invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Barton Springs Pool

Lakes ·Austin
4.613.8K
#2Lakes in the USTravelers' Choice 2025
  • from USD 9
Make a plan here
Directions Website Call Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

Is this your place? Get the badge for your website

About

Barton Springs Pool is a three-acre outdoor swimming pool in Zilker Park, Austin, Texas, within the channel of Barton Creek. It is fed entirely by natural springs connected to the Edwards Aquifer.

More photos 11

1 / 11
Barton Springs Pool

Barton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs PoolBarton Springs Pool

Why go

  • Swim in water from Main Barton Spring, Texas’s fourth-largest spring.
  • The water stays about 68–74°F (20–23°C) throughout the year.
  • The pool stretches more than three football-field lengths.

Season and conditions

  • The pool closes weekly for cleaning, when algae is washed from the limestone bottom, steps, and ramps.
  • Once a year, it closes for several weeks for more extensive cleaning.
  • Floods can force closures for several days while mud and debris are cleared.

With kids

  • The pool ranges from zero to about 18 feet deep.

Shorts

History

Legislators have drafted state laws at the pool. Robert Redford learned to swim there at age five while visiting family in Austin.

  1. Coahuiltecan traditionBarton Springs is part of a Coahuiltecan creation story.
  2. 17th centurySpanish explorers found the springs.
  3. c. 1730Temporary missions stood at the site before moving to San Antonio.
  4. UndatedWilliam Barton settled the area and named three springs for his daughters, Parthenia, Eliza, and Zenobia.
  5. 1918Andrew Jackson Zilker deeded the property to Austin.
Show all
  1. 1920sThe city expanded the swimming area by damming springs and building sidewalks.
  2. UndatedDan Driscoll and Delmar Groos designed the bathhouse in Streamline Moderne style.
  3. 1970sTopless sunbathers drew attention at the pool.
  4. 2003–2005A nearby parking-lot pavement sealer caused a 90-day closure; the discovery led to a national coal-tar sealer ban in 2005.

How to get there

  • On footAddress: 2101 Barton Springs Road, Zilker Park, Austin.
  • On footDuring construction, entry is east of the Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse.

Sources: Barton Springs Pool - Wikipedia · Austin/South - Wikivoyage (do) · About Barton Springs Pool | Austin Parks and Re… · checked 11 Oct 2026

Where
2131 William Barton Dr. Zilker Park, TX, Austin

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

Does Barton Springs Pool close for routine cleaning?

It closes weekly while algae is washed from the limestone bottom, steps and ramps.

Is there a longer maintenance closure at Barton Springs Pool?

Once a year, the pool closes for several weeks for more extensive cleaning.

Can flooding affect a visit to Barton Springs Pool?

Floods can close the pool for several days while mud and debris are cleared.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…