Wimberley’s beloved Blue Hole Regional Park, one of the Texas Hill Country’s most popular natural swimming spots, is diving into a $4 million makeover with plans for a state-of-the-art education center.
According to a recent filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the Blue Hole Nature Center will be built at 333 Blue Hole Lane in Hays County, about 40 miles southwest of Austin.
Concept plans released by San Antonio-born architecture firm Lake Flato offer a glimpse at the 2,375-square-foot building, which is designed to immerse visitors in the park’s natural world.
The center is expected to include more than a dozen amenities, including two nature-learning classrooms that can be combined into a larger space, a greenhouse, an aquarium, an insectary, a theater, covered porches on the north and south sides of the building, an outdoor gathering space with a fire pit, a large educational courtyard and a rainwater collection area.
“The Blue Hole Nature Center is a bold new initiative by the City of Wimberley to create a state-of-the-art environmental education and community hub in the heart of the Texas Hill Country,” the project site reads. “As a designated One Water facility, the Center will feature interactive classrooms, nature-based exhibits, and restored prairie and wetland ecosystems.”
The nature center is also intended to expand Wimberley’s camp and nature education programs, which provide hands-on learning experiences for hundreds of local children, families, schools and community organizations throughout the year.
Funding for the multimillion-dollar project is already underway. Hays County’s Parks and Open Space Bond has committed $3 million toward the project’s estimated $4 million cost.
Construction is expected to begin in July 2027 and be completed in August 2028, though the timeline could change.