On April 26 and 27 from 10 am to 5 pm, Preservation Austin will highlight the heritage and history of some of Austin's most beautiful homes on the 2025 Homes Tour.

Unlike some other architectural tours, this one focuses solely on historic homes, allowing participants to explore 10 of Austin's historic private residences: five on one day, and five the next. Tickets ($35) can be purchased in advance online or in person during the tour. Just like in its previous 30 plus years, the Homes Tour's proceeds support Preservation Austin's advocacy efforts and educational programs.

"Austinites can explore our city’s history while soaking up architecture, culture, and design excellence along the way,” said Preservation Austin executive director Lindsey Derrington in a press release. “We can’t wait to welcome over 2,500 guests to take part in this special weekend.”

Aside from regular tickets, there will be a VIP party on Thursday, April 17, in the gorgeous gardens of South Austin's 19th-century I.V. Davis Homestead. This party is open to the public, and the $125 VIP ticket includes admission to the full homes tour.

Finally, Preservation Austin is also offering a free walking tour exploring the legacy of historical Black architect John S. Chase as Austin celebrates the 100th anniversary of his birth. This April 26 event requires an advanced RSVP, but doesn't require a ticket to the Homes Tour.

But enough with the details. For those who want a sneak peek, here are this year's 10 featured homes. Full addresses will be published on Preservation Austin's website on April 14.

This West 7th Street bungalow was built in 1924. Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

West 7th Street
Saturday, April 26

This bungalow was built in 1924, blocks away from where the city's first streetcar line once ran. Just last year, a team including architects Forge Crafts gave this home an extensive renovation including a rebuilt foundation and energy-efficient windows.

The "Roger-Lyons House" on East 8th Street.Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

East 8th Street
Saturday, April 26

The "Rogers-Lyons House" is a City of Austin Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was originally built in 1893 and has been updated many times over since. In 1983, architect Emily Little bought the home and has given it a sweeping makeover while still maintaining its historic charm.

This ranch-style home on Bluebonnet Lane was originally built in 1955.Photo courtesy of Jake Holt

Bluebonnet Lane
Saturday, April 26

This ranch-style home was designed in 1955 by modernist architect Leonard Lundgren with a lot of midcentury charm. The home's current owners, Nicholas and Brianna Adams, bought it in 2022 and with Lundgren's original blueprints of the home. They restored and updated it to match the designer's original vision.

This house on Holly Street played an important historical role in the city's Mexican American Civil Rights Movement in the late 60s. Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

Holly Street
Saturday, April 26

This Holly Street house is not only beautiful, but holds a significant place in the city's Mexican American Civil Rights Movement in the late 60s and 70s. It was during this time that the Austin Chicano Huelga (or the Economy Furniture Strike) was happening, and Jim Ruiz and his wife, Caroline, purchased this home. Jim was the treasurer and union representative for the Upholsterer's International Union, and it was in this very house that his wife stitched the local 456 strikers' banner. This historic home remains with the Ruiz family, owned today by Jim and Caroline's son Michael Ruiz.

This beautiful home on Virginia Avenue features modern design elements with original charm. Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

Virginia Avenue
Saturday, April 26

The I.V. Davis Homestead in Oak Hill is a Greek-Revival style home with sweeping full-facade porches on both stories, original floors and ceilings, and thick stone quarried walls. Since 1990, this 150-year-old home has been owned by Laura Mings Joseph, who has has transformed its outdoor space into a sanctuary for purple martins, a bird in the swallow family.

This Craftsman style home features original design elements from 1912, like these exposed wood ceiling beams. Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

West 32nd Street
Sunday, April 27

Tucked into the North University neighborhood, this Craftsman-style home was originally built around 1912. These days, the home features modern renovations which further bring out its preserved brick fireplace, stained glass windows, and exposed wood beams.

This Harris Boulevard House is a perfect blend of English cottage, Tudor Revival Style, and Texas charm. Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

Harris Boulevard
Sunday, April 27

This Old West Austin home was originally built in 1936; a perfect example of "The Romantic English Cottage variation of the Tudor Revival Style," according to the release. In other words, it includes exaggerated, fantasy castle-like features such as a prominent turret, diamond-paned windows, and arched entryways.

The Ridge Oak Dr. House was originally built by modernist architect Arthur Fehr in 1949. Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

Ridge Oak Drive
Sunday, April 27

Austin modernist architect Arthur Fehr built this home for his family in 1949. Since then, it has changed hands several times, but current owners Keli and Jan Sotelo purchased the place in 2010. They've carefully maintained the 75-year old home's character while modernizing it.

This home on San Gabriel Street was originally built in 1927 and has only recently been restored. Photo courtesy of Clay Grier

San Gabriel Street
Sunday, April 27

Austin architect Edwin C. Kreisle designed this beautiful home in 1927, and it has only recently been restored. In 2023 Side Angle Side led a "sensitive" renovation, creating a more open floor plan, adding in a theater room, and creating play areas for the current homeowners' children.

This Woodlawn Boulevard property uniquely features four separate homes in this 1940 fourplex. Photo courtesy of Jenn Rose Smith

Woodlawn Boulevard
Sunday, April 27

This 1940 fourplex consists of a sprawling plot of land with not one or two, but four separate cross-ventilated apartments. This "Monterey Revival style" of the four buildings is rarely seen in Austin and was far more common in California in the 1920s.