The Austin Studio Tour is opening more doors than ever this November, inviting residents and visitors to wander through 309 studios, galleries and creative spaces across the city at no cost. This year's edition features 815 participating artists and creatives, spanning everything from painting and photography to sculpture, music and performance art. It's the 24th year of the event, and organizers say it remains free and open to all ages.
The tour runs across two weekends, November 14-15 and November 21-22, with hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, according to Austin Studio Tour. The event lets visitors meet artists directly and explore their studios, galleries and creative spaces, with visitors able to take part in hands-on activities alongside the chance to buy original artwork straight from the people who made it. Natalie Earhart told KEYE / CBS Austin that the tour has grown to 815 participants across 309 locations, and that the event is about advocating for local art and keeping artists rooted in Austin.
A Changing of the Guard Behind the Scenes
This year's tour almost didn't happen in its familiar form. Longtime organizer Big Medium announced it could no longer continue running the event, leaving its future uncertain before Almost Real Things stepped in to carry it forward, per the organization's own account. The handoff marks a second consecutive year under new leadership, after Almost Real Things took the reins for the first time in 2025.
That first year under Almost Real Things already set records. Participation reached what organizers called an all-time high, with more than 720 artists, art groups and hosts represented in 2025, according to Austin Studio Tour's press materials — a number that has now grown to the expanded roster of 815 for 2026. Separately, KUT reported that 2025 was also the first year each of the tour's two weekends was made citywide, after previously being split between East and West Austin, and that 60% of that year's artists were new to the tour.
Exact 2025 Numbers Remain Disputed
Precisely how big the 2025 tour was depends on who's counting. Austin Studio Tour's own letter described 722 participants featured at 319 locations as the largest tour in its history, while Glasstire reported 723 participating artists and vendors across 317 locations for that same year. The two accounts don't line up exactly, and nothing in the available record resolves which figure is correct.
Planning a Route Through the City
For first-timers trying to make sense of hundreds of locations, Earhart advised starting with neighborhoods rather than trying to see everything at once, per her interview with We Are Austin host Trevor Scott. The tour's website lets users filter by location, art form and activities to narrow things down, and organizers have also built curated tours — including family-friendly options, accessible experiences and music-focused routes — to help visitors pick a path that fits.
Beyond browsing and buying, visitors can take part in hands-on activities. Activities may include pottery demonstrations, printmaking and bandana-making, giving visitors more than just a passive walk-through.
A Guidebook — At a Price That Depends on the Source
For those who want a physical reference, the official 2026 Austin Studio Tour Guidebook includes participating artists, locations, descriptions and a navigation map, and organizers say both the guidebook and the online Explore platform are arriving earlier this year to give visitors more time to plan personalized routes. Pricing for that guidebook depends on timing: CultureMap Austin reported a price of $16, while the guidebook is listed at $12 during Tour hours.
The stakes for events like this extend beyond ticket sales or guidebook prices. CultureMap also cited the Texas Cultural Trust's 2025 State of the Arts Report, which found that the arts and culture industry generated $459.1 million in Texas sales tax revenue in 2023 — a reminder of the broader economic footprint that citywide art showcases like this one represent for the artists who depend on them.
