Phil Hardberger Park

The Phil Hardberger Park started out as a dairy farm and is a fairly new park having been opened in 2010. The farm was bought by the city in 2007 from Minnie and Max Voelcker following the 69 parks project of the 2007-2012 Bond Program. The park is on 330 acre piece of land.
The design of the park was done by a team led by Stephen Stimson Associates with a lot of input from the community. The entire design of the park is not completed. It was designed to provide open spaces for the public and preserve the natural landscape as it were.
The park is named after Phil Hardberger who as a mayor of San Antonio from 2005-09. Phil is the brains behind the Bond Program. The park is not entirely opened up as the design envisioned is not yet completed.
The design was two step with the first phase being restoration of the oak savanna, woodlands and brushland. The other step entails having cultivated land in the park with rich soils, water and animals existing in the park.

Top Sites and Things To Do

Play Grounds

The park has many playscapes that kids can enjoy playing. There is also a variety of play equipment that enhances motor skills for the children aged 2 to 12. The children also receive advice as they play. The ground is made of rubber for safety of the children as they engage in all kinds of play.

Bird Watching at the Bird Water Feature

The park features a tiered water feature with water flowing seamlessly from the top tiers down to the pool beneath. The birds in the water feature are observed through blinds so that they are not disturbed.

Some of the species of birds that can be seen at the park include the mockingbird, Golden Fronted Woodpecker, northern cardinal and black and white warbler. The water feature however attracts many species of birds that have taken residence in the park.

Visit the Heritage Homestead

At the homestead visitors can enjoy seeing the main house, the original historic homestead and the daily barn. On site also lies a cistern and a windmill. The heritage homestead is rich in traditional architecture.

The historic home still has some of the limestone walls still intact. It was built in the 1800s while the main house was built in 1924,

Dog Parks

They are amongst the most visited attraction in the park. The award-winning dog parks are enclosed and dogs are allowed let loose to run without a leash. The parks feature areas for small and large dogs. The west dog park has agility equipment for dogs to play with. There is also a two-story doghouse in the east dog park for small dogs.

Salado Outdoor Classroom

This outdoor classroom serves as a place for visitors to learn about ecology, urban agriculture and sustainable agriculture and technologies. Even learning at the park is made fun by being in an outdoor environment.

The park is a great place to have a picnic and enjoy the outdoors while playing and learning with friends and family. It is a sign of the continued efforts by San Antonio government to preserve nature and give people a high quality of life.

• More Info About San Antonio
• Tint World San Antonio