Zilker Hillside Theater — Attraction in Austin

I love the venues, but nothing has changed in 20 years of visiting this space. The city is growing in every direction, but the Hillside Theater has stagnated and the area around the Springs in general has gotten really bad. I thought the Hillside would have become a place which has seating, amphitheater style, maybe lime stone, something natural. This dead grass stuff, it really can be a fiasco out there walking around in the dark.

Speaking of potty; the place only has porta-cans, in the dark with no water to wash your hands, at least no water to wash your hands and the springs bathroom are actually pretty bad. The other evening at Shrek attempting to get to my chair, I slipped on someones red satin blanket and ended up on my knees. This place is waiting for accidents to happen. I say move the play to another city venue, inside where the actors, musicians and fans can sit in safety. There are no fans for those actors either....only 95 degree temps.

I recommend a giant uplift to Zilker Park in general and the Barton Springs pool, inside the springs should also have amphitheater style seating. Below the springs dam and on both sides of the creek we should have seating areas near the water. I feel as though the city has stayed in the dark ages when it comes to the cities greatest jewels, it's parks. I'm not sure if it's the lack of foresight of the parks dept, our city council, or just the public...someone is asleep...

Wow. My family and I randomly saw a banner ad over Burnet Road announcing that the world-famous musical, Oklahoma!, was playing Sunday evening and we decided to check it out. I didn't know what to expect, but knew it would be an outdoor theater experience. Located right next to Barton Springs Pool, this cozy amphitheater sits at the bottom of the hillside. Guests can bring blankets and low-profile lawn chairs to catch the show. I arrived, fully expecting to pay for tickets, only to find out that this company doesn't charge admission and operates solely on donations collected during intermission. This is amazing and makes me love Austin that much more. This summer's production was spectacular. There were more than a handful of actors on stage that could immediately be on Broadway. The directing was superb and the choreography was excellent. I loved the chemistry on stage between Ado Annie and the Peddler. They were a fantastic casting decision. Show time starts at dusk, but arrive early to get a good spot on the hill. There are concessions available for purchase, which help to support the theater. After sitting on the hill for four hours, my back was sore, and I will bring a low-profile seat the next time we attend. ...

We took our kids to our first Zilker Hillside Theatre show on a Thursday evening. It was the last weekend of the summer show, and although we arrived nearly an hour early, it was already packed! There is lots of free parking, however, be prepared to walk a good distance to the stage. The show is free, but they do accept donations, and also sell snacks, drinks and rent out chairs for the show. Although we came during the summer, the sun wasn't shining directly on the hill, so it was pleasant to sit and wait for it to start (although very hot, we worked up a sweat!). The actual show was amazing! The actors were great and the talent is outstanding. Sometimes the orchestra was louder than the singing, which made it a bit hard to hear. Be sure to get there really early for good seats! People started putting blankets down 2 hours before showtime. Although we weren't far from the stage, we were sort of behind the stage lights pole, and we couldn't see the actors at times. Also be prepared for people coming straight from the river, meaning many people were only in swimsuits and nothing else. Overall it was a great experience and we can't wait for...