In the first half of the 19thcentury, the Republic of Texas settled on a national capital that was centrally located in the republic’s territory. The community of Waterloo was then renamed “Austin” in honor of Stephen F. Austin “the Father of Texas”, and became the permanent capital of the republic.
Building booms in the 1850s and 1880s radically grew the city’s infrastructure, and the technology boom in the last twenty years has more than doubled Austin’s population.
With increased residential needs, the city has benefited from a cultural boom, as well. Museums and the arts have flourished in the last ten years. Come explore!
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
Austin Museum of Art Laguna Gloria
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum