BARTON SPRINGS & ZILKER PARK
P4

Zilker Park:

Botanic Garden
Zilker Zephyr miniature train ride
Zilker Hillside Theatre
Austin Nature Center
McBeth Recreation Center
The Beverly Sheffield Education Center

Where to Stay:
Austin Hotels

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Zilker Park is often called 'the Central Park of Texas'. It is less than half the size of Central Park but has more acres per person. New York's Central Park is 843 acres but 20 million people use it every year. Zilker Park is 485 acres and only one million people use it annually. Zilker Park was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its architecture and historical significance. The park has a playground, nine soccer fields (which used to be spinach fields), one rugby field, two multiuse fields, and a nine-hole disc golf course. Numerous picnic areas dot the park. Two historic log structures, the Esperanza Schoolhouse and a Swedish Cabin, can be seen in the Botanical Garden. Both structures were moved from outside of Austin. Zilker Park even has a fallout shelter, a relic from the 1950s. The park is the site of numerous baptisms, weddings, and memorial services. The Zilker Clubhouse was originally the Boy Scout lodge and is now used for community functions.

The sixty-acre Botanical Garden has a series of trails of flowers and succulents, a Japanese garden, a butterfly garden, and the Mabel Davis Rose Garden. The Garden is home to many indigenous plants and animals. Tours of the Garden are offered every Saturday between May and Thanksgiving.

For some old-fashioned fun take a ride on the Zilker Zephyr, a three-mile miniature train ride. For almost fifty years the Zephyr, formerly known as the Eagle, has been chugging around the park. The train was privately owned for much of its history by attorney Charlie Beall and wife Carlene. They contract with the city but own the tracks, train, and ticket booth. There has been only one accident in all these years when the brakes failed and a passenger jumped out in fear. The train only goes eight miles per hour. Rides are available year-round, weather permitting, from 10:00 A.M. to dusk. Souvenirs are available.

The Zilker Hillside Theatre was developed by Beverly Sheffield, who selected the site. The theater has recently been renamed for him. Originally, the theater was just a tiny stage with a trellis of moonflowers blooming at night. Today, it thrives and hosts Shakespearean plays, jazz concerts, and Broadway musicals during the summer. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic.

The eighty-acre Austin Nature Center is a sanctuary for raccoons, foxes, deer, and many other animals. Located within Zilker Park at 301 Nature Center Drive, the Nature Center features exhibits on science, natural history and botany. The most interesting feature is over one hundred dinosaur tracks which are estimated to be 99 million years old. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

The McBeth Recreation Center is especially designed to serve individuals with disabilities. The center has programs throughout the year, and visitors can use the multipurpose room, kitchen, computers, and picnic areas, or take part in crafts and games.

Barton Springs