The Driskill Hotel
historic place
The Driskill Hotel, a Historic Place in Austin, Travis County, opened on December 20, 1886. Cattle baron Colonel Jesse Driskill built this Romanesque Revival style hotel, intending it to be the finest in the Southwest. From its beginning, the Driskill served as a key gathering place for Austin's social and political events. It hosted inaugural balls for Texas governors, a tradition starting with Governor Sul Ross in 1887. Future President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson had their first date within its walls. As Austin's oldest operating hotel, the Driskill Hotel was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966. Its continued operation underscores its historical significance.