Deep Eddy Pool and the adjacent Eilers Park are unquestionably an Austinite favorite for cooling off in the summer heat. In the early 1900s, the property orginated as a swimming hole above a limestone bed in the Colorado River. George A. Rowley founded and named the property Deep Eddy Bathing Beach, and it became a hit with locals and out-of-towners alike.
A.J. Eilers, the park's namesake, bought the resort from George in 1915 when it was renamed Deep Eddy Resort. Before air conditioning (can you imagine?), Austinites would hop on the electric trolly headed for the bathing beaches before the pool officially opened, giving them the opportunity to catch some rays before cooling off in the 65-75 degree water.
The resort was designed to create a festival atmosphere with activities such as silent movies, a 50-foot diving tower, a 70-foot slide, carnival rides and oddities like "The Diving Baby" and "Great Lorena's Diving Horse." The resort also featured cabins, camp sites and picnic areas for those looking for a getaway. Check out these old photographs of the resort in its heyday:
"Our water supply is now very clean and fresh, and management has no difficulty getting the pool filled in time for 8 AM opening. The water now looks as good as it did twenty years ago! Most memorable was seeing the water first come out of the new well without any pump or mechanical assistance. The water just flows out!"
Keeping the Magic of Deep Eddy Afloat
Austin Parks Foundation is proud to be a part of keeping the history Deep Eddy Pool alive and well. In 2007, APF provided funds for landscaping and enhancing the playground at Eilers Neighborhood Park. The 8-acre park features a walking trails, toddler play area, a dock for kayak and canoe drop off, picnic tables and more! It's safe to say it's more than just a place to swim.
In 2018, APF helped Deep Eddy Pool by investing in the drilling of a new well to provide an additional water source for the pool! The new well was dug 400 feet below the ground, supplying clean and fresh spring water to the pool. There's something about the all-natural spring water that connects Deep Eddy Pool to it's swimming hole roots.
Did you know that Deep Eddy Pool requires approximately 625 gallons of water per minute to get the pool filled every other day? The pool is drained, cleaned and re-filled every other night to keep it well-maintained. Our investment into the new well will keep Deep Eddy running with high-quality spring well water for years to come.
How Austin Parks Foundation Is Helping Austin's Parks, Trails and Green Spaces
Here at Austin Parks Foundation, we strive to provide high-quality parks for every Austinite regardless of what part of town they live in, which includes our city's swimming pools. Our parks biggest challenge is their funding and important projects and maintenance cannot be completed despite the wonderful work of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department.
Austin is synonymous with it's parks, trails and green spaces like Zilker Park, Barton Creek Greenbelt, Mount Bonnell and many more, but our parks need your help. Here's how you can help Austin parks in your own way:
VOLUNTEER IN THE PARKS
We have many volunteer opportunities in Austin's parks such as our First Saturday open volunteer projects. Learn more about our volunteer opportunities here!
MAKE A DONATION TO APF
Your financial contribution helps us fund improvements, maintenance and innovative programming like Little Hummingbird Society. Click here to make a donation today!
ADVOCATE FOR AUSTIN'S PARKS
Communicating the importance of Austin's parks to those who can make a difference is a big part of what we do at APF. Raise your voice and advocate for our parks here!
Renovations at Deep Eddy Pool were made possible by an Austin City Limits Music Festival Grant from Austin Parks Foundation. Click here to learn more!
