Barton Springs Pool: fees and hours

Barton Springs Pool is a spring-fed municipal pool in Austin's Zilker Park, dammed into a three-acre swimming area on Barton Creek and cold enough year-round that it feels nothing like a heated city pool. The City of Austin charges admission only from spring break through the end of October; the rest of the year entry is free. Of the sites in our swimming holes in Texas guide, it's the closest to downtown Austin.

No sourced coordinates are available yet for swimming holes — there is no government register for this category to map against (see methodology). Every spot is listed in the table below with directions in the text.

Fact box

Field	Detail
Coordinates	Approximate, 30.264°N, 97.771°W, Zilker Park, Austin
Access type	Official, City of Austin park; guarded most daytime hours
Water source	Spring-fed, connected to the Edwards Aquifer, dammed into Barton Creek
Depth	Varies across the roughly three-acre pool; exact depth by section hasn't been independently measured for this guide
Admission	$5 resident / $9 non-resident adult (18 to 61); lower tiers for kids, juniors and seniors; infants and honorably discharged veterans free. Charged only from Austin ISD spring break through October 31; free the rest of the year
Parking	Zilker Park lots charge $3 per hour on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from May 23 through September 7, 2026; free otherwise
Legal status	Official, City of Austin park
Season	Open daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; closed Thursdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for cleaning

Fees and hours

Barton Springs Pool charges admission only during its peak season, from Austin ISD's spring break through the end of October; outside that window, entry is free. In 2026 the fee season began on March 14 and season passes run through October 31 (Austin Parks and Recreation, Barton Springs Pool). When fees apply, adults 18 to 61 pay $5 as an Austin resident or $9 as a non-resident. Kids 1 to 11 pay $2 resident or $4 non-resident, juniors 12 to 17 pay $3 or $5, seniors 62 and up pay $2 or $5, and infants under 1 and honorably discharged veterans get in free (Austin Parks and Recreation, pool fees and rentals). The city sells tickets through its ATXswims app, at card-only kiosks at the pool, or at a cashier window that takes cash.

The pool is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., but closes every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for routine cleaning, a fixed weekly closure, so plan around it. Early mornings before lifeguards come on duty are swim-at-your-own-risk, a detail worth knowing if you're the type to show up right at opening. Lifeguards are on duty for most of the rest of the day.

Parking is the other seasonal cost. Zilker Park's lots charge $3 per hour on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from May 23 through September 7, 2026, and the city runs a free Zilker Loop shuttle on those days from the Stratford lot to the pool (City of Austin, Zilker Metropolitan Park).

The pool

The water comes straight from the Edwards Aquifer via Barton Springs, one of the largest spring complexes in Texas, and averages 68 to 70°F year-round regardless of air temperature, which is why the pool draws swimmers even on cool days. The roughly three-acre swimming area sits dammed into the natural channel of Barton Creek inside Zilker Park, a short walk from downtown Austin, with limestone edges and shade trees along the banks in place of a concrete pool deck.

How this guide was researched

This page was compiled from the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department's official pages for Barton Springs Pool, pool fees and Zilker Metropolitan Park, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC. We haven't visited this site ourselves. Fees, season dates, parking rates and hours are set by the city and can change; verify current details before you go. Last checked September 2026.

Before you go

Plan around the Thursday cleaning closure (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) if a specific date matters, and check the season dates if you're aiming for the free off-season window. Early risers should know that hours before lifeguards arrive carry more personal risk, even in a managed municipal pool. What changes when no lifeguard is on duty is covered in our swimming hole safety guide. Compared with the wilder sites in our swimming holes finder, this is the managed end of the scale: lifeguards, fixed hours and a ticket app.

Barton Springs Pool is separate from the Barton Creek Greenbelt, a longer stretch of undeveloped creek and trails nearby with its own informal swimming spots; this page covers the developed, guarded pool inside Zilker Park specifically.

Texas has the country's highest documented case count of Naegleria fowleri, a rare but usually fatal amoeba that thrives in warm, slow-moving or stagnant freshwater. Barton Springs runs cold and keeps moving, so it isn't the kind of water the warnings are aimed at, but the Texas Department of State Health Services advice for warm freshwater costs nothing to follow here: hold your nose or use nose clips when jumping in (Texas DSHS, PAM FAQs; CDC, preventing Naegleria infection when swimming).

FAQ

How much does Barton Springs Pool cost?

$5 for Austin residents, $9 for non-residents (adults 18 to 61), with cheaper tiers for kids, juniors and seniors, charged only from Austin ISD spring break through the end of October. It's free the rest of the year.

What are Barton Springs Pool's hours?

5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except Thursdays, when it closes 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for cleaning.

Is Barton Springs Pool the same as the Barton Creek Greenbelt?

No. Barton Springs Pool is a developed, guarded municipal pool in Zilker Park. The Barton Creek Greenbelt is a separate, longer stretch of undeveloped creek nearby with informal swimming spots.

Is Barton Springs Pool cold?

Yes, relative to summer air temperature. The city puts the average at 68 to 70°F year-round, fed directly by the Edwards Aquifer.

Can you swim at Barton Springs before lifeguards arrive?

Technically yes, since the pool opens at 5 a.m., but it's swim-at-your-own-risk until lifeguards come on duty later in the morning.

We haven't visited these places ourselves, and every page says so rather than implying otherwise. Details are compiled from public land-manager, USGS and NOAA sources and cross-checked where possible; conditions, access rules and fees change without notice, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. Page last checked September 2026. Read our full methodology.