Zilker Park Historic District

Zilker Park is a 350-acre municipal park along the south bank of the Colorado River near downtown Austin, Texas. It combines two earlier parks: the roughly 50-acre Barton Springs Park, built around a spring-fed pool, and the roughly 300-acre Zilker Park. Austin resident Andrew J. Zilker transferred the land to the city in stages beginning in 1917, giving a city with few parks a large reservation. Much of the surviving development dates to a 1933-34 building campaign carried out by Civil Works Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps crews. Native limestone buildings such as the clubhouse and cabin follow the NPS rustic tradition, and the Rock Garden, Mirror Pond, Rock Island, entrance piers and ballfields add to the historic setting. The park was laid out with an active playground and swimming area alongside a naturalistic section for walking and picnicking. Newer additions, including the Nature Center and botanical gardens, outnumber historic resources, but open spaces, large trees and views preserve the historic landscape.