World's Largest Urban Bat Colony

• World's Largest Urban Bat Colony

Crowds gather nightly to watch 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats shoot out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Standing atop the bridge, or down below, visitors offer the condemned mosquitoes a last meal while waiting for the bats to make their entrance.

Props to the Austin American-Statesman for allowing the use of their parking lot, and their grass to hang out on. Wear a hat.

Across Congress Street from the Statesman a sculpture, Nightwing, celebrates the bat.

Another convenient-for-tourists (but smaller) bat colony is reported 15 miles north of Austin, underneath the I-35 underpass at McNeil Road, Round Rock. Wear a hat.

Address: Congress Ave., Austin, TX

Directions: Congress Avenue Bridge on Town Lake, Austin American-Statesman parking lot on the southeast side, free parking to the public after 6 pm.

Hours: Bats take wing just before dark, usually -- March through November.
Admission: Free.