Austin has the habit of jumping right from Winter to Spring. When you’re trying to keep the kids busy and cool at the same time, Splash Pads are the perfect solution. Here is the ULTIMATE guide to Splash Pads in Austin:
RELATED READING :: Coolest Pools in Austin
Liz Carpenter Splash Pad – South Austin
The spectacular view of downtown Austin and proximity to the fabulous Alliance Children’s Garden playground make this a great splash pad. And it’s open year-round!
Mary Elizabeth Branch Park – Mueller
We love that the Texas Farmers Market at Mueller is located at this park, complete with a fun splash pad! Come by on a Sunday and enjoy parusing the local vendors, then cool off in the water. There are just a few trees in this park that offer shade, and the splash pad itself caters more to older children or toddlers who are comfortable with really big jets of water shooting up. My toddler always looks forward to cooling off here whenever we’re in the Mueller area. There’s a few nice restaurants in walking distance to this park as well as a playground, and the Thinkery is right around the corner!
Robin Bledsoe Park
With a variety of water features, including ground sprays and overhead buckets, this fully fenced-in splash pad is especially great for little ones.
Dick Nichols Splash Pad – South Austin
The huge splash pad in Garey Park has a ton of cool features to entertain kiddos. The splash pad itself is not shaded, but there are pavilions with picnic tables you can sit at while you watch your kids. An amazing playground is right next to it. Admission required.
Lakeview Splash Pad – Leander
Lakeview Splash Pad in Leander definitely tops our list of favorite places to cool off. This place feels more like a mini water park! We love that it has something for all age groups, from the crawlers to the big kids. The ground is soft and padded, another awesome feature. The whole park itself is beautiful. There’s a large lake with a concrete walkway that loops all the way around if you want to get some steps in before you play. There’s also a playscape and a shaded seating area with picnic tables right next to the splash pad, the perfect place to have a snack after all that fun.
Quarry Splash Pad – Leander
We recently went to the Quarry splash pad for the first time, and the hype is real! This place is such a blast. The natural rock makes it a unique setting and the water cannons, waterfalls and big and small water jets makes this the perfect spot for children of all ages. There are multiple grassy areas surrounding the splash pad with picnic tables and shade to cool off. It does get packed here, so I would recommend arriving around opening at 10am to snag a table. This splash pad also costs $2 per person and only accepts credit cards.
Bartholomew Splash Pad – Austin
A north east Austin gem! This simple splash pad is our go to place to cool off if we’re out and about in that area when the sun is really beating, because this splash pad has something that most don’t – shade! A large blue shade structure provides some relief for the little ones while they splash around and it’s usually easy to find a shady spot to sit in the grass nearby.
Metz Splash Pad
Brushy Creek Splash Pad – Cedar Park
A simple, fun, fully fenced in splash pad located at the Brushy Creek Lake Park. We love that there’s a playscape right next to the splash pad and a great paved walkway around the lake area. The whole park is beautiful and definitely one of our favorite places to visit in Cedar Park. Another perk I love is that there is an outdoor shower located in the front of the first parking lot, which can be great to rinse off the chlorine if we need to run to a few more places before heading home.
Pease Park Splash Pad – Central Austin
Pease Park reopened last summer after a huge transformation, and the results are stunning. The splash pad has a lot of natural rock features and jets, as well as some shade and seating. The innovative playscape is right next to it, so kids can alternate between playing and cooling off.
Clarksville Splash Pad- Central Austin
This splash pad has some shade awnings and a variety of fun features, and an adjacent playground.
Bailey Splash Pad – Central Austin
This lesser-known splash pad is well-maintained with a good mix of water features, and a retaining wall around it to discourage little ones from wandering off.
Chestnut Park
Ricky Guerrero Splash Pad – South Austin
Ricky Guerrero is one of my favorite splash pads because it has ample shade and a long bench that provides plenty of seating. There are a lot of fun water features to keep kids entertained, and they recently renovated the playscape (though it’s often too hot to use in the summer).
Lott Splashpad
Prete Plaza- Round Rock
This interactive water feature is in the 14,000-square foot Prete Plaza in downtown Round Rock. There is a shade structure over it, with built-in seating, a grassy area, and a lounge area.
City Park Splash Pad – Buda
This splash pad has ground jets and stone bench seating, but you may want an umbrella because there is no shade. The playscape has multiple areas with different elements to climb on and explore.
Green Meadows Park Splash Pad (Buda)
This relatively new splash area has a variety of water features that are fun and colorful, with a playground right by it.
Route 12 Filling Station – Dripping Springs
This family-friendly restaurant has great food, with everything from burgers to pizza to tacos. Eat at the covered patio right next to a playscape and splash pad.
Dreamland – Dripping Springs
This huge outdoor entertainment venue has a super fun, fenced-in splash pad with fire hydrants, buckets, water umbrellas, and flower jets. It’s right next to a covered pavilion and playscape. Enjoy a cocktail and some grub while your kids splash and play!
Eastwoods Park
Fischer Park Splash Pad – New Braunfels
Fischer Park has a large, fun-filled sprayground, as well as a playground, Nature Education Center, fishing ponds, and kayak rentals.
Rosewood Splash Pad
Featured Image :: Kahala Castillo
