20 Unique Austin Event Venues for Meetings, Weddings, & More
Austin, the state capital of Texas and the 11th most-populous city in the nation, is bursting with eclectic live-music venues and outdoor hotspots. As one of the fastest-growing and most desirable cities in the nation, it’s no surprise that a number of events want to call it home. Luckily, if your event is on that list, we’ve rounded up the 20 unique Austin event venues that can help you narrow down your options to the best of the best. Check ’em out and see how each is keeping Austin wonderfully weird.
Remember: If, by chance, you don’t find what you’re looking for on this list, you can always search through hundreds more spaces using our venue search engine. You’ll find floor plans, photos, all the details, and the added perk of being able to compare multiple listings side by side.
Enjoy the best of the city with these 20 unique Austin event spaces.
1. Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt
Flecked with unique decor that sets it apart from other Austin hotels, the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt offers guests a home base on Rainey Street, arguably the city’s hippest neighborhood. Here guests can experience all that keeps Austin deliciously weird with just a short stroll. 20,000 square feet of event space and seven meeting rooms are available in total, including the gorgeous Lady Bird Ballroom (capacity 600).
2. InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel
The InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel was the city’s first-ever high-rise hotel. Built in 1924 to showcase a little slice of Southern hospitality, the hotel boasts six meeting spaces, the largest of which is able to accommodate up to 400 guests. Guests will love its convenient downtown location next to the Paramount Theatre as well as the relaxing rooftop terrace where they’ll find Stephen F’s bar.
3. Hangar Lounge
Remember when flying was considered a luxury and guests dressed up for the experience? Well the Hangar Lounge is reminiscent of that time. This Austin event venue offers three floors modeled after a 1950s mid-century airport lounge, including a rooftop deck. Guests will enjoy signature cocktails, while planners enjoy a comfortable atmosphere that’s perfect for any event.
4. Vulcan Gas Company
The Vulcan Gas Company is a state-of-the-art, Steampunk-inspired music venue designed to host the most cutting-edge musical experiences. The 9,500 square foot, two-floor venue can host up to 658 guests and boasts two bars along with an outdoor terrace. The Funktion One sound system is the pinnacle of sound and will make any musical event experience one to remember, as will the fully customizable lighting system.
5. Pecan Springs Ranch
Pecan Springs Ranch is a beautiful indoor and outdoor event venue with 6,000 square feet of climate-controlled indoor event space, several outdoor spaces, and a 4,500 square-foot creekside multipurpose pavilion. This venue offers a multitude of space, a prep kitchen, optional bar area, and onsite seating and decor rental to name just a few of the amenities. (But the most amazing part about this Austin event venue might just be the drink donkeys.)
6. Brazos Hall
Brazos Hall, on the corner of Brazos and 4th, was originally a 1900s grain mill, but was converted in a beautiful multi-use space. This incredibly unique venue offers 8,400 square feet of open space in the Main Hall (capacity 900) and a 3,500 square-foot rooftop deck overlooking downtown. Still alluringly industrial in aesthetic, the long-leaf pine floors and exposed brick make this Austin event space capable of being dressed up or down for just about any event type ” from picturesque weddings to unique business meetings.
7. The Zach Theatre
The Zach Theatre is a performing arts campus that offers three theatre spaces and seven other unique event spaces in close proximity to Lady Bird Lake. Included in these spaces is the People’s Plaza and Bobbi Pavillion, a 6,700 square-foot outdoor venue capable of hosting up to 850 guests, as well as the Serra Skyline VIP Lounge and Terkel Terrace, which can accommodate up to 90 people. The campus also offers AV equipment and staff, complimentary ushers, in-house rental equipment, and ample parking.
8. Hotel Ella
Hotel Ella is a stunning boutique hotel located just minutes from downtown Austin, featuring one-of-a-kind, hand-carved woodwork by legendary Swiss carver Peter Mansbendel. The hotel offers a variety of luxurious amenities for your event, including in-house catering by Goodall’s Kitchen, an event coordinator, and top-notch AV equipment. An ideal Austin wedding venue, Ella offers a 3,400+ square foot ballroom (that can also be broken up into smaller breakout rooms) and wraparound veranda (capacity 200) overlooking a tranquil garden and pool.
9. Austin Film Society Cinema
Austin Film Society Cinema curates and screens hundreds of repertory, international, and arthouse films and is also available as an event venue year-round. The Cinema offers two theaters, one that seats 160 and one that seats 278, and an event hall capable of accommodating up to 500 guests. The venue also provides full bar service and and ample parking.
10. Palmer Events Center
With two exhibit halls, five meeting rooms, and several outdoor canopies, the 13,000-square-foot Palmer Events Center is a versatile venue for vibrant events. The knowledgeable event planners on the Palmer staff can help you coordinate and plan every detail, and you can count on state-of-the-art AV equipment to deliver impressive presentations. (Check out the timelapse above of the team setting up for the 2017 PCMA Convening Leaders event.)
11. ACL Live at the Moody Theater
ACL Live at the Moody Theater is live music venue capable of hosting 2,750 guests in a state-of-the-art setting. This famous event venue offers three levels of spaces, which include a lobby and two theaters equipped with art galleries. The on-site event planners will help you make the most of your event all the way down to a helping hand with marketing.
12. Hogg Memorial Auditorium
The University of Texas at Austin is home to several unique buildings, one of which is Hogg Memorial Auditorium. The 24,992 square-foot building boasts four floors of unique event space minutes from downtown Austin. Constructed in 1933, it was the first theatre on the school’s campus.
13. The Driskill
Built in 1886 as the showplace of a cattle baron, The Driskill is a landmark Austin hotel that’s located in the heart of Downtown. The hotel has 13 unique meeting rooms spread over 18,000 total square feet of event space, one of which is the Driskill Mezzanine ” a 5,634 square-foot hall on the second floor boasting painted marble columns. It’s capable of hosting up to 1,000 guests.
Fun fact: Austin locals will tell you that the Driskill Hotel is haunted.
14. Graceland Oaks
Tucked away in Austin proper is a hidden oasis for events of up to 250 guests: Graceland Oaks Event Center. This chiefly outdoor Austin event venue offers 9,000 square feet, catering, full-bar service, and AV equipment for planners to play with. (Don’t forget the covered dance floor!) While Graceland is known for its outdoor spaces, it also has some incredible indoor spaces, including the cozy Bridal Suite ” a must for such an excellent wedding venue.
15. Renaissance Austin Hotel
Looking for something close to Austin-Bergstrom Airport? The Renaissance Austin Hotel is your choice location, featuring an expansive 69,000+ square feet of flexible meeting spaces. The largest of the 24 event rooms, the Grand Ballroom, is able to host up 1,850 guests. A popular pick for corporate meetings, this hotel will give you the breakout rooms and cutting-edge AV needed for top-notch presentations and flawless corporate affairs.
16. Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art
Second only to the 18,000 amazing works of art in the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art are its beautiful event spaces ” available for weddings, screenings, business meetings, and beyond. The crown jewel of the Blanton might just be the atrium, where guests will find 50-foot ceilings and iridescent blue walls that couple to create a dramatic backdrop. Over in the Edgar A. Smith building, planners will also have access to small, flexible breakout spaces like the Meadows Classroom and Capitol Room.
17. Sonesta Bee Cave Austin
The Sonesta Bee Cave in Austin is a unique, boutique hotel situated near scenic Lake Travis and the Hill Country Galleria. Just twenty minutes from downtown, it’s close enough to the action of the city but far enough to offer rest and respite. The venue has two available spaces: the 10,000-square-foot Colony Ballroom (which is capable of being divided into five smaller spaces) and the beautiful Swarm Courtyard.
18. 800 Congress
Industrial-chic isn’t even the half of it at 800 Congress ” an Austin event venue that brings raw industrial brick and warehouse aesthetics together in a breathtaking blank canvas for weddings, corporate parties, and more. The flexible main space offers 4,500 square feet of indoor event space and 1,300 square feet outside, connected by garage doors that allow the venue to connect the two seamlessly. Able to accommodate 600, the venue also offers an incredible sound system, large-scale projection screen, and four moveable bars.
19. Trinity Hall
Nestled in bustling downtown, events will find a fresh face in the world of unique Austin event venues: Trinity Hall. Featuring 11,766 square feet of flexible space, groups of up to 600 can customize this tabula rasa to their hearts’ desires. Trinity Hall offers planners 12-foot ceilings, unique furnishings, full bar service, and a commercial kitchen. AV can also be provided by any of the venue’s preferred third-party vendors.
20. Fair Market
Located in the epicenter of East Austin, Fair Market is the perfect setting for indoor and outdoor social events, corporate functions, and weddings. The venue offers 16,000 square feet of interior space and 15,500 square feet of exterior space that can be combined for larger events. Ideal for unique and creative happenings, guests will love the hip industrial aesthetic and location in what’s becoming one of the most exciting areas of the city.
Find Austin a little too weird? Check out top venues in other popular destinations.