Downtown Historical Buildings Walking Tour (Self Guided), Austin

Northwest downtown Austin boasts an impressive collection of historic residences of notable styles, ranging from classic Victorian to Georgian to Greek Revival. Carefully preserved and restored, these constructions – from nationally listed historic sites to the significant local elements of the built environment – form a major part of Austin’s cultural heritage and indelible chapter of its story.

Among the notable buildings found along Congress Avenue there are several true icons, like the Lundberg Bakery – one of the city’s largest and most successful bakeries (now housing an art gallery), established in 1876 by the Swedish immigrant Charles Lundberg, and the ornate Walter Tips Building of the same year – a three-story masterful blend of Venetian Gothic and Italianate Renaissance Revival styles.

Some other gems that the history and architecture buffs shouldn't miss, while in Austin, include:

Texas Governor's Mansion – the elegant edifice serving as the official residence of Texas governors and their families since 1856;

Paramount Theatre – a century-old performance venue and movie theater located in the heart of downtown Austin;

Driskill Hotel – built in 1886 by the cattle baron, Jesse Driskill, as a frontier showplace; recently restored;

O. Henry Museum – a former residence of the famed short story writer, William Sydney Porter, popularly known by his pen-name, O. Henry;

Susanna Dickinson Museum – home of the only Anglo adult survivor of the Battle of the Alamo.

If you're keen on having a quiet and more peaceful stroll, as opposed to that on the crowded Congress Avenue, and explore a number of historically important houses and mansions of Austin, take this self-guided walking tour and enjoy yourself.