The issue of alcohol sales at Zilker Cafe made its third and final appearance before the Parks and Recreation Board on Tuesday, with board members delivering a decisive 8-1 vote against recommending the proposal, given the cafe’s proximity – about 30 steps – to the entrance to Barton Springs Pool. The sale of beer and […]
Zilker Park
Austin’s largest downtown park, Zilker Park is comprised of 350 acres donated by Andrew Jackson Zilker in 1917. It contains the Zilker Botanical Gardens, Umlauf Sculpture Garden and adjoins Barton Springs Pool.
Posted inParks
Parks board to reconsider Zilker alcohol sales
The Parks and Recreation Board revisited its decision regarding the controversial permit to sell alcohol at Zilker Cafe this past Tuesday, following concerns over the legitimacy of its original vote on the issue back in June. After a convoluted discussion between board members, PARD Director Kimberly McNeeley and Assistant City Attorney Chad Shaw, Chair Dawn […]
Posted inPlanning
Vision plan takes on mobility woes at Zilker Park
Last month, the Parks and Recreation Department held its first community meeting for the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan, an ambitious effort to develop a framework for the park’s future. The department calls it the “first comprehensive planning effort in the park’s 104-year history.” With months of planning under its belt far, the vision plan […]
Posted inTransportation
Want free entry to Barton Springs? Take the bus.
The Zilker Park road loop will be closed from July 6-30 pending construction of new tracks for the fully electric Zilker Eagle, the train formerly known as the Zilker Zephyr. Following slope failure at the previous turnaround (due to erosion from rain), the new turnaround will be located at Lou Neff Point, where Barton Creek meets Lady […]
Posted inParks
Parks board rejects alcohol sales at Zilker Cafe, but the vote is in question
A key vote by the Parks and Recreation Board may need to be recast due to a shortage of board members required to consider a proposal to sell beer and wine at the newly renovated Zilker Cafe adjacent to Barton Springs Pool. Parks and Recreation Department officials were apparently unaware that more than six members […]
Posted inParks
Ambitious vision plan for Zilker Park seeks community input
Hosting more than 1.3 million visitors a year, Zilker Park is perhaps the most iconic and beloved public space in Austin. Founded in 1917 with a land donation from Andrew Jackson Zilker, Zilker is the city’s oldest metropolitan park. Eighty years later in 1997, the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The […]
Posted inParks
Austin Parks Foundation gives an update on Zilker train restoration
The Austin Parks Foundation has laid out its plans to restore the beloved train formerly known as the Zilker Zephyr, which ceased operations last year. In January 2020, after more than two decades in operation, the owners of the Zephyr announced in a Facebook post that they were shutting down for good after rainstorms in […]
Posted inParks
Austin to look for new Zilker Zephyr operator as current one steps down
The company that runs the Zilker Zephyr, the miniature train that runs through Zilker Park, will stop operating the ride. But the Austin Parks and Recreation Department says it’s looking for another company to run it. The family-run business Texas Special Inc. has operated the Zilker Zephyr for the last 22 years. The train has […]
Posted inParks
Council to reconsider changes to Zilker Botanical Garden agreement
Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department released a memo Friday detailing a plan for the future management of Zilker Botanical Garden. The additional detail comes in response to a request last month from Council Member Kathie Tovo for more time and information before taking steps toward a new operational structure. “Not […]
Posted inParks
Zilker’s botanical garden admission remains unchanged for now
City Council claimed to have residents in mind at its June 19 meeting when it denied a chance to save some money by giving the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy a little more control over the garden’s operations and finances. In order to make some much-needed improvements, the Conservancy asked Council to raise entrance fees from […]
Posted inParks
Visions of Zilker Park split over parking
After months of meetings beginning in September of last year, the Zilker Park Working Group was not able to reach a consensus on recommendations for the Polo Fields and Butler Landfill, two areas currently used for overflow parking. According to an introductory statement to the Zilker Working Park Group’s Final Report, which was posted online […]
Posted inParks
Environmental Commission paves another path for Zilker parking
After members of the Environmental Commission postponed a vote on a proposed Zilker Park landscaping project to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental suitability, two weeks later the tone of their response was not much different from their initial reaction. At its June 20 meeting, the commission recommended that the Stratford Drive Landfill Redevelopment […]