The 11 Most Instagrammable Places in Austin

Austin is a gorgeous place. What other American city is blessed with as much good music, art, architecture, and abundant nature? If you want to get into the spirit of Austin and win at Instagram while you’re at it, why not spend a day taking photos at some of the most ‘grammable places in town? Bring your friends and camera, and get to it. Therefore, without further ado, here are 11 of the most Instagrammable places in Austin, TX. No filters necessary.

1. Palazzo Lavaca

Close to both the capitol building and the University of Texas campus, Palazzo Lavaca is a concentrated dose of splendor in the heart of weird Austin. It’s a well-known venue for weddings and events, so if you want to throw an Instagrammable shindig, you should certainly consider this destination. You can take some amazing photos here, with its eccentric, handsome furnishings featuring a gilded-age vibe and exquisite detailing. If you’re creative, you can do a lot with the rich, deep colors, as well as the bright greens and golds. 

2. Lady Bird Lake

Lady Bird Lake was once known as Town Lake, until it was renamed after a former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Lady Bird Lake may be a man-made lake, but there’s no better place to get away from the city without going too far. Rent a canoe and spend the day floating the river. We recommend snagging some good photos around sunset, when the sky’s all sorts of pastel pink colors. In fact, this whole lake is one enormous recreational area with bike paths and trails snaking everywhere, so if you explore further, you can probably even find a little corner to break new Instagram ground.

3. This sick house in West Lake Hills

This charming house is beyond Insta-worthy. Mid-century modern architecture with a utilitarian bent, nice leathers, an Eames recliner, floor-to-ceiling windows, incredible wallpaper, wide-plank unadorned hardwood floors, antique Persian rugs, and on and on. In addition, it’s got an incredible view, as the property is settled high in the West Lake Hills, surrounded by verdant seas of trees and granite-colored terrain. This place is excellent for taking ‘grammable pictures. Heck, it’d be great for just about any type of photoshoot. Check it out.

4. Rambling Rose Ranch

We mean, look at this place. Rambling Rose Ranch is an expansive and magical place to hold an event or photoshoot, regardless of your Instagram aspirations. With huge, well-landscaped grounds to explore, and ethereal “floating” windows framing an outdoor dance floor, it’s an amazing place to shoot photos. Rambling Rose Ranch, located just 20 minutes from downtown Austin, also happens to be ideal for throwing a super-Instagrammable wedding.

5. Austin’s Capitol Building

We went with a different picture of the capitol than the one everyone uses (looking up into the high capitol dome, which is brightly lit and golden) just to show you that there are tons of amazing places in the capitol to take photos. The use of symmetry, circles, pillars, and domes all hearkens back to the “divine ratios” that used to guide European architecture. If you’re taking Instagram photos here, there are plenty of places to experiment with shadow, color, and symmetry. Or, if you want, you can just get a selfie with that enormous dome stretching up above your head. It really is quite a sight.

6. This bright boho bungalow

Located in Great Hills, this lovely bungalow is an incredible place to do just about anything. A relaxing, earthy retreat? Sure. Private yoga session for you and your friends? Definitely. And, of course, it is yet another ideal stage for some incredible Instagram photos. The interior is chic and relaxing, employing pinks, browns, greens, and a variety of materials. It’s no wonder this naturally lit space appeared on CNBC’s Cash Pad!

7. Umlauf Sculpture Garden

Umlauf Sculpture Garden in Zilker is another #nofilter kind of place. Anytime you’re taking photos around dynamic works of art or sculpture, you’re probably going to get some interesting dynamic photos. The only thing that can really hold you back is a bad camera. The statuary in the Umlauf Sculpture Garden are expressions of intensity: love, loneliness, sorrow, longing, and so on, set up in wild-seeming and yet impeccably manicured grounds. Whether taking a single selfie or a thousand photos, you can’t go wrong here.

8. This gorgeous modern farmhouse in East Austin

This East Austin farmhouse combines design elements of craftsman, industrial, and English farmhouse-styles, turning them into a refined harmony or a new type of farmhouse. Color is used sparingly but daringly throughout the house in a way that the whole home seems both rebellious and extremely traditional at the same time. That uncanny mixture of opposites is great fodder for taking some good photographs. 

9. “Greetings from Austin” mural

It’s the postcard. If you’re visiting Austin, you might as well drop in on this mural and add your selfie to the millions of selfies just like it. It’s basically a tradition. This is by no means the weirdest or wildest thing Austin has to offer. But if you can’t take joy in the simple or silly things in life, what do you have most days? Get out there with your true love and take the cheesiest photo you can, with huge smiles and your arms around each other. Your Instagram followers will love it — and probably so will Mom.

10. This spacious bohemian studio in Walnut Bend

This spacious studio has a distinctive boho vibe and everything you need to dress it up — or down — to your liking. With striking country-style furniture, Persian rugs, textiles, and all sorts of nooks to explore, this space is large and filled with interesting things. It’s an ideal place to shoot if you like to tell a story with your images. There are plenty of bright whites you can use as background for crisp and distinctive splashes of color, and it has all the room you need for any angle shot you’d like to take. This place is made to foster experimentation. If you love searching for the perfect shot and finding it in the moment, you’ll really enjoy your time here.

11. The Austin skyline

There are all sorts of places inside and outside of Austin to take photographs, and in the hills just outside of town, you can get some of the most incredible views of the whole city in all its natural and man-made splendor. The city’s beautiful at midday, as in the photo above, and almost painfully lovely at sunset. In fact, the skyline at dusk might offer the best background for a romantic Instagram of anywhere in the city. 

These are just some of the most Instagrammable places in Austin. In a city so full of life, food, soul, and beauty, there’s bound to be something magical wherever you go looking for it. Make sure to share your best shots with the world. We can’t wait to see them!

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