Austin Convention Center – Things To Do With Your Team

The vibe in Austin is definitely unique. The city is really big into the live music scene. You will most likely hear some while you’re walking around. The area around the Austin Convention Center is a popular section of the city for tourists and locals because of the assortment of activities available. There are a handful of museums that are devoted to some rather strange and really awesome things. You and your team will find all sorts of attractions to keep you entertained during your trip to Austin.

Things to Do

Museum of Weird

Akin to Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Museum of Weird boasts a collection of oddities that will fascinate and maybe even creep you out a little. The facility is littered with bizarre wax figures of all shapes and sizes. Humans and freaky humanoids, a giant gorilla, pirate skeletons, and many other wax mannequins are waiting to greet you at every turn.

There are plenty of other peculiar sights at the Museum of Weird besides the wax dummies. Shrunken heads, animals with abnormalities, and a mummy are a few other highlights. At some point during your self-guided tour, you will be treated to a live show by museum staff. As you can probably guess, the show is quite weird. They pride themselves on that. Venture into the land of bizarre at the Museum of Weird. 412 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

Austin Toy Museum

Anyone who likes toys and video games will be a fan of the Austin Toy Museum. A heads up for anyone interested in visiting, you can purchase tickets online for cheaper than at the door. Once you’re inside, you can appreciate the extensive collection of vintage toys like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, G.I. Joe’s, Simpson’s characters, and many other famous playthings.

To add to the list, Austin Toy Museum also showcases many old gaming systems like Atari, Sega consoles, and Nintendo consoles. When you pay for admission, you even get free access to play in their vintage arcade and gaming console station. For adults, this experience will be a blast from the past. The kids will get to have tons of fun too playing immensely popular games from years past for the first time. No matter your age, Austin Toy Museum delivers a very amusing few hours. 1108 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

Texas State Capitol

Being that Austin is the capital of Texas, it comes as no surprise that the capitol building is located there. Take advantage of this and bring the team for a tour of the Texas State Capitol while you’re at the Austin Convention Center. Guided tours are offered seven days a week and last roughly 30 minutes. All of the guides are well-versed in Texas history and provide an all-encompassing look into the state’s past.

For groups of 10 or larger, the capitol advises you schedule ahead of your visit. Self-guided tours are also available if that suits your team’s preference more. Audio players will be given at the start of your self-guided tour to help direct you and discuss information about Texas. 1100 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701

O. Henry Museum & Susanna Dickinson Museum

The O. Henry Museum and Susanna Dickinson Museum are located next to each other and are run by the same group of people as a joint attraction. At O. Henry Museum, you and your team will be educated on the life of famous short story writer William Sidney Porter, whose pen name was O. Henry. This museum structures its exhibits by sections of O. Henry’s life: social, family, and creative. Each section is full of artifacts and documents of his life in each of the three areas.

The Susanna Dickinson Museum presents an in depth look into Susanna Dickinson. Housed in one of Dickinson’s original homes, the museum honors her role in the Alamo. She was a survivor of the battle, and got important information to General Houston. That information played a vital role in his triumph over Santa Anna. Family artifacts and authentic furniture from the 1800s are displayed throughout the house for guests to see. 409 East Fifth St, Austin, TX 78701; 411 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78701

The Escape Game Austin

Test your team’s mental endurance by bringing them to The Escape Game Austin, only a short walk from the Austin Convention Center. There, you will have the choice of five escape rooms to try.

In The Heist you and your team must uncover the location of a stolen piece of art. Gold Rush has you race against the clock to find a treasure. Can you strike it rich before the clock hits zero? Ever wanted to be a spy? In Classified, you can do just that. You are tasked with stopping a terrorist organization before they attack. Prison Break forces you to escape your jail cell before the warden pays you a deadly visit.

Lastly, in Playground, you find yourself stuck in a classroom. The fifth graders are outside waiting to play you in a kickball game. The only problem is you need to finish all your homework and assignments before you can get outside for the game. Will you make it out to the field in time or will the fifth graders win by default? 405 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701

Places to Eat

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

A lot of states claim to have the best barbecue in the country; Texas is one of them. During your visit to the Austin Convention Center, give Texas-style barbecue a try at Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que. Cooper’s doesn’t charge by dish, they charge by pound. That doesn’t mean you have to order a pound of meat, but you certainly can; no judgement here.

Deciding what kind of barbecue you want can be tough. Some of Cooper’s options are beef ribs, pork chops, brisket, and prime rib. There are a lot of sides to enjoy with your barbecue too. If you somehow have room left for dessert, Cooper’s bakes a couple fruit pies and cobblers that are just as good as grandma’s. 217 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701

Austin Taco Project

Doing tacos a little differently, Austin Taco Project near the Austin Convention Center makes gourmet tacos that your team will love. Before you dig into those tasty tacos, you can share appetizers like wings, poutine, and Korean nachos.

Then it’s time for the main event, the tacos. Austin Taco Project fills them things like ribeye steak, pork belly, kimchi, and brisket. These tacos are far removed from the mundane ground beef and cheese tacos you find at a lot of other restaurants. 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Spartan Pizza

Pizza is a go to meal when you can’t decide what you want to eat. It’s always a viable option. Walk on over to Spartan Pizza and enjoy tons of different kinds of pies.

You can choose from over 16 specialty pizzas! Or, you can create your own pizza with any combination of toppings that you want. Spartan Pizza cooks up sandwiches as well, in case there some who aren’t in the mood for pizza. 1007 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Floyd’s

The spot to visit for breakfast and lunch, you’ll leave Floyd’s happy and full. Floyd’s offers breakfast sandwiches and wraps or breakfast bowls with eggs and your choice of meat and cheese.

If you’re going for lunch, there are many sandwiches or wraps to pick from, or you can build your own. You can also get a great cup of coffee and some homemade ice cream. 301 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78745

Downtown Austin has diverse attractions in the vicinity of the Austin Convention Center. The distinct atmosphere of the city is one that’s enjoyable and lends itself to providing a lot of fun for visitors. You and your team can find loads of entertainment that will make this trip one to remember.