How much to swim at Barton Springs Pool

The gate prices, in full

These are the City of Austin’s daily rates, charged per person at the gate on William Barton Dr. The first price is for Austin residents, the second for everyone else.

If you swim often, season passes exist — an adult pass is $190 for residents, $280 for non-residents. I keep the full pass table and every other number on the prices page.

Two legitimate ways to pay less

First, the calendar. Admission is only collected from Austin ISD spring break through the end of October. From November until the next spring break the gate is simply free, and the water is the same 68–70°F it was in July. Second, residency: if you live in Austin, say so — the resident rates are roughly half.

The completely free option

Directly below the pool’s dam is Barking Springs, where Barton Creek runs free of charge, never closes, and allows dogs. No lifeguards and a rowdier crowd, but the price is zero every day of the year. I compare the two properly in free side vs the pool.

Parking is the cost people forget

Parking on William Barton Dr is free on weekdays, but $3 per hour per vehicle on weekends and holidays from March 1 to Labor Day. A three-hour Saturday swim can cost a carload more in parking than in admission. Options, including the Route 30 bus, are in getting there.

What you can actually book online

Pool entry, no. The experiences around the springs, yes — and on summer weekends they do sell out. A Lady Bird Lake kayak rental starts around $28, the sunset bat kayak tour runs about $50, the driving tour and the Lake Austin cruise are around $49 each, the paddleboard rental is about $55, and the e-bike tour that stops at the pool is about $70. All six are compared on the tours page.

Book the one that sells out first

The sunset bat kayak tour — two guided hours on Lady Bird Lake ending under the Congress Avenue Bridge at dusk — runs about $50, highly rated across hundreds of reviews, with free cancellation to 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions