The bats of Austin are one of my favorite examples of a tourist attraction. They were an incidental happening (many people wanted to get rid of them initially), some people make the trip to Austin specifically to see the bats, and some people, including tourists, aren't even aware they exist. Most Austin natives I've met have never seen them.

No one planted the bats to make money, and seeing them is free.

We finally got around to seeing the bats on Erica's visit to UT Labor Day weekend. I have noticed a bridge near us that also has a large bat colony; I'm hoping it realizes what it needs to do to hit the big time.