Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in south

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

at the juncture of

Barton Creek Barton Creek is a tributary that feeds the Colorado River as it flows through the Texas Hill Country. The creek passes through some of the more scenic areas in Greater Austin, surrounded in many parts by a greenbelt of protected lands that serve ...

and the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

that comprises over of publicly owned land. It is named after its benefactor,

Andrew Jackson Zilker Andrew Jackson Zilker (1858–1934) was a political figure and philanthropist in Austin, Texas, after whom Zilker Park was named. He was the last private owner of Barton Springs. Biography Andrew Zilker was born in New Albany, Indiana. In his yo ...

, who donated the land to the city in 1917. The land was developed into a park during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

in the 1930s. Today the park serves as a hub for many recreational activities and the hike and bike trail around

Lady Bird Lake Lady Bird Lake (formerly, and still colloquially referred to as Town Lake) is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas, United States. The City of Austin created the reservoir in 1960 as a cooling pond for a new city power pl ...

, both of which run next to the park. The large size of the park makes it a capable venue for large-scale events such as the

Austin City Limits Music Festival The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-bas ...

and the Zilker Park Kite Festival. The park was listed in 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 ...

in 1997.

History

The land surrounding

Barton Springs Barton Springs is a set of four natural water springs located at Barton Creek on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, resulting from water flowing through the Edwards Aquifer. The largest spring, Main Barton Spring (also known as Parthen ...

was claimed by its namesake, William Barton, in the 1830s for his cattle ranch. In the 1860s it was acquired by the Rabb family, who operated

mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places Uni ...

. In the early twentieth century

bought a plot of land between the

and Barton Creek, including the Springs, and used the spring water in his ice-making business. Zilker sold his land to the City of Austin in a series of sales in 1917, 1923 and 1931; he donated the proceeds of the sale to a trust dedicated to funding Austin's public schools. In the 1930s the city transformed the ranch into a space for public recreation, building park amenities and buildings with help from the

Civil Works Administration The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a short-lived job creation program established by the New Deal during the Great Depression in the United States to rapidly create mostly manual-labor jobs for millions of unemployed workers. The jobs were ...

Barton Springs Pool Barton Springs Pool is a recreational outdoor swimming pool that is filled entirely with water from nearby natural springs. It is located on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. The pool exists within the channel of Barton Creek and util ...

was given a concrete dam and an enlarged swimming area. In 1934 the park was named Zilker Metropolitan Park, after its donor and patron.

Attractions

In addition to general-purpose lawns, sports fields, cross country courses, historical markers, concession stands and picnic areas, the park includes numerous public attractions. The Zilker Botanical Garden features several independently maintained gardens located near the center of the park and hosts the Zilker Gardens Festival every spring. The Austin Nature & Science Center offers ecological exhibits, nature hike trails, and children's educational programming. The

Umlauf Sculpture Garden The Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, stylized as the UMLAUF, is a museum and outdoor sculpture garden centered on the artistic works of American sculptor Charles Umlauf. Located at 605 Azie Morton Road in the Zilker neighborhood of Austin, Tex ...

adjoins the southeast end of the park, displaying sculptural works by artist

Charles Umlauf Charles Umlauf (July 17, 1911 – November 19, 1994) was an American sculptor and teacher who was born in South Haven, Michigan. His sculptures can be found in churches, numerous public institutions, outdoor locations, and museums, including the ...

and others. The Zilker Hillside Theater hosts regular performances by local theatre companies, including free "Shakespeare in the Park" every May and an annual summer musical.

adjoins the park on the east, offering public swimming; other water activities are available in

. The Beverly S. Sheffield Education Center by Barton Springs Pool offers exhibits about the natural history of the

Edwards Aquifer The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. Located on the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas, it is the source of drinking water for two million people, and is the primary water s ...

that feeds

. Every winter the Zilker Holiday Tree is illuminated, along with a Trail of Lights display. The Zilker Zephyr gauge

miniature railway A ridable miniature railway (US: riding railroad or grand scale railroad) is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by diesel or petro ...

carries passengers on a tour around the park. The park's amenities and wide open spaces allow it to host a variety of large events each year. Most notably, the

fills the park for two weekends each fall with numerous live musical performances by prominent artists.

Trails

* Roy and Ann Butler Trail encircling Lady Bird Lake * Violet Crown Trail runs south from Barton Springs Pool to

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin is the state botanical garden and arboretum of Texas. The center features more than 900 species of native Texas plants in both garden and natural settings and is hom ...

Gallery

Zilker park entry portal 2014.jpg, East entrance Zilker park light standards 2014.jpg, Pool entrance Zilker train.jpg, Zilker Zephyr ZilkerPark-2008-04-05-c.JPG, Zilker Botanical Garden ZilkerPark-2008-04-05-a.JPG, Doug Blachly Butterfly Trail and Garden Austin nature center entrance.jpg, Austin Nature Center Barton Springs - panoramio.jpg,

Zilker canoe.jpg, Winter canoeing on Barton Creek Hole 6 - Zilker Park - panoramio.jpg, Disc golf course Old Mill Spring Austin.jpg, Old Mill Spring South end of east exterior elevation - Zilker Park Club House, 200 Clubhouse Road, Austin, Travis County, TX HABS TX-3525-2.tif, Clubhouse Ashford McGill House Austin Texas.jpg, Ashford McGill House BartonCreek-2009-a.JPG, Barton Creek bridge Zilker Park Moon Tower (80996503).jpeg, Moontower ACL2009SBH.jpg, Austin City Limits festival Trail of Lights Austin.jpg, Trail of Lights

References

External links

* {{Authority control Parks in Austin, Texas Cross country running courses in Texas Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Neighborhoods in Austin, Texas National Register of Historic Places in Austin, Texas Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Park Service rustic in Texas