Kid-Friendly Parks in San Antonio – Woodlawn Lake Park | Evans Road CBD Store

1103 Cincinnati Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201, United States

In the 1880s Woodlawn Lake was the dream of real estate developers who wanted to create West End, a suburban community on the rural west side of San Antonio. It was George W. Russ, president of the West End Town Company , based in Rhode Island, who saw great potential on the Alazan Creek flat pasture and made the dream come true. The creek was dammed to create West End Lake to draw people, which some sources claim was as big as 80 hectares. (About 30 hectares today.)

Visitors traveled by road car to enjoy what became known as “the finest artificial lake in the South.” The lake, where tourists danced in an outdoor pavilion and rowed in small boats, was illuminated by electric lights (which were still new then). Outdoor movies and vaudeville performances came in later years. Privately owned the lake and surrounding property until 1918, when they were deeded to the City. The name was changed to Woodlawn Lake and the next 79 years saw several changes and additions to the 62-acre park.

Today, Woodlawn Lake remains a popular meeting place for tourists from around San Antonio, after more than 100 years. Residents use a regular walking trail, fishing from the boat dock, swimming in the pool, playing gym basketball and dancing at the Bertha Almaguer Dance studio. The park was the site of the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration in the late 1990s, complete with fireworks and a parade. It continues to attract massive crowds every year.

Bertha Almaguer Park is situated within Woodlawn Lake Park. 1 sandbox, 2 call boxes, multiple pedestrian bridges, 2 piers, 1 metal casting platform for the casting pool, 1 dam, 1 lighthouse (in the lake), 1.48 miles walking track. In 2013, Councilman Cris Medina, the City of San Antonio and District 7, announced the construction of a Community Room at Woodlawn Lake Park, next to the gym. In addition to the regular hours, the community room offers literacy programs organized by the San Antonio Public Library including children’s story time, teen club, and adult dare to read club.

This is a lovely park and has something very unusual in Bexar county, a pool. The lake is surrounded by a beautiful road, ideal for hiking, running and bike rides. This park is a perfect spot for picnics and tennis too.

The park is home to the Woodlawn Sailing Club and you’ll be seeing them racing around the lake in their remote controlled sailing boats.

This park also hosts the city’s official fireworks show on Independence Day each year.