This was such a lovely and unique experience! When visiting Austin, make it a priority to come at sunset and view the emergence of a million bats. In mid June, we arrived at 7:30 but the bats didn't emerge until nearly 9, thanks to the boat tours shining red lights at the bridge. Still, the city views and people watching entertained us until the bats made their nightly flight. If you plan to sit on the lawn, come an hour before sunset and bring a blanket or lawn chair and some bug spray to make your wait more pleasant.

Top on the list of things to do in Austin was the bat exodus from Congress Ave Bridge. We parked in the parking lot at the Austin Statemen bldg (after hours). There are kiosks to pay to park but we did not as we couldn’t get it to work. The area near the bridge had been sectioned off into boxes with yellow spray paint in the grass to insure social distancing, but it was wearing off. A busy area as people were jogging, bicycling thru there as well. There were also several tour boats in the water. We went on a week day so the crowd wasn’t too bad, but I imagine on the weekend it could get a bit hairy. It was after dusk before we started to hear the bats getting ready to fly and was after 6pm before the flood of them started out. Although it was hard to capture on a video or photo, it was quite the site to see and well worth a trip! Just a FYI - they all seemed to exit form one area of the bridge near where the water met the shore. We had expected them to come out from all of the areas, but we were still in a good spot to see all of the action. We stayed for about 20 minutes and they were still flying out!

If you're in Austin for only half a day or less like I was, I'd suggest coming here and seeing the bats when they become active at sunset. It was neat to see this spectacle but for me personally, it was a one and done kind of deal. Be prepared to wait though, because they can take awhile to become active, even as much as an hour after sunset. There could also be less bats when it's cooler out, so maybe consider coming in the late spring - early fall if you want to see more.

I went there two times to see the bats but unfortunately they were shy and didn’t really come out till it was really dark. Either way, it was worth it. UPDATE 10/3 so, after going back for a third time they finally came out! Wish I could upload a video!

Best place to see the Mexican Free-tailed bats leaving their roost underneath the bridge around dusk to feed. Recommend arriving early (about an hour or 45m before sunset) for a parking space, bring a blanket to sit on, bug spray if you wish, and water as there are no facilities on site. This awesome spectacle of nature can be for 15+ minutes and is amazing. And please DO NOT use a flash when taking pictures!

I'm bummed to read several people not being able to experience this! We were lucky to. It was so cool. We rented some scooters to get here from our hotel. You may be tempted to rent a kayak to be under the bridge during the bats flying... Doesn't that sound awesome? Be mindful they are going to peeeeee everywhere! I prefer not to be peed on so we kept our distance from being under the bats!

It's hard to see when the sun goes down. You can see it better if you go under the bridge. It seems to be better to go a little before sunset. On my second visit, I went when it was bright, but I couldn't see it at all.

Small area on hill that’s covered in grass near the Bat Observatory building. Parking via QR code and not that expensive. Went at 7.30 on Labour day, suggest people get: blanket, lots of water, some food from the places nearby if you want to picnic and bug spray and something to entertain themselves if they don’t like to people watch Bats didn’t really come out at all, could be they already migrated early this year? People started leaving early when they realised that was it Nice spot, would recommend coming earlier in the season and earlier in the evening too so you can nab a comfy spot Oh also ice cream truck when we were here!

Parking Revenue Recovery Services (the lot on the south end of the bridge for the bats) charges $87 if you don't pay for parking within 10 minutes of entering the lot. They have a sign that is improperly placed below the passenger-side window as you enter. All other signage in the lot is properly placed at the window height, and the one with the charge states $75 will be charge, not $87, and certainly not the $92 that I had to pay "for convenience". I entered the lot at 6:05pm, sat in the vehicle discussing the evening's schedule with my passengers, and then decided on the schedule of the evening. Once we had a schedule, I initiated the parking from 6:30pm to 8:30pm then exited the vehicle to go to the bridge. Now, I can understand $30 for a parking violation, but $87 is outrageously disproportional to the charge of $10.45 for the two hours stayed. We also got a flat tire in the lot, so the entire bat experience cost us over $200. Completely outrageous that a company can get away with charging a 800% penalty fee for sitting in the vehicle for 20 minutes over. This is not how the city of Austin should allow companies to treat their citizens. $87 with a letter in the mail threatening collections. Unbelievable!! My notice number is LAZA-024823 if anyone can explain how a sign at ground eye-level can be used as an excuse to charge people 800% for 20 minutes.

Be ready for potential disappointment. We arrived at 7:30pm before the crowds. Left an hour after sundown at 9:30 and the bats still hadn't swarmed. Bats had her own plans and that's just life. I will say the parking is convenient. No restrooms anywhere nearby. Luckily a popsicle truck helped us recover from the heat.

WARNING: you will get a fine through the mail if you don't pay for parking! I was visiting Austin with my wife and parked at dusk to see the bats (which did not show up by the way). We did not see any clear signs indicating there was a fee or see any place to pay. The Bat Observation Center reported my car and I got a 87USD violation fee + 30 USD admin fee through my car rental company! Thank you Statesman Bat observation Center for the pleasant tourist experience!

Unfortunately when we went, the bats were hard to see but the time we spent with family was fun. Why a 1 star? The garbage parking company that’s in charge of the lot where you park. Apparently, there are cameras that will take your time in and time out. You need to pay immediately when you enter with your phone and leave before your time is up or you will get an $87 ticket. We were signing up for the app posted on the signs, which took us a bit longer than expected, and that caused us to get a ticket, even after paying the $30 parking fee. This is abusive and shame on Austin for penalizing it’s tourists.

Imagine thousands of bats emerging from under the bridge around sunset; its one surreal experience. Plus it's free. Get there 30-45 mins before sunset to get the best spots on bridge to see bats emerging at eye level, head down to watch them overhead, or better yet rent a kayak if you want to see them from water with backdrop of beautiful Texas Sunsets. If you prefer to not get in water, there are boats as well.

As a tourist, it is a fun place to go!! I went there early at around 5pm so I didn't see the famous Mexican Free-Tailed Bats but it is okay as long as I got grip of the place. Austin is a fun city and the visit at the area is a superb experience. We went there through an electric scooter. ( a lot of electric scooters to be rented at 0.5 cents a mile). The observation center is apparently near the Congress Avenue Bridge above Lady Bird lake. If you want a better experience, a kayak or a boat can be rented.

The bats did not come out in the stream as expected, so I was less impressed with the experience. It was so dark, that without the boat with the red spot lights, we wouldn't have seen anything. Maybe a better night or season would be better.

Very hard to see, not too big of a crowd. Easier to see them flying away, against the sky than looking directly at the bridge. No cost associated. Access via steps right from bridge. Expect to stand or bring something to sit (blanket for grass). Not too busy during weekday in March. Lovely park/walking paths though!

You won’t see bats everyday and we were there from 6:30 till 9:30 PM on Mar 30, and were disappointed with no bats experience. Locals say that it’s a once in a while affair and not everyday. Many people were there but left without seeing anything. Good thing- weather was nice and we enjoyed views.

Awesome place to relax and enjoy downtown! FYI: Bats aren’t guaranteed. I recommend riding a scooter here because parking is limited

Nice part to go watch the bats from either Congress Bridge or adjacent park, but parking is expensive (approximately $18 for 2 hrs) so i recommend using street meter parking (approximately $3-4 for 2 hrs).

I waited about two hours they didn’t came out until it got dark. I didn’t wait more because I can’t see much in the dark.

Fun and interesting experience. Even in May, when the emergence is apparently less impressive, it was amazing to see the stream of bats. Coming on a Thursday evening, it really wasn't as busy as I expected. I definitely recommend it for a visit when in Austin.

A must-see for anyone in Austin! It's incredible to see the bats emerge, I'm always shocked by just how many come out from seemingly nowhere. Bring a picnic blanket and bug spray though!

The bridge is interesting. When the bats leave it is spectacular. This is a must see when you visit Austin Tx.

Parking good but costs you and setting good for watching . As it’s everyday thing you will always space to watch bar show but gets crowds on holiday evenings. Also may not be awesome in cloudy days- cannot see properly those bats flying . Follow Dusk and dawn sun timings and it still amazes you the nature phenomenon . Never touch any bat BTW.

Unfortunately, the bats were experiencing performance anxiety, and only a small number of them came out. Still cool 😎 Visited on a Friday 29th Sep 2023.

If it's cold don't expect the bats to come out... we being tourists assumed they come out every night but failed to realize cold plus bats equals nope.... got some good views of the sunset. Both the bridge and trail under were good areas to chill though. You can definitely hear the bats in their homes under the bridge.