Congress Ave. Bridge Bats

Pros: Natural phenomenon that's free for all, peculiarly Austin
Cons: None

"No matter what you do during the day, you just gotta spend your evening down by the bridge s ...

Pros: Beautiful display
Cons: Waiting around

I had read about the bats prior to my trip to Austin (mostly here on Epinions) and was interested, but a little wary! I mean they are bats, and bats are scary right? I got over my fear and decided to take in this wonderful natural phenomenon. The ...

Pros: bats, cool scenery
Cons: guano

I won't go into too much detail here, but if you are ever in Austin from May through October and you don't go see the bats fly out from under the Congress street bridge, you're a fool.

The best place to see them is from the top of the bridge...

Pros: Very interesting, educational, inexpensive
Cons: Possible extreme heat (as w/ anywhere around here)

My husband and I moved to Austin in May of 1999. Going to see the bats is one of the first things I wanted to do. It was absolutely fabulous, BUT the grassy knoll near the bridge was packed with kids, blankets, picnic baskets, animals, and frantic...

Pros: The Bridge is best
Cons: Watch out for flying bats

The Bats under the Congress Street bridge are truly spectacular. But make sure to watch them from the best vantage point. There are three main places to watch:

1. TGIF's on the Lake. Get there early for outdoor seating, and you can watch the...

Pros: fascinating natural phenomena
Cons: can't always predict their departure time

We moved to Austin in 1997, and luckily it was at the time of year (October) when we could still go see the bats depart for their evening out. At first, we were just using the jogging trail around Town Lake and
found there was a kind of strange...

Pros: Interesting to see
Cons: none really, it would be bad if you missed it

SOOOOO many bats, it was truly strange.
Honestly the bat thing was different than I thought it would be. So many people talked about it that I thought it would look alot different than it did, but it was still very cool. Not something you see...

Pros: Unique adventure. Nice to witness adaptation of wild creature to the urban environment.
Cons: Not really set up well for viewers/tourists.

If you are in Austin during the summer, taking a trip down to the Congress Ave. bridge to see the bats fly out is a nice little adventure. They say that this is the largest colony of bats in an urban setting, and the bats fly out each evening on their mosquito and bug hunting expeditions.

You should be aware that it's really not set up for tourists. There is limited parking and a unique aroma! Bring your own beverages and snacks if you plan on hanging around Town Lake for a while. The nearest parking is at the Austin American-Statesman parking lot. This area is also on the very popular walking/running trail, so there is lots of foot traffic.

We are Austin residents, and we make the trip downtown once a year or so. Some folks we take down there think it's very cool; others are not so impressed.

Pros: It's free! What more could you ask for?
Cons: Parking can be troublesome. Small kids will like it for 15 minutes.

How could anyone give this attraction anything less than 5 stars? The bats under the Congress Avenue bridge have been a popular attraction with Texans since the mid 80's. Considering that the state has the largest bat colony in the world (Bracken Bat Cave), it's only natural to assume that Texas would also have the largest urban colony of bats in the US. And by the way, the photo used with this topic is not of the bats you will see in Austin!
The bats return from their winter home in March, and remain in the area through the summer and into fall. The best time to see the bats emerge from the bridge is late June through early September. Finding a place to park can be difficult, although many of the area restaurants have capitalized on this natural phenom by offering outdoor seating. Nothing better than a bat flight and a margarita!
Bat Conservation International usually has an interpreter near the bridge on the weekends during July and August. They are quite helpful. Crowds can get large, especially during July.

Pros: Nature at it's best.
Cons: They are hard to see other times of the year other than Fall.

Austin is proud of its bat colony. And it's a marvel to watch the bats fly. The best time is at dusk in the fall (the mothers have had babies by then, so the colony is double and you'll see more action). I enjoyed watching it from the Lone Star River boat, they shine a light on all of the hanging bats before they fly so you're sure to see what you're looking for. The other great place to catch them fly is the patio of TGIFriday's, go early to get a good seat. You can call TGI's to reach the "Bat Hotline" to find out what time the bats are flying each day. While your at TGI's in the Raddisson Hotel, be sure to check out their gift shop. I picked up some bat souvenirs, and they also carry the Austin Star Map (www.austinstarmap.com) which is another great weekend adventure for an Austin visit.