Outdoor swimming pool that is filled entirely with water from nearby natural springs and is a popular venue for year-round swimming
General Information
Child (1-11) Resident: $2.00; Non-Resident: $4.00
Junior (12-17) Resident: $3.00; Non-Resident: $5.00
Adult (18-61) Resident: $5.00; Non-Resident: $9.00
Senior (62-79) Resident: $2.00 ; Non-Resident: $5.00
Patrons 80+, City of Austin Employees, Veterans, Retired and Active Duty Military: Free
On-site ticket sales are available at payment kiosks. Credit card, and exact change accepted.
Head north on Congress Ave toward E 6th St. Turn left at the 1st cross street onto W 6th St. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto N Lamar Blvd. Turn right onto Barton Springs Rd. Turn left onto William Barton Dr.
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 utilizes water from Main Barton Spring, the fourth largest spring in Texas. The pool is a popular venue for year-round swimming, as its temperature hovers between about 68 °F (20 °C) and 74 °F (23 °C) year round.
Long before Barton Springs Pool was built, the springs were considered sacred and were used for purification rituals by the Tonkawa Native American tribe who inhabited the area. Spanish explorers first found the springs in the 17th century, and around 1730 erected temporary missions at the site (later moving to San Antonio).
In 1837, soon after incorporation of the city of Austin, William ("Uncle Billy") Barton, the springs' namesake, settled the area. Barton named the three separate springs after his three daughters: Parthenia, Eliza, and Zenobia. He, and subsequent owners of the property, recognized its value as a tourist attraction, and promoted it vigorously, thus leading to the swimming hole's lasting popularity.
The last private owner of the property, Andrew Jackson Zilker, deeded it to Austin in 1918. During the 1920s, the city undertook a construction project to create a larger swimming area by damming the springs and building sidewalks. The bathhouse was designed in 1947 by Dan Driscoll, who also designed the bathhouse at Deep Eddy Pool.
The pool is usually open to the public from 5:00am to 10:00pm, Friday through Wednesday. During this time, the floodgates on the pool's dam are closed, and Main Barton Spring fills the pool to a maximum depth of more than 18 feet. At the upper end of the pool, another dam prevents surface water from Barton Creek from entering the pool by diverting it through a tunnel under the sidewalks.
Lifeguards are usually present except before 8:00am, when swimmers are cautioned to "swim at your own risk". The pool is surrounded by grassy slopes and beautiful trees with plenty of shade. Items prohibited from entering the facility include coolers, food, non-resealable beverages other than water, glass containers, alcohol, loud speakers, pets other than service animals, and bicycles. Flotation devices are permitted at either end of the pool, but not allowed in the middle.
On Thursdays, the pool is closed for cleaning from 9:00am until 7:00pm. The floodgates are sometimes partially opened, lowering the water level in the pool by several feet. Employees then buff or blast pressured water against the limestone bottom of the pool's shallow end, as well as the steps and ramps leading into the water, in order to wash away the hazardous and slippery algae buildup. In the deep end, a fire hose is used to push debris toward the downstream dam. Overgrown vegetation is also trimmed on cleaning days. Once a year the pool is closed for several weeks for more extensive cleaning.
The environmental conditions of the springs gave birth to a local political movement called the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS). SOS became a force in Austin municipal politics, leading to many "green" initiatives involving environmental issues in addition to those of the springs.
Robert Redford, who first learned to swim at Barton Springs Pool, has also been an outspoken ally. In 2007 he and Terrence Malick co-produced The Unforeseen, a documentary highlighting environmental impact to the Edwards aquifer from the surrounding real estate subdivision.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Barton Springs Pool", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
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