Should you find yourself exploring Austin between March and October, we suggest making your way to the Congress Avenue Bridge on Lady Bird Lake to experience a strangely beautiful event that is unique to the city.
Headlining this nightly, crowd-drawing spectacle are 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats, the largest urban bat colony in North America. They inhabit the Congress Avenue Bridge by day and put on a show at dusk as they emerge from under the bridge in spectacular masses to forage for food.
Swarming out in steady droves for 45-60 minutes straight, the bats travel at 60+ miles per hour, blanketing the sky in 2-mile high rhythmic flight patterns.
Watch them from atop the bridge, on the sides of the lake, or from a boat. Just don’t miss out on this unusual and unforgettable experience.