Longtime residents of San Marcos, Texas, can remember Aquarena Springs by the mermaid performers in the submarine theater.
But by far, the most popular attraction was "Ralph, the Famous Swimming Pig."
Ralph swam around Aquarena Springs performing tricks and dives until the early 1990s, when he retired. Other features of the park were a Swiss Sky Ride (a Von Roll skyride), an observation deck that moved vertically 220 ft above the lake and rotated 360º, They also developed a hotel there and introduced glass bottom boats on the lake.
In 1994, Aquarena Springs was purchased by Texas State University. Aquarena Springs was operated as an amusement park until 1996, when the park was closed and converted by the university to an environmental learning center now known as Aquarena Center. The center still offers glass bottom boat tours plus environmental education tours, an endangered species exhibit and natural aquarium and scientific diving training.
2007-01-11
10:30:53
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