Deep Eddy: Austin's Coolest Piece of Living History

by Jennifer S. Goodman, AUSTIN REALTOR®

TL;DR
Deep Eddy Pool, built in 1915, is Austin's oldest and most iconic spring-fed pool. It's 204 feet long, holds 600,000 gallons of cold, spring-fed water, and draws over 300,000 visitors annually. It's not the biggest in Texas, but it's a local institution. $5 entry for residents, open year-round, and rich with over a century of history.

Vintage photo of Deep Eddy Bathing Beach with Ferris wheel

A POOL WITH A PAST

Before Deep Eddy became a concrete pool in 1915, it was just a popular swimming spot along the Colorado River, named after the natural eddy that formed in the current. A.J. Eilers turned it into Deep Eddy Bathing Beach, complete with a zip line, water slide, Ferris wheel, and even diving horses. Then came the 1935 flood. The resort was destroyed, but the City of Austin stepped in. With WPA help, the pool was rebuilt and reopened as a public park in 1936. That original bathhouse? Still standing.

SIZE DOESN'T ALWAYS MATTER

Deep Eddy holds 600,000 gallons of water and measures about 204 feet long. It's roughly one-fifth the size of a football field. Not massive compared to Barton Springs (26 million gallons) or Hamilton Pool (3.5 million gallons), but it’s the biggest spring-fed pool within Austin city limits.

THE LARGEST? BALMORHEA

Located near Toyahvale in Reeves County, about 190 miles from El Paso and 134 from Midland, Balmorhea State Park holds the crown with 3.5 million gallons. It’s the largest spring-fed swimming pool in the U.S.

STILL, DEEP EDDY HITS DIFFERENT

Why do over 300,000 people keep coming back every year?

Maybe it's the nostalgia. Maybe it's the cold, clear water. Maybe it’s the movie nights, the morning lap swims, or the neighborhood feel. For $5, Austin residents get full-day access, year-round, from 9 to 7.

It’s not the biggest. It’s not the flashiest. But for Austinites, it’s something better.

It’s home.

Want to live near iconic Austin gems like Deep Eddy? Let's talk real estate in Tarrytown, Clarksville, and Central Austin.

Jennifer S. Goodman
REALTOR® | GRI
ΓEA⅃ Broker, LLC

Photo credit: https://www.deepeddy.org