The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

Great little outing for a beautiful day. The boat tour was very enjoyable and educational. The 8 year old enjoyed it quite a bit and the 2 year old was very interested in all the turtles. There is also a free aquarium to see the fish you see on the tour up close. The boardwalk was not available due to flood damage, but other than that everything was great.
It is well worth checking out.

Fun family attraction. My boyfriend and I went one day to kill time. The boat tours are every half hour until 4:30pm. The aquarium is a small little exhibit but is very informative. It’s fun if your trying to kill a little time, but isn’t enough stuff to kill hours. You don’t need to buy a ticket to get into the aquarium. The boat ride has student discounts and kids under 3 are free.

This makes a great little day trip from Austin or other nearby cities and is very enjoyable for all ages. I took two 5-​year-​olds and an 8-​year-​old, and it was one of our favorite outings of the summer. Highly recommended!
The historic Aquarena Springs park at Spring Lake is being restored to a more natural state and is now operated by the university as a sort of education center. The glass-​bottom boat tour is 30 minutes and shows you the hundreds of small springs that line the bottom of the lake, along with whatever wildlife may be on the prowl, narrated with historical notes from your guide.
Be sure to visit the the free aquarium also, which features fish, rare salamanders, interactive displays, and educational materials. This is a fun way to learn something about water topics, such as what an aquifer is and how it works. Again, this aquarium has something for all ages.
If you’re in the mood for a short hike, go ahead and add on the boardwalk nature walk too. We did this with a guide for a small additional fee, but unguided would be fine too if that better fits your style. I was a little ambitious to take two 5-​year-​olds on the walk in the heat of a sunny Texas summer afternoon. However, the walk isn’t long and would be easy if the weather were a little cooler or your crew a little older.
All in all, you might allocate 3 hours or so for this outing, so if you’re coming in from out of town you might want to work in another of San Marcos’s many attractions to make a day of it.

I didn’t preface for my kids what to we were doing for the day, so all of us walked into the day with little to no idea of what to expect from a glass bottom boat tour. I knew that tours ran every 30 mins so I wasn’t overly concerned with getting there at any certain time. Our actual tour was at 230 pm which meant not as much aquatic wildlife out and about but that also set us up for what was practically a personal tour for the family. (There was just one other family/​group on our boat so we spread out and had plenty of space to breathe). I’ve got to mention that while it was 101 out in the sun, it thankfully didn’t feel at all unbearable on the boat.
All three of my squirmy imps were fascinated by the boat and our tour guide patient and personable with them. He was very knowledgeable about the area/​history and was able to communicate the importance of the functions of the wetlands/​the aquifer while fielding questions/​comments from three rugrats, AND drive the boat.
It was beautiful and breathtaking. It was almost hard to comprehend that the water is really just that clear. The educational building with the aquarium was an added unexpected bonus rounding out our already positive experience.
Sadly, it will be a few years before our 5 year old recognizes the significance of the fact that he got to touch water that was once declared as the fountain of youth!

Fun Educational place to go with a small group of people. The glass bottom boat ride is a must.
It improves evertime I visit.
Nice place to bird watch. You can spot fish in the super clean and clear water.

A great place to take children and visiting parents. The glass bottom boat ride is interesting and I agree with previous reviewers that the tour guides are very informative and enjoy what they’re doing. We explored the wetland walkway and the aquariums as well. My tip is to check GROUPON before going– we saved 50%!!

A world class place for science. Don’t miss the Glass Bottom Boat tour of Spring Lake or the Wetlands Walk. They also have a modest sized but very worthwhile science display. Yes, the turtles, springs and birds are impressive. Be sure to take the kids — wonder will happen!

we liked it a lot. it was informing and educational for children. recommend for at least once in your life to see this.

The Meadow Center is a pretty cool place and the location is really beautiful. The exhibit inside is free and open to the public. I went to check out the salamander exhibit because I needed to film for a class project, and it was really interesting. It is definitely something different to do, but there wasn’t too much inside. I’m sure the biggest attraction is the glass bottom boat tours, which I did a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed, but unless you do that there’s not too much offered. The one complaint was that there was no one around to answer our questions. We had to search for someone who worked there to get consent to film. The Meadow Center is a very beautiful place and it’s an educational experience that everyone could enjoy.

Great educational family fun. The glass bottom boat tour was interesting! We had two 7 year olds and one 13 year old and they absolutely loved it!

We recently went to do the glass bottom boat tour and absolutely loved it. It was cheap, the boats were comfortable, charming and cool, the tour guide told great stories/​history of the lake and interesting facts about the wildlife, the views were beautiful, and then we were told there was a free aquarium right next to the lake. The aquarium/​mini museum was small, but well put together. It was a great experience.

This is the location formerly known as «Aquarena» and is a wonderful, family-​friendly experience.
Having spent days paddling, tubing, and hiking at the San Marcos River in various spots, I thought I should go straight to the source and check out where all of that clean and clear 72-​degree water comes from.
You have to look very carefully for the sign pointing to the attraction. It’s in the middle of Texas State University property and also surrounded by a golf course.
I visited on a Saturday and was able to get a ticket for then 30-​minute glass-​bottom boat tour with just a 30-​minute wait. The ticket seller recommended that I visit the first floor of the adjoining building to see the exhibits while I waited.
You would never know that there were exhibits in the building unless someone had told you. Well, I’m telling you. Go and see them before the tour! It’s on the first floor of the building, ironically up some stairs to get to the first floor, but… okay.
It’s aquariums, interactive exhibits, photographs, videos… you’ll have a heads up about what you’re about to tour and the kids will get a close-​up look at the fish and turtles. It’s air-​conditioned with nice restrooms and lots of seating.
The boats are electric and hold about 25 people each. Each seat is padded and there is a glass plate along the center of the bottom of the boat. You lean over the wooden railing and watch what’s underneath you. The water is exceptionally clear and there is always something to see. The tour guides are energetic and young (I assume they are students at the college) and they give a very educational and interesting presentation. They also field questions well.
You will see several species of fish, many turtles, some interesting underwater plants, and see the water rising or bubbling up through the bottom. It’s a very unique experience.
My only suggestion is that if you are hard of hearing, or really want to hear what the guide is saying and would be distracted by the sound of babies/​children/​inattentive adults, try to sit near the front of the boat. The tour guide does not have a microphone and ours was very soft-​spoken.

Such a rich, historical, hidden gem. The glass bottom boat your was fantastic and our guide was so fun and knowledgable. And the price was great!!! We’ll definitely be back. Oh and the roof top is perfect for weddings!

We loved the tour!!! Go, go, go… you can make it what you want, just the 30 minute boat ride or spend the day on the grounds and at the aquarium.
My son is 3.5, and he thought it was a blast. We just did the tour and the wilderness walk and it kept his attention, not an easy thing to do.
Had I looked here first, I would have taken the dollar off, but for $ 9 (for me, 3 & under are free) it was well worth our time. He had fun and I learned a little something about San Marcos history.

Stopped by for the Sacred Springs Pow Pow, and it did not disappoint… arrived in time to hear the morning prayer, listened to amazing music and the colorful outfits were awesome. If you get a chance go… Its held yearly and I will be back for sure. The wetland walk was really neat as well.

I lived in San Antonio for many years and always wanted to do the glass bottom boat cruise. It took me leaving for another state and coming for a visit to finally do it LOL. What fun! Especially with family and large group. There were 19 of us so we had the whole boat to ourselves. It can get hot so dress appropriately. Very educational and fun for kids. The water is so clear! I wish I did see the swimming pig and mermaids! Ah well that was another time. Anyway. just go!

A fun way to spend a morning. The glass bottom boat ride is educational and engaging. Each time I have taken the 30 minute tour, I learn something new. Walk the boardwalk and tour the little aquarium. Aquarena Springs is interesting! Beautiful, clear water and lots of wildlife. Today, the guide pointed out white flowers that had bloomed under the water.

My review will be biased because I LOVED this place growing up. The magical mermaid show, Ralph the swimming pig, the gondola ride, and glass bottom boats. Even though the theme park atmosphere is gone, this is still a beautiful place to spend a couple of hours.
The website says hours start at 10am, but during the summer they open at 9am. I would recommend going early due to the heat. Glass bottom boat tours run every 30 minutes, and cost $ 9 for adults, $ 6 for kids, children under 3 are free. The ticket includes admission into a smaller aquarium that has a few tanks with salamanders, turtles, and other native fish. It’s nice to browse around while waiting for the boat, and there is at least a picture of the mermaids from back in the day. The boat ride takes about 20 minutes, so a good time frame for kids. The tour guides discuss the different vegetation and aquatic life in the area. They also said glass bottom kayaks are available, but need to be reserved at least 72 hours in advance. If you would rather explore on your own that seems like a fun thing to do.
It’s so great to see Texas State restoring the area into a preserve so it can still be enjoyed by the public.

This is a great way to have an inexpensive Sunday afternoon on the river without getting your feet wet. I hope I don’t ruin it for you, but to get a little education on our fragile ecosystem too. (Shh, don’t tell the kids it’s a learning opportunity)
We drove from Austin to San Marcos to ride the glass bottom boat. Alas, no mermaids or swimming pig– they’ve all retired.
But we had a great time on the boat ride with very knowledgeable guides.
Then we walked the boardwalk over the marshy area– we saw differently marked dragon flies, and turtles and fishes galore.
The site offers kayaking too, if you have a couple of hours to spare.
The exhibit hall was a nice air conditioned break from the heat.
Everyone needs to take this day trip.

This place is pretty cool. We took my niece and nephew here for a glass bottom boat tour this week. The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. The boats were not exactly what I was expecting. I thought the entire boat bottom was going to made out of glass. Nope. It’s a strip in the middle of the boat about two feet wide, down the length of the boat. We were able to see some nice vegetation, a few turtles and fish. I rather enjoyed it. The tour lasted 30 mins and the wet lands/​aquarium are included in your price. The aquarium is rather small, but it’s quaint. The tour is $ 9 per adult, children three and under are free and 4 – 15 cost $ 6 each.
Nice little tour.

We took our 2 and 5 year old here and the whole family enjoyed it. The place is a little run down, but the glass bottom tour is super cool, educational, and very different.
This place has been taken over by TX State and the students who took us on the tour were very knowledgeable and seemed to love their jobs. The entire boat ride and the walk through the aquarium took about an hour. Next time we plan on bringing a picnic and walk around the trail.