Austin Train Show and Le Garage Sale Both Close Today — Do This One First

The trains stop running at 4 PM today. The clothes racks next door stay open until 5. According to ATX Things analysis of both events' own listings, the 53rd annual Austin Train Show and the twice-a-year Le Garage Sale are sharing Palmer Events Center in South Austin this weekend, and Sunday, Aug. 30 is the last chance for both — with two different closing times you'll want to plan around.

Austin's heat dome hasn't broken all week — the most recent forecast this desk pulled put today at 102.4°F (Open-Meteo, checked Aug. 26) — which makes an air-conditioned building with a train show on one side and 140 clothing racks on the other a genuinely good Sunday plan, not just a cute one.

What time does each event close today?

The Austin Train Show runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today — an hour shorter than Saturday's 10-to-5 window, according to the show's own site, austintrainshow.org. Le Garage Sale runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, per its organizer's site, legaragesale.net. Neither has a re-entry policy posted, so budget your order: the trains close first.

What's actually on the show floor

This is the Austin Train Show's 53rd year, and the organizers describe it as "25,000 square feet of model railroading" spread across Palmer's main hall. Five model railroad clubs are running layouts today, in five different scales: All Points North Model Railroad Association (Z scale), AustNtrak & TTrak (N scale), Tinplate Trackers (Lionel), Round Rock Model Railroaders (O scale), and the Austin Model Railway Society (HO scale). Kids can ride the Kiddie Express, a real, rideable mini-train, and there's a self-guided tour list of local model railroaders' home layouts for anyone who wants to keep going after the show closes. The show also runs a raffle with a complete model railroad as a prize, plus hobby clinics through the day.

One honest note: the show's own site lists the Texas Brick Railroad — a Lego-built layout that's been a past crowd favorite — with a strikethrough next to its name, meaning it's sitting this show out. If Lego trains specifically are why you're loading up the kids, that display isn't part of this year's floor.

Admission is $9 in advance or $10 at the door, and it's genuinely good value if you're bringing a family: kids 12 and under get in free with a paying adult, and a single ticket covers both Saturday and Sunday. Military and first responders get $1 off at the door with ID. Tickets are sold through the show's own Eventsmart page, not at a third-party reseller.

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"They have plenty of parking space but they charge $12 for an entry for one time, which is valid until 24 hrs."

— one Google reviewer, on Palmer Events Center parking

That's one person's experience, not a posted rate from the venue — but it lines up with how Palmer typically prices its lot for ticketed weekend events, so budget for paid parking rather than assuming it's free.

Le Garage Sale, one door over

Le Garage Sale has run twice a year, every January and August, since 2001 — this is its 25th anniversary year as a standing Austin institution, according to its own site. The pitch is simple: more than 140 local boutiques and independent labels bring their end-of-season overstock and sell it at one flat discount, under one roof, for one weekend. There's coffee, a full bar with a roaming cart, and a DJ-level "shopping soundtrack" running the floor, per the organizer's own description.

Today's hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — the VIP pre-shop window (9:30–11 a.m., $25) was a Saturday-only perk and has already passed, so today everyone pays the standard $12-per-day admission at the door. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite; an ATM is on-site if you need cash, though bank fees apply.

Can you actually do both today?

Yes, and the layout makes it easy — both events are inside the same Palmer Events Center complex on Barton Springs Road, a five-minute walk from wing to wing. The practical order is trains first: gates open at 10 a.m. for the show, and it closes at 4 p.m., an hour before Le Garage Sale's 5 p.m. cutoff. Arrive by mid-morning, do the trains and the Kiddie Express with the kids, then walk over to the sale for the last hour while everyone's still got some daylight and air conditioning left in them.

Getting there and parking

Palmer Events Center sits at 900 Barton Springs Rd in South-Central Austin, just south of Lady Bird Lake and a short drive from South Congress. It's inside the 78704 ZIP, so if you want a bite afterward without getting back in the car, there's a real cluster of restaurants nearby:

What locals should know

• Two events, two closing times: Train Show ends at 4 PM today; Le Garage Sale stays open until 5 PM.
• Trains are the family deal: kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult, and Saturday's ticket still works today.
• The Lego layout isn't here this year — the Texas Brick Railroad is marked as not participating on the show's own site.
• Garage Sale's VIP hour already happened (Saturday 9:30–11 AM) — today it's standard $12 admission for everyone.
• Budget for paid parking on-site; it's not a free lot.
• Both buildings are fully indoor and air-conditioned — a real advantage on a 100°+ Sunday.

FAQ

What time does the Austin Train Show close today (Sunday, Aug. 30)? 4 p.m. — an hour earlier than Saturday's 5 p.m. close, per the show's own site.

Is Le Garage Sale open on the same day? Yes, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, in the same Palmer Events Center complex, per legaragesale.net.

How much does the Austin Train Show cost? $9 in advance, $10 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult, and one ticket covers both Saturday and Sunday.

How much does Le Garage Sale cost? $12 per day at the door today; Saturday's $25 VIP pre-shop hour has already passed.

Is there parking at Palmer Events Center? Yes, an on-site lot — budget for a paid rate rather than assuming it's free; one Google reviewer cited $12, valid 24 hours, though that's not an official posted rate.

Heading to either one, or making a Sunday of both? If you need more heat-dodging options this week, ATX Things has been tracking Austin's free cooling centers and, for next weekend, Krause Springs — this desk publishes twice a day, morning and afternoon, on what's actually open and worth the drive in Austin. For more weekend picks, browse the Austin Restaurant Weeks guide if you're planning dinner after, or check Texas Farmers' Market at Mueller for next Sunday's morning plans.