Scholz Garten (also known as Scholz Beer Garden) is a

beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...

and restaurant in downtown

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

and the oldest operating business in Texas. Established by German immigrant August Scholz in 1866 after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Scholz Garten became a hub for German immigrants and their culture in the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

. It was purchased by The Saengerrunde Club in 1914, who still owns it today. It remains a popular gathering spot for both political discussion and

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

sports events. Scholz Garten was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1967, and added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1979. The business lease was purchased in 1986 by Eddie Wilson (founder of the Armadillo World Headquarters and Threadgill's), Phil Vitek, and Michael Osborne who restored it in 1987.

References

External links

Scholz Garten Official Site
{{National Register of Historic Places in Austin, Texas Buildings and structures in Austin, Texas Culture of Austin, Texas German restaurants in the United States German-American culture in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Austin, Texas Tourist attractions in Austin, Texas Beer gardens in the United States Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places Beer in Texas City of Austin Historic Landmarks