Congress Avenue Bridge

They say everything is bigger in Texas and that’s true about the bats living under the Congress Avenue bridge in Austin. Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the United States. While watching the bats emerge from the bridge is a well-known tourist activity it’s also a local favorite.
Over 1.5 million bats live under the Congress Avenue bridge, which was built in 1980 and provides homey crevices for the bats to live in, and fly out nightly at dusk to feed, which helps keeps the city’s insect population in check.
Mexican free-tail bats begin arriving in Austin in February and stay start flying south for the winter in November. Although the heat is unbearable in August, that’s the best month to view the bats since the pups are able to fly.
The bats emerge from under the bridge in a massive swarm creating a dramatic effect in the sky that can be viewed from several surrounding hotels and watering holes but the best (and cheapest) seat to the show is from the bridge. Don’t even think about standing underneath the bridge or watching from a paddle boat parked below the structure—the smell of bat guano is overwhelming.

Make sure you go later in the summer. There will be a lot more bats because all the babies will have been born.

Sit in the lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel for the best view. The bats are just simply amazing!

Seeing the Mexican brown-tailed bats stream out at dusk is a surreal experience. My best advice: stand upwind.

Bring something to cover your head!

We visited the bats so many times when we visited Austin! Don’t leave without doing this! Right around sunset. Bats don’t tell time, so don’t ask the people in Austin, “what time do the bats fly?” They might give you a little Texas attitude with their answer. Kids will love it too! The bridge is Congress Street. Congress Street meets up with the capital. South Congress Street goes over Town Lake This is the bridge where the bats live. Just South of Cesar Chavez Street. There is a tower on Cesar Chavez Street, and ample parking around sunset at the foot of the tower. As I recall it, the street only travels East. So a little up and back may be necessary. Tower is old and tiny by today’s standards, found on the south side of the street. There is a jogging, biking path that runs along side the river. You can view the bats from this path, or from the bridge itself. You will see others there. (On the East Side) They will be gathered along the bridge, looking, & waiting.