Zilker Park551

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best playground/park in Austin, 350-acre Zilker Park is one of Austin's best loved green spaces. Family activity options include a playground, hike and bike trails, picnic areas, sand volleyball courts, a Frisbee golf course, playing fields, and rides aboard the Zilker Zephyr, a miniature train that runs year-round.

Other park possibilities include paddling a canoe down Barton Creek (for rentals, call 512.478.3852) and swimming in Barton Springs Pool, a natural spring-fed pool.

The park is also home to the Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Austin Nature and Science Center, the Zilker Hillside Theatre (which hosts concerts ranging from Jazz to Country and is the site of the Zilker Summer Musical and Shakespeare in the Park), and the Austin Sunshine Camp. The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum is located at the south end of the park.

A parking fee is charged on the weekends and for most special events.