Aquarena Springs

We went to Aquarena Springs, a place I went to as a kid, and toured the springs in the glass-bottom boats.

Aquarena Springs is primarily the source of the San Marcos River, rising from hundreds of fissures under Spring Lake. A Spanish mission was established on the site, and later became the homestead of General Burleson and Eli Merriman. For many years, Aquarena Springs was a resort and entertainment park with boat rides and features such as mermaids. The 'Aquamaids' would wear oxygen tanks to eat pickles and drink Dr. Pepper underwater. Attracted by the scenic beauty of the area, A.B. Rogers started the park in 1926 and developed it into a popular tourist attraction. The park had a large hotel, a Swiss sky ride, glass- bottom boat rides, and a submarine theater with mermaid performers. By far the most popular attraction was Ralph, the Swimming Pig. Ralph swam around Aquarena Springs performing tricks and dives until the early 1990s when he retired.

In the late-nineties, with the arrival of Sea World and Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, attendance dropped dramatically and the park was sold to Texas State University and converted it into a wetlands project developed by the University life sciences department.

The kids enjoyed it, and it was sort of fun revisiting a place with my kids that I had visited over thirty years ago.

Immediately below is the underwater "submarine" where visitors would watch the underwater mermaid shows, and the last picture is of one of the glass-bottomed boats.