Abandoned Amusement Park Slowly Becomes Nature Preserve in Texas

[@daramccreary9479]

I went when I was young. 4-5yo. I still remember the underwater show and the boat ride.. memories that have not been forgotten in 45+ years. Thanks for sharing.

[@alicerose8057]

The best place ever for a kid. It was one of the most thoughtful theme parks because it had such a natural feel. Everything is plastic now. Schlitterbaun used to be really amazing during the 80s as well before it expanded and became nearly impossible to visit and enjoy. It was also on the more natural side. I remember going on the slides at the end of the day over and over and there were no lines. The guy on the speaker would say “welcome to schlitterbaun, a unique environment nestled on the banks of the comal river.” Omg, I miss both places so much.

[@bradmetcalf5333]

I am 38. As a small kid, i remember my mom telling me about the swimming pig and the mermaids. in my early 20s, I visited the park and was able to go out on a glass-bottom boat. The size of the catfish in the deep crystal clear water blew my mind. I am usually one to be sad about the loss of old buildings and Texas attractions however, I am glad to see this truly remarkable geological site in the hands of the University System and the feds. Perhaps it will be restored as close to natural as is possible in our ugly modern world.

[@hippiedadtx2878]

I’m 68 now and I went there when I was a kid and did all the attractions there. A very special place. My wife and I took our son there when he was small.

[@chimchim2_]

People like you make me think of my parents l, how they lived and what the experienced growing up. Most in contrast to how I grew up (I'm 38), and how our youth do today. Things feel so shallow now a days. We're so connected to devices vs our actual environment.

[@takeadive]

I worked there in 1994-1995 as Hospitality. I gave tours and dressed up in a Ralph costume / as Mrs. Burleson, when not giving tours. I spent a lot of hours in the park, in the cabin, in the aquarium,etc. it was very hot and I would bring a frozen water bottle that melt throughout the day. I loved taking breaks to check on the Ralph’s (multiple pigs for the show) and hanging with my friend’s that were mermaids, gondola and boat operators.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

I love this! Thank you for sharing.

[@Daisy-sc6tm]

I went here several times in the 70s and 80s as a kid. I have old pictures of me there. There was a penny arcade and one of the attractions was a piano playing chicken. When you rode the skyline over to the other side there was a huge alligator on exhibit. I sat there forever just staring at it. It was wonderful as a child to go there. I'm sad it's all gone now.

[@joeforbess2150]

I have great memories of when my grandparents took me there when I was about 8. That was 61 years ago.

[@DCFCfanatic]

Went there with my parents a lot when I was a kid. Loved the glass bottom boats and Aquamaids. Of course they always brought up that the movie Piranha was filmed there.

[@markk3066]

Thanks for the story as always, visited there as a kid in the early 80's. It was a really neat place to visit.

[@jashar1]

I remember going there in the mid 80s as well, seeing the mermaid shows, riding the glass-bottom boats, etc. It was such a wonderful escape.

[@DCFCfanatic]

it's funny everyone called them mermaids but they were actually called Aquamaids. one of the Aquamaids that worked there said they didn't like being called mermaids and they would always correct people whenever they overheard them being called that.

[@jashar1]

@@DCFCfanatic Hilarious, they shouldn't have dressed up in mermaid costumes then, huh?

[@catsanchez5749]

LOVED this place as a child. I actually had a close connection to the family who owned it in the 1970s till early 80s. Was a beautiful natural place. Those were the days😀Would be amazing if you could get permission to get closer😀 Thank you for this wonderful reminder into memories.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

I'm loving the personal connections to Aquarena, thank you!

[@PacoOtis]

Well done! Thanks for sharing and the very best of luck!

[@SouthTexasRed]

Ralph the swimming pig was so cool to see as a kid!

[@MariannaHobbs]

stayed at the hotel in 1980. It was stunningly vintage and beautiful and the small bedroom had water dripping down the rocks. I lost all the pictures of this seceral years ago and wish I had them. 1/ 8/2025

[@UnofficialFanVids]

Thanks for this one. I went there so much as a child, and then as a young adult, after SWT bought it, I spent a lot of time as well. It was cool then, cause the park was "closed" but all the equipment and buildings were in good enough shape to hang around, and the university did not kick people out or anything. I even got married there (still going strong). Years later, as a photographer, I was able to come in and get access to the closed off area in your drone shots. I got several interesting pics and spent hours and hours in the overgrown relics of the old theme park.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

This is awesome! Any chance we could see your pictures?

[@cbozz7063]

went there alot as a kid on feild trips

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Same!

[@bellearagon653]

❤I live in sm and grew up it's sad this park went out of business and sold I feel that maybe now since san Marcos is and was always a mermaid town they def would of attracted the future and it would of left history to carry on. So beautiful hopefully they will let us humans see it one last time

[@patricklemoine1818]

That's just sad. I hadn't been there since early 90s. I was there in the mid and late 70s though.

Thank you for the reminder of old memories. At the age of 12 i snuck in from the back and swam in the lake without notice. I was awol from San Marcos Baptist Academy which in 1980 was still in town. I eventually called my dad to come get me from Houston. That night we stayed in the hotel. Since 1976 until 2015 I had many memories. The last few were with my own kids. Fun fact…the movie piranha was filmed there. I was a kid on the beach😎

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Love this!!!

[@MariahFabFab-uh4yd]

AHHMAZINGG !!! 🐠🐠🐠

[@Blue24Osprey]

Fascinating video, thank you. Would love to see more, if possible.

[@TheMitchapalooza69]

I remember going as a kid right before they closed the park I believe in 94. Was a really neat place to visit, a hidden gem IMO. Would have been nice to go when I was older to really appreciate it more.

[@pray452]

I'm sitting in the parking lot of what was a very special place to visit, Aquarena Springs Theme Park, saddened that a piece of history is now long gone. Back in the 80s I visited the theme park and remember how excited I was to see Ralph, the swimming pig, the beautiful mermaids performing under water, the glass bottom boats and all the other things it offered. So in 1997 a group of my friends decided to visit sites around south Texas, which we had never seen, all of us south Texans, btw. I suggested that we all meet up in the end at AS and enjoy the park (we were two groups traveling). Little did I know that it had closed down😢 with the exception of the glass boats. At least we were able to enjoy that together. They had never heard of the park and ribbed me over the stories i told them of the swimming pig😂 Adios, Ralphie and all you lovely mermaids!!😊 At least I have the memories!

[@briand3459]

Love this video! I rode the glass bottom boat when I was a kid and loved it. I've been back several times and am still fascinated by it. I am interested in seeing the inside of the park! Make it happen!

[@qbonumber1]

I work here at the Medows Center, I'm a boat driver and what they told me is that starting next year, there is going to be a project to remove what remains of Aquarena Springs. So this could be one of your last chances to get permission to film, what's left of the theme park.

[@DReed1945]

What sucks is that on the boat tour, the guides can only point to the history but you can’t really see anything. It’s overgrown with moss and vines. I wish they’d restore everything to the same looks and colors and bring back another Burleson cabin as a mini farm of some sort like a small Pioneer Farms. I’m sure he had a garden somewhere. Hold blacksmithing classes, sewing, dying, wax candles. However, I doubt it will be a thing. If they bring in trials through there then maybe.

[@jimmyboy5597]

I was there in 1977...so cool then...I remember alligators in a pen and mermaids in the spring.

[@machelleh81]

Thank you for sharing this video. My family visited in the early to mid 80's. I have pictures in front of the official Aquarena Springs sign and pictures of riding the rides. It was a really fun place. I'm going to go down there in the next few weeks to walk around and visit the Meadow Center.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

This is great! If you have any cool old pictures you want to share please do!

[@Frenkazoid]

Would love to see the inside of the park!

[@cjrstudios4100]

I've been here before they really started tearing down everything, it a shame cause I'm too young to have visited it in its prime as well as astroworld... weirdly enough I remember the tour guide telling us that the sky ride had an accident which caused the ride to shut down for awhile

[@edwardndriskoll]

Reminds of this place known to me as buccaneer bay in FLA. Weeki wachee springs.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Looking this up now!

[@skiesofthesouthwest]

I just got permission to photograph the hillside area. I highly recommend it. Thanks to your video, I was able to identify what’s left of this place. As far as drone permissions, I gave up due to having to get LAANC

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Let me know when you upload! I'd love to see it.

[@hinahanta]

Very cool, I have been there a few times!

[@annetteware1702]

I thought the glass bottom boats were still available. I was there about 4 years ago, maybe 5. And they called it wetlands, and you could still ride the boats.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

The boats are still in operation!!

[@SKaR64]

This is so sad. The physicality of many childhood memories has been totally erased by an uncaring institution of learning, but of course I'm not surprised. :(

[@cynthiaschapansky2008]

Bummer! I had fun there as a kid and also astroworld. Be killing my childhood

[@jasonkinney5534]

OKAY 1985! I saw a cop in a san marcus police uniform recently, & asked him, u came from Aquarena springs with the swimming pig? He said What???, I Had know idea that it was closed in 1985!!!!! I thought there were still commercials about it at least until 1990!!

[@MariahFabFab-uh4yd]

The one and only time I can distinctly remember being here is at a very very young age, maybe 4 years old ! I was MESMERIZED ! Through the Glass Bottom Boat I saw a MERMAID 🧜‍♀️ come up to wave Hi to us ! I can remember the Pig ! 🐖 Oh how I SO WISH the place was still open ! 😭

[@milbow]

There is a weird building on the edge of Houston on the 59 I think. It is white and has something about lux written in large letters. Any Idea what that is?

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Hey! Do you have more info on where it is?

[@milbow]

IT IS on the 59 on the edge of the city. I have tried to find it on the map. No Luck but if you are on the 59 you cannot miss it.

[@theawkwardcomposer]

I snuck in, its super easy :) i thought the spanish mission church thingy was real when i was inside it this year. I had no idea until now that it was an abandoned theme park lol 😂 thats awesome. 🎉🎉

[@danielbelardino7662]

No mention of Piranha (1978)😮!🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

[@whitemexican8996]

where is this located?

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

maps.app.goo.gl/Yi9QgezecsncCmTT9

[@Luisgar1234]

You should do a video on the abandoned prison In sugar land

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

Man I've been trying to find a (legal) way to go there

[@Luisgar1234]

Also the old “dream mansion” in clear lake. When I was little I was convinced it was haunted. Then I found out that Hakeem oljuawon had purchased it and they renovated it and even added a sign. I wonder what the mansion was before Hakeem bought it for his brand. Today that mansion is gone but the plot of land and guest houses still remain. It sits on the intersection of space center blvd and nasa right on clear lake. Once I went in with some friends and it was just an abandoned house but I’m sure it has some history.

[@ScottDaileyYOUTUBE]

@@Luisgar1234 I wish I had gotten that mansion before they tore it down.

[@jonathandevries2828]

im interested!

[@cynthiaschapansky2008]

We had crappy cameras. I took pictures when I was a kid but they are bad pictures

[@CelestialWoodway]

The horror movie Piranha was filmed at the park in the 80s.

[@derekcolvin9944]

Piranha was released in 1978, It was directed by Joe Dante who also directed the movie Gremlins

[@nunyabidness3075]

I visited the park in its heyday, and it’s sad it couldn’t survive. I’m not too upset with what the college has been doing overall, but the city and the college have been playing fast and loose with the water which they don’t actually own. Seems the new thing in Texas to block access to public lakes and streams. The city actually fenced off the river access during Covid which was stupid, illegal, and plain political BS. I considered going for a paddle in the spring to see if they would pull something so I could take a stand. We had been looking to move there and start a business. Between the political nonsense and the consistently unprofessional realtors we ran into, we decided on central San Antonio instead.

[@RedDragon-k6r]

Did it have gators back then?

[@nunyabidness3075]

@@RedDragon-k6r I don’t remember them, but they likely could have. I was a kid and it was a half century ago. I remember the glass wall, the mermaids, and making a joke about the titanic when the boat guy said the glass bottom boat was unsinkable. That’s about it.

[@RedDragon-k6r]

That spring would be great with alligators in it.

[@edwardndriskoll]

A1