---
type: Airport Family Guide
title: "Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS) with Kids: Every Family Facility, Mapped"
description: AUS publishes no nursing room anywhere and has no play area — just 1 companion care restroom. Verified against austintexas.gov August 2026.
resource: https://www.velivolotravel.com/family-airport-guide/austin-bergstrom-international-airport-aus
tags: [airport, family, travel, AUS, us-south]
timestamp: 2026-08-03
---

# Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS) with Kids: Every Family Facility, Mapped

**Short answer:** Austin-Bergstrom International Airport publishes no nursing room or lactation pod anywhere on its official site — a significant gap for a growing hub. It also has no children's play area and no sensory room. The one confirmed family facility is a companion care restroom by Gate 11. Since April 2026, AUS operates from a single terminal with no inter-terminal transfer.

**Velivolo family score:** 3.5/10 (Poor)

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has the biggest documented gap in this guide: nowhere on its official site — not the accessibility page, not its own family guide — does AUS mention a nursing room or lactation pod. There's also no children's play area and no sensory room, just a second-floor Quiet Room and one companion care restroom by Gate 11. AUS is now a single terminal, having closed its South Terminal in April 2026, and it offers real touches for kids: a Lego vending machine and an art-installation gate.

## Quick facts

- AUS publishes no nursing room or lactation pod anywhere on its official site, its family guide or its accessibility page.
- The one confirmed family restroom at AUS is a companion care restroom by Gate 11, past security.
- AUS closed its South Terminal on 31 March 2026; every commercial airline now operates from the Barbara Jordan Terminal.
- AUS has four security checkpoints, and none is signed as a family lane.
- AUS offers a free 'Parents on the Go' vending machine by Gate 9, stocked with a diaper changing kit, baby food and snacks.

## Facility matrix

| Facility | Status | Terminals | Security side | Hours | Age limit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's play area | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |
| Nursing room / lactation pod | unconfirmed | — | unknown | — | — | unknown |
| Family / companion care restroom | available | Barbara Jordan Terminal | post-security | Terminal hours | — | free |
| Baby changing table | unconfirmed | — | unknown | — | — | unknown |
| Sensory room | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |
| Family security lane | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |
| Stroller rental | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |
| Dedicated family lounge | none | — | unknown | — | — | n/a |

## Family restrooms

| Name | Location | Security side | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Companion care restroom by Gate 11 | Barbara Jordan Terminal · By Gate 11 | post-security |  | https://www.austintexas.gov/department/aus-all-accessibility-services |

## Sensory rooms

| Name | Location | Security side | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet Room | Barbara Jordan Terminal · Second-floor mezzanine · Across from Gate 16 | post-security |  | https://www.flyaustin.com/fly-aus-blog/ultimate-guide-aus-kid-business |

## Security with children

- **Family lane:** AUS publishes no family security lane. Its Travel & Security page itemises what each of the four checkpoints handles — Checkpoint 1: general screening, known crew member, priority/premium, ADA screening and CLEAR; Checkpoints 2 and 3: TSA PreCheck, with CLEAR and Touchless ID at Checkpoint 3; Checkpoint 4: general screening — and no lane is signed for families. The first checkpoints typically open at 3:00 a.m.
- **Strollers and car seats:** TSA rules apply: strollers, umbrella strollers, carriers, car seats and booster seats go through the X-ray and anything oversized is inspected by hand. AUS notes that with most airlines a car seat, bassinette and stroller are accepted without charge in addition to your checked bag, and recommends labelling each with a name and phone number.
- **Formula, milk and baby food:** Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food are allowed over 3.4 oz (100 ml) and do not have to fit in the quart bag. Declare them at the start of screening and take them out of your bag. AUS separately reminds families that solid, sealed snacks come through security fine.
- **Shoes:** Children 12 and under keep their shoes, light jackets and headwear on. AUS links directly to TSA's guidelines for screening children under 12.
- **PreCheck:** Children 17 and under can use the PreCheck lane free with an enrolled adult. AUS has PreCheck at Checkpoints 2 and 3 and a PreCheck enrolment centre in baggage claim.
- Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/travel-security-austin-bergstrom-international-airport

## Getting between terminals

AUS is a single-terminal airport with four checkpoints leading to all gates, so there is no people mover and no airside shuttle to learn. The trams that do exist are landside and go to the car park and rideshare areas: the Red Garage First Floor to Rideshare Tram runs daily 4 a.m. to midnight from both first-floor entrances of the Red Garage, easily reached from baggage claim; the Mobility Tram runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from the third floor of the Red Garage, across the pedestrian walkway from the departures level, to the Rental Car Facility. Wheelchair-accessible shuttles serve the economy lots from outside baggage claim. Inside the terminal, pedestrian walkways have contrasting floor surfaces for travellers with visual impairments, a hearing loop runs on the east side roughly between Gates 1 and 12, and AUS supports GoodMaps turn-by-turn indoor navigation and free Aira visual interpreting. The airport publishes nothing about strollers on any of these services.
- Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/aus-all-accessibility-services

## Layover plans

### 1-2 hours — Don't count on a nursing room — plan around the gap

1. Pick your checkpoint by what it handles: Checkpoints 2 and 3 are PreCheck, Checkpoints 1 and 4 are general screening.
2. AUS publishes no nursing room, so if feeding is time-sensitive, plan for the flight itself rather than the terminal.
3. The companion care restroom by Gate 11 is your one confirmed changing option.

### 3-5 hours — Use what AUS does offer for kids — it just isn't a play area

1. Visit Interimaginary Departures at Gate 14, a fake gate with a flight board to Hogwarts and the Emerald City.
2. Toy Joy at Gate 12 and the Lego vending machine near Checkpoint 1 are AUS's real, if modest, kid distractions.
3. The Quiet Room on the second-floor mezzanine, across from Gate 16, is worth a look if a child needs a break from the noise.
4. The 'Parents on the Go' vending machine by Gate 9 sells an emergency diaper kit, baby food and snacks if you're caught short.

### Overnight — AUS offers nothing built for an overnight wait with kids

1. There is no nursing room, play area or sensory room to retreat to for an overnight connection.
2. AUS publishes no overnight hours for the Quiet Room or the companion care restroom.
3. Confirm your airline's own overnight gate policies before committing to wait it out with young children.

## Your rights

- **Lactation:** Austin-Bergstrom is a medium hub airport, so the federal FAM Act's lactation-room mandate is expected to apply — yet AUS publishes no nursing room or lactation pod anywhere on its official site. This is the single largest documented gap of any airport in this guide, and travellers who need one should contact the airport directly before flying rather than assume one exists.
- **Changing tables:** The FAM Act's changing-table requirement is written for medium and large hub airports, which should cover AUS. The airport confirms one companion care restroom by Gate 11, but publishes no statement on whether it, or any other restroom, has an adult or child changing table.
- **Liquids:** TSA's national rule applies at every AUS checkpoint: formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food over 3.4 oz (100 ml) are allowed and don't need to fit in the quart bag. AUS separately reminds families that solid, sealed snacks pass through security without issue. Declare liquids at the start of screening.
- **Boarding:** Priority boarding for families is set by your airline, not by AUS — check your carrier's own policy before you fly. AUS does note that most airlines carry a car seat, bassinet and stroller free in addition to your checked bag.
- **If it is missing:** AUS Guest Services can be reached at AUS.GuestServices@FlyAustin.com or (512) 530-2414 — the same contact used for Sunflower lanyard requests, which need 48 hours' notice. Given the confirmed absence of a published nursing room, contacting Guest Services directly before you fly is worth doing if feeding facilities matter to your trip.
- Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/302

## FAQ

### Does Austin Airport have a nursing room?

Austin-Bergstrom publishes no nursing room or lactation pod anywhere on its official site — not on its dedicated accessibility page, not in its own family-facing guide, The Ultimate Guide to AUS: Kid Business, and not in its ten-service passenger guide. This is a genuinely significant gap for a growing hub of AUS's size, and it is the single biggest documented shortfall of any airport in this guide. Third-party travel aggregators describe a Mother's Lounge near Gate 11 and a Mamava suite opposite Second Bar + Kitchen, but neither claim can be verified against an official AUS page, so neither is recorded as confirmed fact here. If a nursing room is essential to your travel, contact AUS Guest Services directly before you fly rather than assuming one exists based on an unofficial listing.

### Does Austin Airport have a kids' play area?

No. AUS has no children's play area, and the airport's own family guide, The Ultimate Guide to AUS: Kid Business, confirms this by omission — it lists everything the airport offers children instead: a toy store, Toy Joy, at Gate 12; a Lego vending machine just past Checkpoint 1; Interimaginary Departures, an interactive art installation built as a fake gate with a flight board to Hogwarts and the Emerald City, at Gate 14; augmented-reality murals between Gates 9 and 11; and a children's book section at Book People. None of these is a play area in the conventional sense. A claim that a play area exists near Gate 7 traces to a directory entry for a lactation pod, not a play space, so it is not treated as fact here either.

### Are there family restrooms at Austin-Bergstrom Airport?

AUS names exactly one: an accessible companion care restroom by Gate 11, past security, in the same stretch of terminal as the airport's hearing loop, which runs roughly between Gates 1 and 12. The airport's broader accessibility page mentions 'accessible elevators before and after security checkpoints, water fountains and restroom facilities' in general terms, but gives no second family restroom a specific location, so one confirmed unit is what we can verify. A third-party source describes a larger, 137-square-foot companion care restroom built during a 2019 gate expansion, with a powered adult changing table and a ceiling hoist, but AUS's own page confirms only the restroom's existence and location, not those specific features.

### Does AUS have a sensory room?

No, not in the dedicated sense. What AUS offers is a Quiet Room on the second-floor mezzanine across from Gate 16, which the airport describes in its own words as a place to 'find a quiet spot to relax if your kids need a break from the hustle and bustle of the terminal'. That is meaningfully different from a purpose-built sensory room: AUS publishes no equipment list, no access procedure, and no statement that the room was designed around sensory needs specifically. For non-visible disabilities, AUS's dedicated provision is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard programme, available free with 48 hours' notice by emailing AUS.GuestServices@FlyAustin.com or calling (512) 530-2414 — not a same-day option if you decide you need one on travel day itself.

### Can I rent a stroller at Austin Airport?

No. AUS offers no stroller rental of any kind — its ten-service passenger guide covers the Sunflower programme, a robot coffee delivery service, grab-and-go dining outlets, the Mobility Lounge and Mobility Assistance Zone, guest services, lost and found, waste sorting, the wayfinding map, PreCheck enrolment and the rideshare tram, and no rental appears among any of them. AUS does note that most airlines carry a stroller, car seat and bassinet free in addition to your checked baggage allowance, and recommends labelling each item with a name and phone number before you gate-check it. Since the airport is now a single terminal with no inter-terminal transfer, a lightweight stroller you bring yourself is a realistic substitute for a rental that doesn't exist.

### Is the AUS South Terminal still open?

No — and this is worth knowing before you fly, because older guides still send families there. AUS closed the South Terminal on 31 March 2026 after nine years of operation; Allegiant and Frontier, the airlines that used it, moved into the Barbara Jordan Terminal on 1 April 2026, and the South Terminal building is being removed to make way for the new Midfield Taxiways and Concourse M. Since that date, every commercial airline at AUS operates from the single Barbara Jordan Terminal, with four security checkpoints leading to all gates. If you have an older travel guide or blog post recommending a South Terminal food truck, treat it as out of date — that option and the terminal it was in no longer exist.

### Does AUS have a family security lane?

No. AUS itemises exactly what each of its four checkpoints handles: Checkpoint 1 covers general screening, known crew member, priority/premium and ADA screening plus CLEAR; Checkpoints 2 and 3 are TSA PreCheck, with CLEAR and Touchless ID also at Checkpoint 3; and Checkpoint 4 is general screening. None of the four is signed for families specifically. The first checkpoints typically open at 3:00 a.m. Standard TSA child procedures apply regardless: children 12 and under can keep shoes, light jackets and headwear on, and children 17 and under can use PreCheck free with an enrolled adult, which is available at Checkpoints 2 and 3, alongside a PreCheck enrolment centre in baggage claim.

### What can kids do at Austin Airport if there's no play area?

AUS leans on scattered attractions rather than one dedicated space. Interimaginary Departures at Gate 14 is the standout: an interactive art installation styled as a fake departure gate, with a flight board listing destinations like Hogwarts and the Emerald City. A Lego vending machine sits just past Checkpoint 1, closest to Gate 15. Toy Joy, a proper toy store, is at Gate 12, with a small sweets counter, Yummi Joy, inside it. Augmented-reality murals from the Urban Nature Series run between Gates 9 and 11 for slightly older kids with a phone. AUS also publishes a free Austie the Flying Pup colouring and activity book, downloadable before your trip, and suggests visiting the terminal on a non-flying day so a first-time flyer can see the ticket counter and checkpoint in advance.

## Related airports

- [Dallas (DFW)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/dallas-fort-worth-international-airport-dfw.md) — Texas's major hub, with eight documented nursing rooms — a striking contrast to AUS's published nothing.
- [El Paso (ELP)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/el-paso-international-airport-elp.md) — A much smaller Texas airport that nonetheless documents three nursing rooms, one of them pre-security.
- [San Antonio (SAT)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/san-antonio-international-airport-sat.md) — The closest comparably-sized Texas hub — useful if you're choosing between the two for a family trip.
- [Houston (IAH)](https://www.velivolotravel.com/okf/airports/george-bush-intercontinental-airport-iah.md) — A Texas hub with six nursing spaces and two sensory rooms — see what AUS could look like on family facilities.

## Sources

- [AUS For All — Accessibility Services (2026)](https://www.austintexas.gov/department/aus-all-accessibility-services) — Family restroom, no confirmed nursing room, no family lounge
- [AUS — The Ultimate Guide to AUS: Kid Business (2026)](https://www.flyaustin.com/fly-aus-blog/ultimate-guide-aus-kid-business) — No play area, Quiet Room, kid attractions, stroller journey
- [AUS — The Ultimate Guide to AUS: 10 Passenger Services (2026)](https://www.flyaustin.com/fly-aus-blog/ultimate-guide-aus-10-passenger-services-some-you-know-some-you-dont) — No stroller rental, grab-and-go dining
- [AUS — Travel & Security (2026)](https://www.austintexas.gov/department/travel-security-austin-bergstrom-international-airport) — Four checkpoints, no family lane, stroller/liquids rules
- [FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 302) (2018)](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/302) — FAM Act lactation and changing-table provisions

**Last checked:** 2026-08-03