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Austin to Moody Gardens road trip: best stops

The drive from Austin to Moody Gardens takes about 3 hr 15 min (east of Austin), by real roads from ZIP 78701. Along the way we found 76 stops within a short detour: 10 coffee shops, 8 bakeries, 16 ice cream and treats and 25 places to eat.

The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Austin) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.

Plan this trip All day trips from Austin

Where you are going: Moody Gardens 3 hr 15 min from Austin

Moody Gardens

Photo: Nsaum75, CC BY-SA 3.0

Family fun

Moody Gardens

Galveston attraction with Aquarium, Rainforest and Discovery pyramids, 3D theater, zip line and the new Galveston Children's Museum.

  • Full day
  • Year-round
  • Admission
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go

Heads-up: Open every day; hours are posted weekly. Free parking. Holiday in the Gardens light trail and ice rink from November 21, 2026 to January 2, 2027. Palm Beach is seasonal.

Official site

Map of the stops between Austin and Moody Gardens

Open the interactive map

First third Middle third Last third Moody Gardens

First stretch 11 stops

  1. The Coffee Dog Roastery & Coffeehouse Coffee shop · Bastrop
    About 33 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 08:00-16:00 Website
  2. Texas Grill Restaurant American restaurant · Bastrop
    About 33 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: 06:00-14:30
  3. Billy's Pit Bar-B-Q Barbecue restaurant · Bastrop
    About 33 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo,Tu-Sa 11:00-19:00; Su 11:00-18:00
  4. Johnson's Bakery & Coffee Shop Bakery · Bastrop
    About 34 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Tu-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 09:00-16:00 Website
  5. Bastrop County Courthouse Historic site · Bastrop
    About 34 min into the drive · detour about 3 min Website
  6. Museum of the Bastrop County Historical Society Museum · Bastrop
    About 34 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00; PH off Website
  7. CCC Water Fountain Attraction · Bastrop
    About 36 min into the drive · detour about 3 min
  8. Texas Coffee Works Coffee shop · Bastrop
    About 37 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 07:00-15:00 Website
  9. Weikel's Bakery Bakery · La Grange
    About 58 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  10. Sealand Seafood & Steaks Seafood restaurant · La Grange
    About 58 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  11. Whataburger Burger place · La Grange
    About 1 hr 1 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website

Middle of the drive 5 stops

  1. Peter's BBQ Barbecue restaurant · Ellinger
    About 1 hr 9 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  2. Hruška's Bakery Bakery · Ellinger
    About 1 hr 10 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  3. Snack Paradise & More Juice counter-service · Columbus
    About 1 hr 22 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Tu-Fr 09:30-19:30; Sa-Su 10:00-19:30 Website
  4. The Duelin' Daltons Attraction · Katy
    About 1 hr 59 min into the drive · detour about 3 min
  5. Long Coffee Coffee shop · Barker
    About 2 hr 3 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Sa 07:00-21:00; Su 07:45-21:00

Last stretch 14 stops

  1. The Paleta Bar Ice cream · Houston
    About 2 hr 14 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th 11:30-21:00, Fr-Su 11:30-22:00 Website
  2. 85°C Bakery Cafe Bakery · Houston
    About 2 hr 15 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  3. Rocket Fizz Candy shop · Hilshire Village
    About 2 hr 18 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th 13:00-21:00; Fr 13:00-23:00; Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-21:00
  4. Active Passion Coffee shop · Houston
    About 2 hr 24 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  5. Pillot House Historic site · Houston
    About 2 hr 26 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  6. Sinfull Bakery Bakery · Houston
    About 2 hr 27 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 06:30-18:00; Sa 08:00-16:00; Su 09:00-16:00 Website
  7. Houston Fire Museum Museum · Houston
    About 2 hr 27 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: closed "temporarily closed until August 2022 for historic preservation per website" Website
  8. Arandas Bakery Bakery · South Houston
    About 2 hr 37 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  9. La Nueva Michoacana Paleteria Ice cream · South Houston
    About 2 hr 39 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  10. Hipnotic Coffee shop · Webster
    About 2 hr 46 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  11. Sarah’s sweets & Flower Shop Pastry shop · League City
    About 2 hr 50 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  12. Shipley's Do-nuts Donut restaurant · League City
    About 2 hr 50 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  13. Starbucks Coffee shop · Texas City
    About 2 hr 56 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  14. Sweet Treats Pastry shop · La Marque
    About 2 hr 58 min into the drive · detour about 2 min

Questions about the drive from Austin to Moody Gardens

How long is the drive from Austin to Moody Gardens?

About 3 hr 15 min by road, heading east from the middle of ZIP 78701. Traffic and weather change that.

What are the best stops on the way from Austin to Moody Gardens?

Good ones to start with: The Coffee Dog Roastery & Coffeehouse (Bastrop), Texas Grill Restaurant (Bastrop), Billy's Pit Bar-B-Q (Bastrop), Johnson's Bakery & Coffee Shop (Bastrop) and Bastrop County Courthouse (Bastrop). The page lists 30 in all, in driving order.

Where can I get coffee or a bakery stop between Austin and Moody Gardens?

The Coffee Dog Roastery & Coffeehouse in Bastrop, Johnson's Bakery & Coffee Shop in Bastrop, Texas Coffee Works in Bastrop and Weikel's Bakery in La Grange. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.

Where can I eat on the way to Moody Gardens?

Texas Grill Restaurant in Bastrop, Billy's Pit Bar-B-Q in Bastrop, Sealand Seafood & Steaks in La Grange and Whataburger in La Grange.

Are there viewpoints or quick sights on the way?

Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop, Museum of the Bastrop County Historical Society in Bastrop, CCC Water Fountain in Bastrop and The Duelin' Daltons in Katy.

More about Austin and Moody Gardens

Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.

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