Congress Avenue Bridge - Bat watching

The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, located in the heart of downtown Austin, hosts the largest urban bat colony in the world, estimated at 1.5 million bats. It is a maternity colony, and female Mexican free-tailed bats raise an estimated 750,000 pups each year at the bridge.

Large numbers of bats began roosting in the Congress Avenue Bridge in the early 1980s, shortly after it was renovated. Few people understood how valuable the bats were, and many feared them. It took a lot of effort by Bat Conservation International and other bat-friendly folks to help turn the tide of public opinion. Today, Austin loves its bats, and this international tourist attraction brings 140,000 people and as much as $10 million to Austin every year! Watch from the lawn of the Austin American-Statesman's Bat Observation Area, which offers educational kiosks year-round and volunteer bat educators from Bat Conservation International on weekend evenings from May through September. You can also get nice views of the long columns of emerging bats from atop the bridge itself. Boat tours are available from Lone Star Riverboats and Capital Cruises.