Residology  

Explore the "jewel in the heart of Austin," also known as the Zilker Botanical Garden. The garden was established in 1995 and sprawls through 31 acres of downtown Austin, offering a sweet escape from city streets and greeting more than 400,000 visitors annually. Themes among the gardens are as varied as nature itself. There's a Japanese garden and koi pond, a rose garden, an herb garden, a butterfly trail and garden, and a cactus garden among the selections to tour. Another unique feature is the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, which recreates the habitat of local dinosaurs. Visitors can tour the gardens for free and take home a Texas succulent or majestic orchid among the many offerings.

Austin Film Festival showcases arts and crafts, convenient downtown venues, fun parties at Austin’s fine bars and restaurants, and community partnerships, while presenting an outstanding program of narrative, animation, and documentary features and shorts, including premieres, advanced screenings, and independent films.

Take your wildest pick of film festivals, comedy, drama, dance concerts, and parties and make history alongside many others at The Paramount Theatre. Once you walk in, you will enter a 100-year-old space that wraps itself around you, making you feel welcome, timeless, and inclusive, playing host to a wide variety of acts ranging from vaudeville to musicals, legitimate theatre, and movies.