Day Trippin' › Texas › From Austin › Best history spots
Our picks for the best history spots within 3 hours of Austin: 29 places, 1 under an hour away, 12 between 1 and 2 hours and 16 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 78701.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Gruene Historic District, 44 min southwest of Austin.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0
#1 · Town · 44 min southwest
A 15-acre historic district on the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, with old township buildings, local shops, food and free live music daily.
Heads-up: Some shows are ticketed. Parking fills on weekends. Pair with tubing on the Guadalupe or Comal.
Photo: Liveon001 ©Travis Witt, CC BY-SA 3.0
#2 · Historic site · 1 hr 18 min southwest
Four Spanish colonial missions on the south side of San Antonio, Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada. The Espada Aqueduct and Rancho de las Cabras are part of the park too.
Heads-up: No entrance fee. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitor center at Mission San Jose with ranger talks at 10 and 11 a.m. Churches may close for weddings and funerals.
Photo: Hot Furnace, CC BY-SA 4.0
#3 · Town · 1 hr 20 min west
A Hill Country town founded in 1846 by German settlers, known for German food, history museums, more than 150 shops and nearly 100 wineries nearby.
Heads-up: Hosts hundreds of festivals a year, so book rooms early. Pair with Enchanted Rock or Luckenbach.
Photo: Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0
#4 · Historic site · 2 hr 45 min north
Fort Worth's Old West district, where the Fort Worth Herd runs the world's only daily cattle drive and rodeos fill the historic Cowtown Coliseum.
Heads-up: Cattle drive at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily, weather permitting; best view in front of the Livestock Exchange Building on East Exchange Avenue. Rodeo on weekends (tickets). Arrive early for parking…
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
#5 · Historic site · 1 hr 13 min southwest
The famous mission and 1836 battle site in downtown San Antonio. You can walk the grounds and visit Alamo Church.
Heads-up: Free church entry needs a timed reservation. Open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Check visiting tips for bags and pets.
Photo: Shujianyang, CC BY 4.0
#6 · Museum · 2 hr 54 min east
Space museum and visitor center by NASA's Johnson Space Center with exhibits, The Moonwalkers show and NASA tram tours.
Heads-up: Hours vary by day (often 10 to 5). Parking costs a fee per vehicle, paid by phone or at Guest Services. Service dogs only, not on motion simulators. Wheelchair rental.
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
#7 · Historic site · 1 hr 2 min west
Across the river from the LBJ Ranch, this free park has the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, where rangers in period dress run a farm from about 1918. Bison and longhorns graze along the Pedernales.
Heads-up: Easy 1.2 miles of trails. Stop here for the free LBJ Ranch driving permit. Check whether the summer pool is open.
Photo: Witte Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0
#8 · Museum · 1 hr 11 min southwest
A San Antonio museum of Texas natural history and culture, with a dinosaur gallery and a gallery of more than 150 Texas animals.
Heads-up: Buy tickets online. Check hours, they vary by day.
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
#9 · Historic site · 1 hr 35 min southwest
A historic inn on five shady acres by the Medina River in Castroville, the Little Alsace of Texas, with an exhibit hall and rooms for overnight stays.
Heads-up: Open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk around old Castroville after.
Photo: Wolfgang Manousek from Dormagen, Germany, CC BY 2.0
#10 · Museum · 2 hr 30 min east
Four floors of natural science exhibits in the Museum District, plus the Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and a giant-screen theater.
Heads-up: Open Monday to Thursday 9 to 5, Friday to Sunday 9 to 6. The gems and minerals hall and the entomology hall were closed in late 2026.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
#11 · Museum · 2 hr 32 min east
A 15-acre complex in Huntsville once owned by Sam Houston, with a museum, two homes where his family lived and the Republic of Texas Presidential Library.
Heads-up: Open Tuesday to Saturday 9 to 4:30, Sunday noon to 4:30, closed Monday. Picnic space on the grounds. Pair with Huntsville State Park.
Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
#12 · Museum · 2 hr 47 min north
Downtown Dallas science museum with 11 exhibit halls, including the Moody Family Children's Museum for young kids.
Heads-up: Open Monday to Saturday 10 to 5, Sunday 11 to 5. Timed tickets; most visits take 2-3 hours. Parking in Lot B under Woodall Rodgers Freeway costs a fee per vehicle. 3D film and traveling shows cost…
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
#13 · Town · 2 hr 52 min north
Lake town with a historic square and Lake Granbury, voted USA Today's Best Historic Small Town several times, with festivals all year.
Heads-up: Visit Granbury office at 201 E. Pearl St. Easy to pair with Dinosaur Valley State Park and Fossil Rim.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
#14 · State park · 2 hr 53 min north
Big park on Joe Pool Lake with a gravel swimming beach, the DORBA mountain bike trail and the historic Penn Farm.
Heads-up: Dirt trails close for weather (all dirt trails were closed in early November 2026), so check trail status. Joe Pool Marina is permanently closed. Park often fills; reserve. Assistive chairs…
Photo: Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 3.0
#15 · Museum · 1 hr 28 min northeast
Waco museum on the history of the Texas Rangers law-enforcement agency.
Heads-up: Open daily 9 to 5, last guest in at 4:30. Plan about 2 hours. Free parking. Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (1 hr 5 min), The DoSeum (1 hr 12 min), National Museum of the Pacific War (1 hr 19 min), Mission Reach Hike and Bike Trail (1 hr 19 min), Dr Pepper Museum (1 hr 29 min), Buffalo Bayou Park (2 hr 26 min), Museum of Fine Arts Houston (2 hr 28 min), Fort Worth Botanic Garden (2 hr 44 min), Fort Worth Zoo (2 hr 44 min), Kimbell Art Museum (2 hr 44 min), The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (2 hr 46 min), Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center (2 hr 48 min), San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site (2 hr 50 min), Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge (2 hr 57 min)
Our top picks are Gruene Historic District (44 min), San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (1 hr 18 min), Fredericksburg (1 hr 20 min), Fort Worth Stockyards (2 hr 45 min) and The Alamo (1 hr 13 min). The page lists 29 places in all.
29: 1 under an hour away, 12 between 1 and 2 hours and 16 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 78701.
Gruene Historic District, about 44 min southwest of Austin.
12 need no pass or fee, including Fort Worth Stockyards, Granbury and Fredericksburg. Fees change, so check each place.
29 of the 29 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.