget about the bountiful male population, as well. The male bats will generally cluster in small groups ranging from twenty to one hundred, often times being found roosting on building alcoves, and the like. 249 reviews. From delicious Tex-Mex, to vibrant spots for honky-tonk and two-step, Austinâs charm extends from the bats flying over the South Congress Bridge to the fresh aquifer water deep underground. (They eat 10-20 thousand pounds of insects every night) For context, Austinâs human population is a little over 900,000. If a bat ever contracts rabies, typically they have approximately seventy-two hours until they die, and are often experiencing the initial symptom of paralysis. With that being said, if you see a grounded bat, do not touch it, as it may, in fact, have rabies. If you happen to touch, or be bitten, by a downed bat, be sure to capture it and have it tested for rabies to ensure that you have not unknowingly contracted the disease. Another bit of information that should be known is that, although the Mexican Free-Tail bat is a powerful and agile flyer, the young bats tend to fly at a lower altitude and can have trouble with lifting off, causing them to fall into the water. If a young bat is spotted in the water, simply leave it be, as it will attempt to âbackstrokeâ to one of the bridge pylons and clamber to safety. When the bats initially migrate back to Austin, Texas, there will approximately be about 750,000 bats, which are, in their entirety, made up of pregnant females. The colony, at this point is a âmaternity colonyâ. During their time as a maternity colony they will each birth one pup, generally creating an equal gender ratio within the colony, effectively doubling the colonies size to one and a half million! That is a whole lot of bats! Start on South Congress Ave, the street that runs all the way downtown with the capitol building on end, and lots of ⦠This colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Located along the Museum Reach segment of the San Antonio River Walk, the expansion joint under the concrete bridge is the perfect home for these nocturnal mammals who thrive on tight, cozy, and warm spaces. When you book with Austin Bat Tours you book with the best! There are so many options showcasing the best of the best in Austin, from plentiful food trucks to award-winning barbecue to mouthwatering tacos to refreshing drinks. For those who are driving over for a look at the Austin bats, free parking is available in the Austin American-Statesman lot after 6 p.m. Austin Film Festival participants include many unknown writers who are trying... Lake Travis is one of seven reservoirs that was formed when dams were built a... Zilker Park is an excellent place to escape to when you need a break from the... Hi, There are about 1.5 million bats at the end of the summer (after the mama bats have birthed the babies) The concrete holes in the expansion joints of the the Anne W. Richards Congress Avenue bridge are the perfect size for a bat hiding place. So there are times when there are more bats than humans in town! When can I see them? We know all the little nooks and crannies that they like to hide in at the Congress Avenue Bridge. Top, Radisson Hotel And Suites Austin Town Lake, Embassy Suites Hotel Austin Downtown/Town Lake, Hampton Inn And Suites Austin Downtown, Tx, Courtyard By Marriott Austin Downtown/Convention Center, Residence Inn Austin Downtown/Convention Center. The hotelâs restaurants, bars and even the pool area offer prime bat-viewing opportunities. These aforementioned Mexican Free-Tailed bats can live almost a decade and can weigh approximately twelve grams with a wingspan of eleven, or so, inches. If they do not spread their wings, however, they are the size of an average adultâs palm. Bring some bug spray (the bats are coming out to eat mosquitos yâall, so who are the mosquitos going to eat?) © The brainchild of celebrated Austin chef Shawn Cirkiel, Backspace also offers an assortment of antipasti, from prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella to lamb ⦠303 Colorado St Suite 200. What you should know is that watching bats is a seasonal activity. Cool Off In Barton Springs. The 14th Annual Bat Fest is August 18th, 2018 and takes place on the Congress bridge. The nursing mothers can eat up to 75% of their body weight in insects each night (WOWZA), which is super helpful for Austin! Barton Springs in Austin is a set of four natural water springs located in Barton Creek. It's an Austin tradition to sit on the grassy banks of Lady Bird Lake and watch the bats swarm out as dusk approaches each evening, like a fast-moving, black, chittering river. If looking for bats by yourself does not seem too appealing, then you could always jump on one of the Austin Bat Tours, such as the Walking Tour, the Kayak Bat Sunset Tour on Lady Bird Lake, or the Bat Photo Tour. RELATED: Meet the couple keeping Austin's beloved bats flying high The extended bat vacation can be a good thing for Austinites since the bats eat pests â ⦠A truly spectacular sight to behold. After the final bat flight, there is plenty of activity to enjoy along Congress Street. Call (866) 978-2287 to get the latest emergence time information. Eater Austin is here to help both visitors and their Austin hosts navigate through all the noise to really hone in on what makes the cityâs food and drink scenes so special. We care for your comfort and safety when you come on a tour with us, so please make sure to dress in your summer clothes as Bats favorite the warm weather and are mostly visible from October to March when it can get to 90 to 100 degrees. If legend can be trusted, the Mexican Free-Tail bats started to frequent Austin, Texas, from spring to fall, at the same time the Congress Avenue Bridge was renovated, which attracted the bats already living in the drains located in the underbelly of the northern part of the bridge, seemingly by accident, and caused other bats of the same species to migrate from Mexico with the local bats making the same migration. Park in the Austin American Statesman parking lot on Congress Ave. (free after 6 pm) 3. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, places to stay, tourism, events, lodging, and we feature Texas Hill Country info of all manners. Austin's resident bats are Mexican free-tailed bats, which migrate each spring from central Mexico to various roosts all over the southwestern U.S. On their nightly flights the bats eat anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects, including mosquitoes and harmful agricultural pests. Similarly, check out Austinâs best chicken wings, beer bars, and breweries. The 14th Annual Bat Fest is August 18th, 2018 and takes place on the Congress bridge. Texas State Capitol The Austin-American Statesman park on the southeast side of the South Congress Bridge is free and open to the public. 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