The largest park in downtown Austin is set to open in spring of 2021.
This year has been a downer to say the very least. As all of us are so eagerly waiting for the pandemic to be over and to return to normalcy, there is something grand that waits on the other side. Throughout the year, the City of Austin and Waterloo Greenway have been steadily developing what is to become downtown Austin’s largest park between Red River and Trinity Streets and 12th and 15th streets. Meanwhile, the Moody Amphitheater has undergone construction that is nearly complete. While the park is slated to officially open next spring, the agencies are opening the park for a sneak preview next week between November 16 – November 22.
In honor of the annual Creek Show, a light spectacle that features an array of dazzling art installations along Waller Creek during this time of year, the Moody Ampitheater will be set aglow for visitors to look upon via drive-by on Red River between November 16 – November 22.
“This time of year is usually incredibly exciting for all of us at Waterloo Greenway; it’s a time when our local artists, landscape architects and designers dazzle the community with their prodigious talent and radiant work. Though we wish we could partake in Creek Show live, there’s still so much to celebrate at Waterloo Park,” said Peter Mullan, CEO of Waterloo Greenway Conservancy.
“This will be the first time for many in the community to get a glimpse of what’s to come; to see Moody Amphitheater lit up at night is a true display of what Waterloo is all about – a wonderfully immersive and inclusive urban space that is rooted in and surrounded by nature.”
In many ways the Moody Amphitheater will be the centerpiece of the new Waterloo Park, which is set to feature additional playscapes, bountiful plants, as well as 11 acres of greenspace and 1.5 miles of hike-and-bike trails.
That said, the architecture of the 5,000-capacity amphitheater designed by architects Thomas Phifer and partners will mostly be underground so as not to detract from the park experience. Its seamless design features floating glass roof structures to shade the stage as well as the park goers below.
“We want the Moody Amphitheater to be a moment of celebration in the heart of this amazing city. The city of Austin and its lively culture is a tale of two distinct worlds woven together- an active urban core paired with peaceful respites grounded in nature- all with plentiful trails and waters,” Thomas Phifer of Thomas Phifer and Partners, said. “When you visit the Moody Amphitheater, you experience the best of both worlds.”