Austin Heart South

Take a walk on the wild side at the Austin Zoo, where you can get up close and personal with over 350 animals representing Texas native wildlife. As you walk through the zoo, check out all the new things you can learn about all the different mammals, birds, primates, reptiles, amphibians, and domestic animals.

The Cathedral of Junk is in the backyard of the artist who created it as a living sculpture, meaning it is always in flux as its creator, owner, and curator, Vince Hanneman, also known as The Junk King continues adding to it. The building is like a Cathedral that has a hollow framework of improvised trusses and wires that are packed with lawn mower wheels, car bumpers, kitchen utensils, ladders, cables, bottles, circuit boards, bicycle parts, brick-a-brack, and a lot of stuff that is unidentifiable.

Book lovers unite and enjoy the Texas Book Festival, where they connect authors and readers through experiences that celebrate the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination. The annual festival weekend features a variety of author presentations and panels, book signings, cooking demonstrations, programs, and activities for kids of all ages, food trucks, and exhibiting vendors from across the state and country.