Where to Stay Cool in San Antonio

Even though the first official day of summer was June 20th, the Texas heat reared its ugly head much earlier. Even after living in San Antonio for over ten years, this New Mexican mama still can’t handle the heat. It’s almost an unspoken rule at our house: if we’re outside between May–September there needs to be some sort of water involved to cool us down. Luckily, there are many awesome options when it comes to pools, splash pads, and even natural water features in and around San Antonio, and many are free. So, if you’re anything like me and you need to spice up your outdoor water exploration, check out this list.

Free Options:

Emmitt Park at Community Bible Church, 2477 N Loop 1604 E, SATX 78232

Fischer Park Splash Pad, 1935 Hilltop Summit Road, New Braunfels, TX 78130; Open daily, 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Gustav’s Geysers at The Pearl, 99 Karnes St., SATX 78215; Open Mon.–Sat., 9:00 a.m–9:00 p.m. and Sun., 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Northview Splash Pad, 100 Randolph Plaza, Universal City, TX 78148; Open daily, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

Park West Splash Pad, 623 N Vaughan Ave., Seguin, TX 78155; Open daily, 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Selma Splash Pad, 9374 Valhalla Dr., Selma, TX 78154; Open Mon.–Sat., 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. and Sun., Noon–6:00 p.m.


San Antonio Parks and Recreation 

SA Parks and Rec has some incredible water features throughout the city, and the best part: they’re all free! Each park listed below has a connected hyperlink so you can read more information on the Parks and Rec website. The times listed below are based on the website and may vary. Call the pool location if you have any questions. Per a video on Instagram, more pools would open in July. I will update this list as I hear of more pools opening.

Outdoor Pools:

Heritage Pool, 1423 S Ellison Drive, SATX 78245 | 210.645.9465

Lady Bird Johnson Park, 10700 Nacogdoches Rd., SATX 78217 | 210.599.0122

Southside Lions Park, 3100 Hiawatha St., SATX 78210 | 210.532.2027

Woodlawn Lake Park, 221 Alexander Ave., SATX 78201 | 210.732.5789

The above pools are open Tues.–Thurs., 5:00–8:00 p.m. and Sat.–Sun., 1:00–8:00 p.m.

 

Elmendorf Lake, 235 Shore Dr., SATX 78207 | 210.207.7275

Kennedy Park, 3299 S.W. 28th St., SATX 78226 | 210.436.7009

Lincoln Park, 2803 E. Commerce St., SATX 78203 | 210.224.7590

San Pedro Springs Park, 2200 N. Flores St., SATX 78212 | 210.732.5992

The above pools are open Sat.–Sun., 12:00–8:00 p.m.

 

Splash Pads:

All five splash pads are open daily from 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Benavides Park, 1500 Saltillo St., SATX 78207

Elmendorf Lake Park, 3700 W Commerce St., SATX 78207

Hemisfair Park, 600 Hemisfair Plaza Way, SATX 78205

Lincoln Park, 2915 E Commerce St., SATX 78203

Pearsall Park, 5102 Old Pearsall Rd., SATX 78242

 

Pay To Go/Membership:

Aquatica at Sea World, Single Day Tickets start at $78.99 with an add-on for the waterpark. Season Passes start at $99.99 and include waterpark admittance.

 

No Name Creek at San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl., SATX 78209; Adults: $15, Children ages 3–13: $12, and children under age 3: Free

 

Inspiration Island at Morgan’s Wonderland, 5223 David Edwards, SATX 78233; Tickets range from $23–29 (ages 2 and under are free) with free admission for guests with special needs.

 

San Antonio Zoo Riverbank, 3903 N St. Mary’s St., SATX 78212; This feature is located within Kronkosky’s Tiny Tot Nature Spot. Standard admission for ages 12+ is $29.99.

 

Schlitterbahn, 400 N. Liberty Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130; Daily admission starts at $39.99.

 

Splashtown San Antonio, 3600 I-35, SATX 78219; Daily admission for guests 48” and up is $34.99 and $29.99 for under 48”.

 

After doing some research and trying some of these parks with my own kiddos, I am slightly less worried about the even hotter days to come this summer. I have no doubt this list is missing some great locations, so if you know of an awesome spot to stay cool, let me know so we can add it to the list. Sending you cool vibes as you splash from one pad to the next!

Gracie
Gracie is a wife of six years, mom to an almost three year-old boy, a newborn baby girl (2021) and a proud Wheaten Terrier dog mom. She is a New Mexico native that prefers a green lifestyle, but she still keeps a tub of Clorox wipes below the kitchen sink to rid of the “really bad germs”. She first moved to San Antonio to attend Trinity University where she achieved a Bachelors in Sociology and a Masters in Teaching. Gracie is a former Spanish Immersion teacher turned work-at-home mom currently digging into her clean-crafted wine business. While working from home she still channels her inner teacher into finding the next best thing for her son: ways to stimulate him, help him learn, teach him multiple languages, encourage him to be a healthy eater, etc. She loves reading, running and exploring the vivacious city of San Antonio. Favorite Restaurant: Supper Favorite Landmark: San Antonio Mission Reach Favorite San Antonio Tradition: San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo