The renovated Parque Zaragoza Neighborhood Pool bathhouse at 2611 Webberville Road in East Austin was unveiled June 10. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
Austin Parks and Recreation cut the ribbon on a renovated Parque Zaragoza Bathhouse at 2611 Webberville Road on June 10, celebrating more than nine decades of community history.
The renovated structure includes an ADA-compliant layout with modern gender-specific restrooms and shower facilities, a lifeguard office, a dedicated pool entry and a large enclosed pavilion for activities, according to a news release from Austin Park and Recreation.
The renovated Parque Zaragoza Bathhouse features a large open enclosed pavilion space available for community activities. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
What it means
For aquatic staff, the upgrades are a practical leap forward.
“For the community, they have a place where they can use the restrooms now. It avoids us having to rent porta-potties,” Juan Hernandez, aquatic maintenance supervisor for the south district, told Community Impact. “I grew up on this side of town. It’s come a long way.”
Local artist Samson Barboza's stainless steel sculpture—"Brown Birds" and "Grackle"—was installed as part of the project, drawing on Mexican American culture and the natural environment surrounding the park, according to speakers at the event, including Barboza himself.
Artist Samson Barboza speaks at the Parque Zaragoza Bathhouse ribbon-cutting ceremony June 10 in East Austin. His stainless steel sculpture, "Brown Birds" (left) "Grackle" (right) (2025), is visible behind him. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
“As an artist, my goal was to create something that reflects the spirit and history of this place, honoring the generations of people who made this park what it is today,” Barboza said.
Aquatic staff will offer free Swim Safe swim lessons for children in kindergarten through third grade at Parque Zaragoza Pool, according to the release from APR. More information is at www.austintexas.gov/swimming
The pool at Parque Zaragoza, 2611 Webberville Road in East Austin. A two-room brick bathhouse to serve the pool, built in 1933, was first constructed in 1941 and renovated this spring. (Jessica McLaren/Community Impact)
Rooted in history
Parque Zaragoza has anchored East Austin’s Mexican and Mexican American community since 1931, when the city purchased land for the park after years of lobbying by cultural advocacy groups, including founding members of Austin's earliest comité patriótico, according to Austin Parks and Recreation.
In 1941, residents organized by the National Youth Administration built a two-room brick bathhouse on the park's northwest corner to serve a pool built in 1933. It served as the park’s only indoor facility for the next 65 years, according to the city.
The Parque Zaragoza Bathhouse, renovated this spring, was first built in 1941. (Courtesy Austin Parks and Recreation)
In 1988, Austin Parks and Recreation renamed the park from Zaragosa Park to Parque Zaragoza, and a modern recreation center followed in 1996 after the 1992 bond election.
The latest renovation was funded by the 2012 and 2018 Park and Recreation Bond Funds, according to the city.
