Welcome to Downtown Bastrop!

  

Bastrop, Texas has everything you could hope for from a small town downtown—it's quaint and charming, historic, and hopping with fantastic places to eat, shop, and play. Plus, the Colorado River winds its way through the heart of downtown Bastrop, providing ample outdoor activities like fishing, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, SUP (stand up paddleboarding), or walking the June Hill Pape Riverwalk in Fisherman's Park and taking in the sights.

 

The Old Iron Bridge—renamed the Chief Petty Officer Stephen “Matt” Mills bridge for a local Navy SEAL who gave his life in Afghanistan in 2011—crosses the Colorado River and transports you into "historically hip" downtown Bastrop. People come from far and near to spit off the bridge and join the Society of Bridge Spitters.

 

Downtown Bastrop boasts a superior Culinary District with plenty of local restaurants, bakeries, and farmer's markets. The Roadhouse's Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger was named one of the best burgers in Texas by Texas Monthly, and Maxine's on Main was recognized by Texas Monthly as one of the “40 Best Places for Breakfast in Texas” and one of the “40 Best Small Town Cafes in Texas.”

 

Bastrop is also home to a thriving art scene with numerous art galleries and many talented local artists. Downtown Bastrop hosts a monthly First Friday Art Walk that's like the art equivalent of a pub crawl, and residents and visitors alike can enjoy gorgeous pieces of art spread throughout the city thanks to Bastrop Art in Public Places, a city-appointed organization that promotes funding (or finding) art to be displayed in public spaces around town.

 

For something a little out of the ordinary, check out Bastrop's Historic Farm Street Chicken Sanctuary, where chickens roam the street, protected from fast drivers and anyone wishing to harm them.