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Aquarena Center
Categories: Aquariums, Parks, Golf, Landmarks & Historical Buildings [Edit]
921 Aquarena Springs DrTexas State University
San Marcos, TX 78666
(512) 245-7570
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
3 reviews for Aquarena Center
Made a trip here last weekend. My 3-year old loved the glass-bottom boat ride. It was 102 degrees, so we didn't hang out long after that.
Worth a visit if you're looking for something different.
Thirteen thousand years ago, people came to this place and never felt the urge to leave. And if you visit this former resort (now owned by Texas State University), you'll begin to understand why.
I know this because every Sunday morning, in every kind of weather, my wife and I walk here to see it hours before anyone else arrives.
Aquarena never disappoints.
At the heart of Aquarena Center is Spring Lake, the headwaters of the crystalline San Marcos River, a body of water so clear that its 30-foot depth appears only knee-deep. Take the glass bottom boat tour -- at $7 for adults and $5 for kids, the only still-operating holdover from the old resort -- for an even greater appreciation of this natural marvel fed by thousands of springs.
Stroll (at no charge) along the floating wetlands walk for an up-close look at the marshy areas of Spring Lake, complete with waterfowl feeding on fish and turtles sunning themselves on logs slick with moss. Tour the little aquarium (also free) and walk around the tip of the lake to the original hotel from the '20s, now housing a museum and offices.
The grounds are gorgeous any time of year, and you can still see a few forgotten remnants of the park, like the tram ride and submarine theater, that made San Marcos a top tourist destination in the years before SeaWorld.
If you have time, climb the wooded hill behind the hotel - it's the first hill of the Hill Country -- to explore old paths that wind toward the grist mill and a replica mission, neither of which have lost their charm in the years since the park was sold. From one of the observation decks up there, look across the old park for a good glimpse of this jewel that has lured people to its shores for thousands and thousands of years.
Aquarena Springs is absolutely beautiful any time of the year. I like the self-guided tours on the Wetlands Boardwalk and the Glass Bottom Boat Tours are wonderful. In the boat tours you can see all kinds of underwater wildlife like Alligator Gars and turtles. Of course if you're waiting for the next tour (each ride is approximately 30 minutes long), you can browse around the aquarium which is a few feet from the boarding area. My family and I have been here several times and I don't think we've gotten tired of this place yet!