Landa Park Aquatic Complex

What to expect

Be clear on one thing before you drive here: this is not a hot spring. The Landa Park Aquatic Complex is a municipal summer pool run by the City of New Braunfels, and its best-known pool is filled by Comal Springs, which rise out of the Edwards Aquifer in the same park. That water stays at about 72°F22°C all year. On a 100°F38°C July afternoon it feels cold for the first minute and good after that. If you were hoping for a warm soak, nothing in central Texas will give you one; Texas’s natural hot springs are far to the west, along the Rio Grande at places like Big Bend Hot Springs (its access road has been closed until further notice since October 2026, so check before you go).

What you get instead is one of the oldest bathing pools in Texas. The city dates the Springfed Pool to the early 1900s, when Landa Park was a private resort that drew excursion trains, and bathers used a spring-fed pool at a hotel and bathhouse called Camp Placid. The Texas State Historical Association records that the city bought the park in 1936 after it had been closed and fenced during the Depression.

The complex has three pools on one ticket:

• Springfed Pool. The historic one. It runs from 0 to 9 feet deep. The shallow end has a mushroom fountain and a 10-foot slide for small kids. The deep end has floating platforms, climbing walls and a rope swing, plus a zip line over the water for riders taller than 54 inches. Trees shade the edges.
• Coach E.E. “Bud” Dallmann Olympic Pool. A 25-yard by 50-meter pool, 4 to 7 feet deep, with lap lanes, a wide step entry and a lift for swimmers with disabilities. The Landa Park Dolphins swim team trains here.
• Zero Depth Pool. A splash-pad style pool up to 2.5 feet deep, with a fountain and frog slide, for children 5 and under only.

Lifeguards staff all three. The city’s own sign warns that the spring-fed water is natural: water quality fluctuates, bacteria may be present, and there is algae and other aquatic life, so ladders and walkways can be slick.

Getting there

New Braunfels sits on I-35 between San Antonio and Austin. Landa Park is on the northwest side of downtown, and the aquatic complex is at 350 Aquatic Circle inside the park. Follow signs for Landa Park from downtown; the drive from the I-35 exits takes a few minutes.

Parking in the lot in front of the complex is free. There is more free parking around the park, but park only in marked spaces, because the city tickets and tows cars left in the wrong place. Everything from the lot to the pool deck is flat and paved.

When to go

The complex opens only in summer. Daily operation runs from Memorial Day weekend to mid-August. After that it opens on weekends until Labor Day, then closes for the year. Outside that window you can still walk around Landa Park and look at Landa Lake and the springs, but you cannot swim at the complex.

Hours from Memorial Day weekend to mid-August:

• Sunday to Friday: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

From mid-August to Labor Day, Saturday runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Watch the pool-by-pool closures too. The Springfed Pool is closed every Tuesday. The Olympic and Zero Depth pools are closed on Mondays and close at 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

The cool water is the reason to come in the hottest weeks of June and July. Weekends and holidays are the busiest days. Each pool stops admitting people once it reaches capacity, so on a hot Saturday arriving at opening is the safer plan. Storms close the pools; rain checks are only handed out if the facility closes for the rest of the day.

Prices and rules

The city’s sign for the 2026 season lists:

• Daily admission: $6 Monday to Friday, $8 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Military personnel get $1 off.
• Resident season pass: $36 for children 3 to 12, seniors 60 and over, and military; $66 for adults 13 to 59; $126 for a family.
• Non-resident season pass: $47 for children, seniors and military; $89 for adults; $164 for a family.

A family pass covers two adults and two children under 18, with $20 for each extra child. Season passes also include the city’s Tube Chute on the Comal River. Picnic tables rent for $50 a day, and the party room is $275 for two hours. Whole-pool rentals on weekend mornings cost $100 (Zero Depth), $200 (Olympic) or $400 (Springfed), booked online at least two weeks ahead.

The complex takes cash, checks and major cards, with a 2.75% fee on cards. No refunds for any reason.

Rules worth knowing before you pack:

• Swimsuits only in the water. No street clothes in the pools.
• Children under 13 must come with an adult, and the Olympic pool rules say children 9 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 18 or older.
• Coolers and outside food are fine. Glass, polystyrene, alcohol, grills, speakers, pets, smoking and vaping are not.
• No canopy tents or large umbrellas. Lawn chairs and folding tables are fine if they are not staked down.
• No arm floaties or water wings. Bring a Coast Guard approved life jacket or Puddle Jumper instead.
• Slides go feet first, on your back, one person at a time.

Where to stay nearby

There is no camping or lodging in Landa Park. New Braunfels is a busy river-tubing town, so it has plenty of hotels, motels and vacation rentals, from chain hotels along I-35 to older inns in the Gruene historic district on the north side of town. Summer weekends sell out early, so book ahead if you are coming for a Saturday. San Antonio is close enough for a day trip if you would rather base yourself in a city.

Safety notes

• Cold water shock. At 72°F22°C the Springfed Pool is noticeably colder than a normal pool. Ease in, and keep an eye on small children, who chill faster.
• Deep water. The Springfed Pool reaches 9 feet. Weak swimmers should stay in the shallow end or wear a life jacket.
• Natural water. The city warns that the spring water’s quality varies and can carry bacteria, and that algae makes ladders, ramps and walkways slippery. Do not swallow the water, and skip swimming with an open cut.
• Sun and heat. Shade is limited and tents are banned. Bring sunscreen, a hat and plenty of drinking water.

Nearby stops worth adding

Landa Park itself is worth an hour out of the water. It covers 196 acres around the 14-acre Landa Lake and the Comal Springs, the largest group of freshwater springs in Texas and the headwaters of the Comal River. The park has paddle boats, a miniature train, a golf course and a registered arboretum. The springs are home to the endangered fountain darter, so follow any posted signs about where you can and cannot wade.

If you are touring Texas spring-fed swims, Barton Springs Pool in Austin is about an hour north on I-35 and is also cool aquifer water. Krause Springs in Spicewood and Blue Hole Regional Park in Wimberley are other Hill Country swimming holes worth pairing with a visit.