Lone Star Riverboat

Booked way in advance for my 40^th birthday. Had friends fly out from Oregon that had never been to Texas before to help me celebrate. Booked specifically with Lone Star for a smaller boat size and noted that it was my birthday. Monster huge boat went out instead with no room for us to sit together. I walked off and booked my own boat! The large boats do not go under the bridge to see the bats and there was loud music playing that I could hear from our private boat. I will book at Capital Cruises next time! Take your vouchers and shove them! Had we been informed we would have gladly paid any extra to book the smaller boat.

Last night, we had one of the greatest experiences of our «well travelled» lives. Captain Chris took us out for a «bat tour». Try to envision 700,000 bats departing from the underside of a bridge on a beautiful Austin night. You really can’t, until you’ve experienced it! Captain Chris spent about an hour giving us an update on a history of the Austin skyline interjected with humor that either had you cringing or chuckling under your breath at the subtlety! Great tour, great fun, great time. You can’t go wrong!

I highly recommend Lone Star! We were on the smaller boat (a pontoon) and it was perfect (minus not having restrooms). Captain Chris was entertaining and knowledgeable and we really enjoyed it. The bats are unreal!

Fun! Nice tour of Austin lake enjoyed that we could bring own food and drinks added to the experience great price! Could have used some AC inside during the summer but overall nice tour would go again.

Huh, I swear I just felt a raindrop. But there isn’t a cloud in the sky…
While I’m not thrilled about the inevitable online Big Brother apocalypse, wherein massive internet search engine and social media monstrosities and their evil minions, like review sites, gleam metadata about our spending habits, sexual preferences and foodie interests and turn us into a collective zombie consumer army, there can be some upsides while we march. I was in Austin, and I figured I should see the bats in San Antonio. So I started to Google «bats in» and before I could begin my Spanish foray, Google suggested Austin. Because Google knew where I was. Because I had the location feature turned on, to allow Google to know. And Google is absolutely, positively evil.
«Bats in Austin?» I wondered aloud, and then searched. Sure enough, the largest urban colony of Mexican Free-​tailed bats in North America resides in Austin, under one bridge, hundreds of thousands of them. Who knew? In the article, Lone Star Riverboat was referenced. Being a good automaton, I then searched for Lone Star on Unilocal,and the reviews were strong. I called, leaving a message, I wanted four seats on the boat that evening. Five minutes later I received a call from the owner: we were in. Cash only. Arrive early. BYOB.
The tour was informal and enjoyable. We rode the water for 50 minutes before the bats emerged; in the meantime we enjoyed a local’s take on the history of this burgeoning city. Informative and opinionated, flavorful. And speaking of flavor: they say the bat guano, or poo, smells like warm tortillas. AND IT’S SO TRUE! Whoever made that sensory connection, however, should seek help immediately. And they also say that when you’re watching the bats fly overhead and you feel a raindrop and there isn’t a cloud in the sky…

LoneStar has 3 boats that they use for their cruises, two smaller boats and a larger river boat. For the bat cruise it seems like they normally use the smaller boats, and the larger one is reserved for parties/​private functions. The larger boat even had a live band, so it made the waiting time less boring, and it was also pretty cool listening to the background music while all the boats lined up to wait for the bats. Captain Laura (I think that was her name), seems like a quiet person, and we couldn’t hear the other captain when he went over safety, so we missed that — it’s common sense stuff though, just don’t jump into the water. Once the tour started, everyone was able to hear her since she put on a headset; she knows a lot about the current Austin scene and architecture, so it was really interesting learning about some of the buildings, like the bell/​fire tower, the W building, the owl looking building, the new library that’s under construction, etc… Out of all the boats (including the competition), Captain Laura also brought us far back and slowed down to ensure everyone on the boat could take a perfect shot of the city, and then brought us up closest to the bridge/​bats, so that was awesome. She also knows a lot about the bats; so it was really cool learning more about them. Definitely recommend going on a boat to watch the bats, it was really awesome!

We had a blast on the sunset bat tour. The bats had just returned to the bridge so the exit wasn’t quite as impressive as I’d hoped but the boat ride itself was plenty. The bats we did get to see were just icing on the cake. It’s fun to see downtown Austin from the water and at just $ 10 per person for the hour ride, narrated by your captain, it’s the best deal deal in town!

I took my elderly parents, who were visiting from out of State.
We had a great time. Very informative and funny
All questions were answered and we saw the bats.
Will do this again.
The driver was very friendly.
Overall was well worth the money and will definitely go back.

I took my family from out of town on the bat tour at 7pm. We got there at 6:25 and were able to get seats upstairs with a table with a party of 9. The weather was perfect and the commentary from Aaron was entertaining. The price was great at only $ 10 per adult. We couldn’t find parking where they suggested so we parked at the Hyatt. It was only $ 6 for under 4 hours and right next to the dock. Booking was a little confusing but the woman who called to confirm was totally nice, as were the people checking reservations as we boarded the boat. Don’t expect an elaborate tour of all things Austin but they had good information about the bats and the architecture of the city. If you go in Oct, bring a sweatshirt or light jacket. The people next to us got there early and brought a deck of cards, which was a good idea to pass the time of you get there early.

Captain Katy was fun, knowledgeable and wonderful! The skyline was gorgeous and the bats incredible. This was a very great deal and well worth the price! It was difficult figuring out where to park, but once we found the Hyatt parking garage (GREAT price — $ 6 for under 4 hours), we were good to go!

What a fun way to spend an evening in Austin!
I took this little tour solo dolo while I was in town for work and really enjoyed learning about the skyline of Austin as well as the bats. This is definitely worth the price for an evening of sightseeing.
The only downside for me was that as a visitor in town, it was difficult to figure out where to get on the boat. I parked pretty far away and walked and walked and walked and walked to find the on-​ramp to the boat — without knowing if I was headed in the right direction.

Captain Chris was very entertains & informative tonight! It was a beautiful early fall evening that couldn’t have been more perfect. The bats were spectacular! Very nice staff!!! REAL Austin fun!

We had given this another try and most certainly will not ever waste our time with it again.
Hopefully you will get better. Do not expect us to be customers

Come early so you can get seats right next to the water. It was amazing. There was a beautiful breeze happening. It gets FULL FULL FULL and BYOB. Great way to see the city at night.

Great tour! Our guide Han was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Highly recommend this if you want to get the best view of the bats.

This review is for the 10:30 Moonlight cruise.
Tip: Park at auditorium shores — it is a little tricky to know exactly where to go and the website isn’t necessarily helpful.
Tip: Get there plenty early, because you might get stuck indoors at one of the only tables left.
Found this place through groupon and had a nice time. We boarded at 10:10 and the boat was basically full. I wish they would sell less seats… they really cram people on here and it really takes away from the aura. The boats were full of couples doing the same exact thing, drinking wine and looking into each others eyes etc etc. However, there was also a birthday party which comprised of hard liquor and lots of shouting. didn’t bother me, but just know that you are not guaranteed an intimate quiet evening.
My main complaint with this is that they really do pack a bunch of people on the boat. I felt like we were SO CLOSE together and it really took away from the experience.
Yea, BYOB is nice, but you can hear every conversation around you. Also, if you want to sit out on the deck, get there plenty early.
I will be back when visitors are in town to take them on a daytime or sunset trip, but essentially, the moonlight trip really doesn’t do it for me.

I was quite happy with my experience! After reading the reviews here, I was prepared for the non-​riverboat experience, saying Bön voyage to the riverboaters leaving before us on our trek to the sunset and bat breeding grounds.
Seating is a bit cramped on your basic garden variety plastic chairs. BYOB is fantastic! Captain Beard was hilarious and full of cool tips and insight. And the price ($ 10 per person) is just right.
TIPS:
1) if you board early and want a little extra legroom, choose the seats on the starboard/​right side of the boat nearest the gate.
2) The guide gave us this great $ 10 date idea: moonlit 10:30pm riverboat cruise on Friday nights. Also BYOB!
3) speaking of BYOB, get ya some cans of Lone Star (a/​k/​a National Beer of Texas)!
4) if you have babies, be aware that it might not be a wise choice to bring them along. Room is TIGHT on board. You will not be able to just get up and walk them around. Also, NO bathrooms for changing diapers!

I will never ride on this line again. Mike was the rudest man I have ever met. We reserved online and we arrived at 7:47 and he was selling off our seats. I will be filing a complaint with the BBB as well.
Nike needs some customer service classes adapt before you lose even more customers.

All aboard!!! We took the approximate one hour journey at the end of July so it was pretty toasty on the open upper deck of the Lone Star Riverboat — as is to be expected during summer in Central Texas. If you aren’t willing to catch a few rays and get better views during the «tour,» the enclosed lower deck is air conditioned and they have a bar area where they sell cold water, soft drinks, and other snacks (e.g., chips; there are also two restrooms in the lower deck). Or, if you prefer you can bring your own adult libations onboard (just no glass please) — a cold brew was very pleasing!
Tourist or local, if you’ve never done it before, taking a short cruise on the Lone Star is a must in my opinion. The Captain’s «monolog» was very interesting and informative (learned things about the ATX I didn’t know) and there are splendid views of the city from all angles allowing for some great photo opps. All for the mere price of 10 bucks p/​p! Plus, I have to say… it’s just downright neato. Since there are no engine-​powered vessels allowed on Lady Bird, the LSR is a real paddle-​wheeler. The Lone Star is actually the largest electric powered Riverboat in the entire United States! Yup, bigger in Texas!
March through October they also do daily Bat Watching Sunset tours (same $ 10 p/​p; the end of August is typically the best time but of course varies — they’re bats!) that takes your directly under the bridge where ~1.5 Mexican Free-​Tailed Bats call home during the season and emerge from every evening to feed. Truly a sight to see and MUCH better than trying to view from atop the bridge.
The Lonestar River Boat runs year round, so is great any time, no matter what the weather or occasion! The even have «special» cruises including ones to help celebrate Valentine’s Day and the 4^th of July! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
TIP: Garage parking is available at the very nearby Hyatt Hotel for $ 6 (up to 4 hrs). There is free parking around if you can find it, but frankly it’s not worth the hassle. Plus, the Hyatt has a nice bar and cool deck to sit and enjoy a drink and maybe a snack afterwards. Cheers!

The boat was very nice for what it was and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The tour guide was very clever and witty with her words and the tour information was quite fun and interesting. In between the guided tour, they would give us free time with no narration for a little break time and at the end they wrapped it up with a nice outro. Parking can be found at the Hyatt Hotel for only $ 6 for the first 0 – 4 hours. When you walk up to the docks, they are the docks on the left. The staff works mostly off of gratuity so don’t forget to bring some cash!
Don’t get them mixed up with the Capital Cities tour because those guys are extremely rude and will push you aside when they are busy and feel you are most likely a pushover.