ATXplained

Ella moved to Austin from Waco over the summer. But she’s kind of overwhelmed with all the choices here. She wants your help! Go here to record your recommendations for things like outdoor spaces, festivals, food and more.

The facility has been under construction for years now — at least twice as long as expected. Parts of it have reopened, but the whole thing was supposed to be done a year ago. So what’s the hold up?

We all have vague memories of childhood, that are so faded we can’t even tell if they’re real. This is a story about one such memory.

At Austin City Hall, a sign points to each of Austin’s international sister cities. The sister cities program dates back almost 60 years. Our question asker knows a lot about this, but she wants more people to know.

Landmarks are everywhere for those with eyes to see.

John Erler from Master Pancake Theater joins us to riff on the story about him as it’s performed live. There’s also video of this story. It helps — especially during the snake part.

A fan of the movie-riffing show at the Alamo Drafthouse wanted to know more about how they got their start. Don’t miss the bonus episode after this one — a recording of the ATXplained Live where this story gets riffed on live!

The summer air is supposed to filled with magical, twinkling insects. But you might have noticed — depending on where you live in Austin — that there don’t seem to be as many of them lately. KUT’s Chelsey Zhu went on a bug hunt.

Austin’s weirdest Independence Day parade has been going for decades. Now the husband of one participant wants answers: how did it begin and why do dozens of women (and a few men) do march like this every year? Watch this story at our May 21, 2026 ATXplained Live at Bass Concert Hall — including a […] The post Is this Fourth of July tradition in Northwest Austin the work of some kind o...

Thousands of animals are picked up from the road around Austin every year. But where do these animals go when they die? The post What happens to all the dead animals the city collects from roads in Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

The springs that feed Barton Springs were formed millions of years ago. So what have human relationships with Austin’s “Crown Jewel” been like in that time? The post Was Austin’s Barton Springs sacred to Indigenous people before Europeans showed up? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Darren Smith swore the dark, antlered figure he saw in the early morning hours was an elk. No one believed him. This story was originally part of KUT’s ATXplained Live on Oct. 29, 2025. Tickets for our next show on May 21 are available here. The post Are there wild elk lurking in southwest Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

The story starts with a mysterious, long-nippled figure lurking among the tree tops, but it gets weirder from there. The post What’s the story behind this freaky sculpture hanging in the Barton Creek Greenbelt? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

We’re back with a new season of ATXplained. Lots of great stories coming your way this year. We’ll start with one from our last ATXplained Live. It’s about a guy who’s whole thing is to stand out. The post Who’s the guy who dances and silently raps at the corner of Barton Springs and South First? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

We go in search of a poet who was a fixture in Austin more than a decade ago — but suddenly dropped off the map. The post Who was that guy who used to read psychedelic poems before big concerts in Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

We’re not talking about politics. Is the capitol building itself literally radioactive? The post Is the Texas Capitol radioactive? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

We go in search of the sandwich artist. But we find they’re behind a lot more iconic business art in Austin. The post Who made those giant sandwiches outside of Thundercloud Subs? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Think of a food that reminds you of Austin or Texas. Tacos? Barbecue? How about a thick slice of bread, buttered on both sides and toasted to perfection? The post How did Texas become the only state with its own toast? (archive episode) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Shoeless children running around the land that would become Rollingwood and West Lake Hills. Bar fights ending in axe-chopped limbs. Illegal moonshine operations in caves. It’s the stuff of legend. But are the legends true? If you like what we do on ATXplained, we need your financial support right now. Go to supportthispodcast.org and mention […] The post Who were the ‘Cedar Chop...

Texas left the United States in 1861 and joined the Confederacy. But on the local level, the vote to leave the Union was more complicated. The post Did Travis County vote against secession before the Civil War? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Like many lynching victims, their names are unknown, and details about their lives and deaths are scarce. Only foreign newspapers reported on the crimes. The post Three Black Texans were lynched 130 years ago. How can Austin preserve their memory? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Join us for our next ATXplained Live at Bass Concert Hall! Here’s a sample from one of our previous shows, where we answer a question about the space you’ll be sitting in at the show. Get your tickets to the show at texasperformingarts.org The post Tickets are on sale now for our Oct. 29 ATXplained Live appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

In this story, originally from our Sept. 2022 ATXplained Live show, KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy investigates why Austin sidewalks sometimes just kinda stop. In the middle of a block. And she does battle with Shel Silverstein. If you like what you hear on this podcast, consider becoming a member and supporting us with a few bucks. […] The post Why do sidewalks in Austin sometimes just end? (...

Kathryn Stacer had a question about her grandfather. We try to find an answer, but also consider whether the answer even matters. If you like what we do on ATXplained, we need your financial support right now. Go to supportthispodcast.org and mention ATXplained in the comments. We’ll shout you out in a later episode! The post Who is the oldest World War II veteran in the Austin area? appeare...

Talk about “Old Austin” — this was Austin before it was Austin. So why was it named after a city in Belgium? We try to find out. The post Why was Austin once called ‘Waterloo’? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .