The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Monday, August 31, 2026
Austin, Texas, has successfully integrated its massive bat population under the Congress Avenue Bridge into its city identity and tourism. Ryan Huling noted that a public education campaign helped residents view the bats as neighbors rather than a threat, leading to creative urban adaptations like bat-themed art and hotels.
“When I visited Austin, as you may know, there's a famous bridge, Congress Avenue Bridge, that has become a tourist hotspot in Austin because there are bats, millions of bats living underneath the bridge.”
“There's been a successful public education campaign so that people understand these are not a threat.”
“And you started seeing bat street art, you had bat graffiti, you had a hotel near the ballpark where people could watch the bat emergence happen at night.”