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!

Great green space to view the bats come out at sunset. White boxes are painted on the grass for distancing. Dogs are welcome!

Great place to view the bats at sunset. The parking nearby definitely needs. To fix thier parking kiosk.

Loved the boxes created on the lawn for socially distance gathering. The bat swarm was pretty cool to check out.

It’s actually quite funny how they name this the statesman bat observation center. I remember when the statesman used to be annoyed by the crowds and have no parking signs and eventually even put up fencing to prevent us from parking in the parking lot. This was back in 2004 of course though. I understand things change.

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!

This is different place to visit. We have made mistake to stand on bridge, if one wants to see bats flying neatly then be sure that you will be under bridge where observation spot is made. Thousands of bats fly underneath the bridge after sunset. You also watch scenic beauty of place

The bats are a cool experience to witness. Dont pay for parking ever even though youre supposed to. Been twice never got a notice on my car.

Fun times!! We were amazed about how many bats there actually were. They just kept coming out of the bridge! It took awhile for it to get to the exact level of darkness but sure enough, out came the bats! Millions. Of. Bats.

Great place to watch the bats!

Still one of the best things to do in Austin! Come with a chair or something to sit on and enjoy the view. Open during quarantine. Wear a mask because some people dont know how to social distance.

If you get there early enough, you can get your very own stone to sit on.You’d think that for all the people who turn out every night that the city would provide some proper seating.The bats are amazing.

Had a great time. Such a sight to see. Took my friends after their marriage.

We waited 3+ hours for the bats to migrate, but hardly any bats appeared. Tourists, beware! There is no guarantee there will be a bat show, so set expectations that you may be waisting your time.The area became very busy, with people at the park: both ends of the river, the highway, and the water (kayak, boat). No seats or food; bring a picnic blanket, chair, snacks, and/or drinks.

Its incredible to watch the bats coming out.

A quick look at thousands of bats flying from under a bridge. Few mins in and the thrill is gone

Convenient place to view the bats. relatively easy to get to, and hearing the bats before they come out is a perk! not very close to the main chunk of the action, but maybe that might be a good thing

A must see! I can’t believe that many bats came rushing out from under the bridge! They just kept coming! Also what a beautiful sunset.

We were on the bridge right by the center. However, not the active time of year for the bats. However, amazing when it is the right time to see the inky black sky river that flows from the bridge.

Beautiful city! The amazing bat colony in your city center is a very special gift. Its wonderful that your city appreciates and protects that gift!

Great location for bat-viewing. Get here early so you can find a decent parking spot. Bats take over 20 minutes to leave so you have plenty of viewing time.Parking is $6 at this location, quicker to pay with App and not stand in line at pay station.Depending on weather conditions, bats may fly early or late, so be prepared.

Quik walk with family weather was great

Tourists and locals alike gather at this location every night to watch 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats fly out from under the bridge before sunset. Here’s a few of my favorite photos from the 15th Annual Bat Fest, kayaking tours, and assorted bat photos. Enjoy!

Its a pretty neat experience to see all the bats come out and circle around. There are hundreds of bats.

Great place to view this huge colony of bats. Bring a blanket and relax in the grass. The bats come out at sunset.

I was very disappointed by how they were so small... but it’s still interesting, how there was so many

在城市裏要看到成群的蝙蝠真是很新奇但是看的人很多、味道很臭Amazing that can see bats in the city.So many people there.Air smell not good.

A lot of fun to come out at dusk to check out the swarm of bats that come out from the bottom of the bridge. Dont get too close, as the area under the bridge has a strong smell. The City has been kind enough to install parking meters in the adjacent lot, so expect to pay a fee to park. We did notice people mentioning the meters not working the day we were there. The observation area also has a small kiosk that provides information about the bats. Get there early as large crowds do form on the bridge and below.

It’s too dark to actually see the bats. I could barely see them flying out from underneath the bridge and then they disappeared from my vision. If you came here expecting to see a black cloud of bats in the sky as shown in the tourism advertisements, you would be disappointed.

Awesome experience - could have got there later than I did - the website was accurate

Late November and the bats were still there. And they were out as predicted on time (check the internet for when theyre feeding). Viewing from the bridge itself would be a good location too.

Bats!? I know right. But yes, it is worth the visit.

We didn’t see the bats, but they are natives so no worries. This was just to adventure around. They love it. Next time we have to rent those scooters everyone scoots around on. This trail is suck a wonderful walk.

There were a lot of people, so Id definitely recommend getting there 30-45 minutes before sunset to get a good spot. There were still bikers and runners using the trail, so watch out for fast foot traffic! But it was really impressive to witness the sheer numbers of bats coming out at sunset. Wish I could post a short video! Very worth it.

Check the season first! Bring an strong flash! Learn to take fast night pictures. Be amazed by the amount of bats!!!!

Great location for bat viewing but it should be more informative on when you will not see bats, and unfortunately, everyday people just be there anyways even though it is not the season and they will not come out until late evening, call the bat hotline and you will find out time, and dont waste your time waiting there if it is not the season (even though you see tons of people waiting there)

Went to the ATX Asian Night Market. It was enjoyable but could have been managed better.

This was a ok place... once dark the bats were very hard to see.

Theyre really small. And they didnt show up on time. Guess they missed the announcement on showtime

Awesome sight to see millions of bats flying out for feeding!

Great fun watching the bats stream out - too tip, don’t stand close to the bridge looking up with your mouth open

That was fun! Arrive around8pm-8:15pm. Park by the firestone before the bridge on the right side, avoid the traffic after the show and save your money its free. Yourwelcome.

A must-see for anybody in the Austin area! Be sure to take the time to visit one evening if youre around here long enough.

It took a while but it was really cool

Bats are just so darn unpredictable. The trails and scenery are beautiful though. We waited with a huge crowd for about 2 hours and the bats finally trickled out. The River was beautiful though and it’s a lovely place to hang out.

If you love bats or people watching this is your place!

Amazing experience, not only was it nice seeing so many people together just to watch bats, but my everyone was so excited. The official bat watching website gives you everything you need to know about time and places to be if you want to see the bats. Highly recommend it!

It is quite a unique thing to see millions of bats flying around in a single area! You need to be down there after sunset to see them, but they will always emerge. Sometimes if it is too hot out, it can be hours before they finally come out. They are down in Mexico for the fall and winter, so certain times a year its not something you want to try and do as youll be staring for hours without a single bat passing by. Definitely recommend taking the kids, or a date down here! Bring a blanket, bug spray, some drinks, and some snacks and you will have fun!

Wow! Such a neat experience. There are so many different vantage points to enjoy the bats coming out from the bridge and the scenery is amazing with the skyscrapers and the water. There were an incredible amount of bats flying everywhere!

Its overrated. If you take boat ride and if guide explains you things than it is little bit OK but otherwise dont waste your time standing above or under bridge just to see Bats fly around. In dark mostly you dont see much. We learned this hard way spending more than 2 hours.

We saw very few bats, this is definitely something you have to have patience for

Been twice to see the bats fly, and its just really cool. Bats fill the sky like a swarm of birds might, and they file out of the bridge for up to 20 minutes. Probably would be really cool to be on a kayak.

Experience was great!! Try to be at the location during sunset. Thousands of bats flew out.

Little critters are neat

Even though we missed seeing half of the bats take off, it was still a great experience. Had family out of town visiting so to do this with them was fun. There was even an ice cream truck there and electric cabs taking people for rides. Everyone should go at least once.

Waited to almost and hour and the bats decided to fly out 10 mins after unset.

This is absolutely a quintessential Austin activity! I would recommend heading here about 20-30 min after sunset because thats when the bats start coming out. Alternatively, you could bring a blanket and picnic here until its time. Best place to see the bats in the city. My only complaint is that no matter what, the bats are kind of difficult to see because they blend into the night sky.

Bring your own seats and blankets, and enjoy the show

Seeing all those bats flying out was out of this world. It took a while for them to come out, but once they started it was like they never stop. Most see, glad I did.

Parking was easy. Great place to park to watch the bats as they flew out from under the bridge. Ice cream was available to purchase as well. Bring a blanket to sit and enjoy.

Parked at the statesman bat viewing parking lot for $6. Paid with the App Spot Hero, fairly easy process.We got there about an hour before sundown and was able to park and get a good spot easy. Things seemed to get crowded about 30 min before sundown. The best viewing place if you park at the statesman is either on the bridge or under the bridge as close to the river as you can get.The bats came out about ten min after official sunset, but there was still plenty of light.

Get there by dusk and learn about bats while seeing them fly out from the bridge. Amazing!

Bats wont be out on cold days

This place was interesting to say the least. Got there around 7 40 and there was already a crowd by 8 20 there is elbow to elbow of people everywhere to see the bats. We got to see some fly were we stood but best view was down at the opposite side of this deck they were all flying out over the bridge.

Awesome views of the bats leaving their roosts under the bridge and zipping through the evening sky

A unique and interesting experience. Must see and free (except $6 parking).

Get there early, with a blanket and snacks. One of the best things to see ever!! Enjoy the accidental but amazing bat flight

The asian festival they had there was cute. Good food. Also go to see the bats fly out

As most tourist/local attractions in Austin, expect this to be busy and parking nearby to be limited. The upside is a gorgeous view of our skyline and watching the bats take flight. Beware of mosquitoes

Great place to be to see the bats when they get started at dusk.

An Austin Must-see attraction! Bats are a misunderstood mammal, and it was great to see so many curious onlookers take notice and enjoy the daily migration for food.

Love this place, & bats

Lot of bats. Better to see on the ground, and was pretty amazing!

It was nice seeing the bats but the wait time made the experience a bit distracting since they the bats don’t come out at an exact time. If you want to get a good spot to watch that’s not on a ferry, come out like between 7-7:30pm (during the summer) and find somewhere comfortable.

Mother nature at her finest. So thankful for the conservation work being done here. Amazing seeing so many bats.

Recently visited. Arrived at 7pm. With chairs, bug spray, and snacks. The park was beginning to fill with tourists and locals alike looking to watch the bats come out into the dark. Saw very few bats. So many bugs and mosquitos! The park ended up being incredibly crowded. Overall, a disappointing way to waste several hours. I would return again, but only in August for the Bat Festival.

Definitely something you have to do in texas but unfortuntly we didnt see bats if a storm is coming in they dont come out.

Fun and brief experience for our group after a few hours shopping and hanging out on South Congress. We read that the parking in the Austin American lot was free, but several signs clearly said no free parking any time. The lowest amount is $6! I would advise coming earlier and finding a different place to park. We were there 3/21, and the bats came out around 7:30.

Always fascinating to watch the bats!

Bats came out way later than dusk, hard to see them. We were there late may. Might be worth trying again???

Pro tip, rearrange the loose rocks before everyone gets there, to spell out a message for those walking by overhead on the bridge.

Amazing, come out just before sunset in July and August to get full effect. Come early and sit by the water. Watching from the bridge means you can see the large cloud of bats fly over Austin.

It was a cool thing, but Austin could spruce the place up a bit. Theres a bit of waiting around, so benches could be a nice touch.

All my best shots of downtown are here. I also run past the bridge every morning. Bats are fun and cool to see a couple times. But if you are in town for the first time, check it out on your way up Congress.

Phenomenal! Austin is such a cool city! I had so much fun riding Lime scooters to Congress bridge! The bats were spectacular

Really cool natural event! Hundreds of people lined the bridge and rivers edge to witness the bats flight. They were not dissappointed. There must have been millions of little bats that darted out from under the bridge, then disappeared into the night.

The bats took their time coming on out of their... but I blame whoever was shining the red lights from the boats.... quit that let the bats do their thing...also it rained.

Pretty cool! Nice little park, a lot of people during dawny affordable parking right around the corner (during the evening/night). The bats are really spectacular especially if youre from somewhere where there are no bats at all.

Went to the Margarita Festival 2019 with my Best Friend, Jessica for My Birthday and They really had a Great show with Great Bands.

We loved the new observation deck! Apparently the peak is in August, but mid-May it was still a wonderful experience!

Can park right by the bridge in the austin statesman parking lot (try spot hero). If you time it right, great place for bat viewing.

It is an out of the world experience to see 1.5 million bats fly out. Amazing. One should for sure go and see that.

Golly gee there ARE bats here!As long as you are in no great hurry and remember that these are wild animals and do not work on any sort of human schedule, this is super fun.

Oh my where can i start this was the most amazing sight to see. I was told by so many to see this and it definitely was.

Visited with the School Tours Of America group... NO BATS ARRIVED! Was so looking forward to this but thats how the cookie crumbles sometimes though... be prepared for this eventuality and dont go in thinking everything will be automatically perfect. Not mad in any way just a little bit disappointed.

A very popular place in Austin . A large crowd is seen in the evening for bat observation. I visited this place first time on Labor day. There was a big gathering on the bridge and below for bat observation. Kayaking and boating is also available.

Great place to watch the bats. Bring a blanket to sit on. Parking is $10. Vendors sell ice cream.

Visited Austin and saw tons of people on and around the bridge 2 nights in a row. Finally asked someone what was going on and they told us about the bats. We went down probably 30-45 minutes prior to dusk and waited along with loads of other observers. We could hear the bats squeaking under the bridge for a while...and then slowly they started coming out and all of a sudden there were thousands pouring out from under the bridge. It was crazy. Cool sight to see, although I don’t think I would make a special trip down to see it, we just happened to be staying nearby due to the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show (which was awesome).

I love the excitement of waiting to see the bats, there can be lots of mosquitos out, so bring spray. Also parking costs $6.00 and you can only pay with a card at machine or quarters so be prepared for that. Next time I may get on the duck tour to see this or..paddle board :)

As a pedestrian, I didn’t particularly care about the parking options. I found the view on the bridge better than ground level of the Observation grounds.