This Central Texas city’s newest landmark is 19 feet long, stands on four legs and is designed to make you stop and look.
This video created with the assistance of AI.
A 19-foot-long, 10-foot-tall and five-foot-wide wiener dog sculpture was unveiled in Buda City Park on Saturday, according to a news release from the Buda Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The structure, built entirely of Cor-Ten steel, highlights the city’s title as the “Wiener Dog Capital of Texas.”
The giant steel dachshund commemorates the Buda Wiener Dog Races-a local tradition dating to 1997-and Buda EDC’s 25th anniversary.
“Today, the Buda Economic Development Corporation is celebrating 25 years of growing the local economy with a gift to the whole community: the largest wiener dog in Texas,” Buda EDC wrote in the release. “After all, everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes our dachshunds.”
Beyond marking those milestones, the city also hopes the sculpture will become its next major attraction, drawing in drivers passing along the I-35 corridor. The organization hopes the sculpture will give travelers a reason to exit I-35, take a photo, eat, shop and share their visit online.
“Buda already has something most communities spend years trying to manufacture: a distinctive identity people remember,” Jennifer Storm, CEO of Buda EDC, said in the release. “Our wiener dog tradition gives us the opportunity to create a permanent, highly photographable landmark that reinforces the Buda brand 365 days a year. This pup isn’t merely decoration. It’s an investment in our identity.”
The Buda Economic Development Corporation unveiled a 19-foot-long, 10-foot-tall sculpture of a wiener dog in Buda City Park on Saturday. (Buda Economic Development Corporation)
More than 400 pieces of steel
The sculpture took a team effort to build: More than 400 pieces of steel were cut, shaped and pieced together.
“Its Cor-Ten steel construction develops a protective, rust-toned patina over time, so the dog will weather the Texas sun for decades to come,” Buda EDC wrote in the release.
The sculpture was imagined by Storm and brought to life by Austin-based public art studio Art Seen Alliance.
“Art Seen Alliance has beautified Texas with meaningful placemaking projects since our inception in 2006,” Sally Lindsay, ASA’s director, said in the release. “We were thrilled to partner with Buda EDC to commemorate their 25th anniversary and showcase their unique cultural identity. We hope this sculpture delights for many years to come.”
The Buda Economic Development Corporation unveiled a 19-foot-long, 10-foot-tall sculpture of a wiener dog in Buda City Park on Saturday. (Buda Economic Development Corporation)
A history of the Buda Wiener Dog Races
The Buda Wiener Dog Races started in 1997 as a fundraiser for the Buda Lions Club, a community service organization. The upcoming race in April 2027 will be the 30th anniversary of the event.
The Lions Club typically hosts a full day of programming on the day of the races, featuring a pet parade, performances and awards. The race draws in roughly 15,000 visitors annually, according to city documents.
In 2017, more than 23,000 people converged in Buda for the event’s 20th anniversary, according to the Hays Free Press.
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This article originally published at Texas’ ‘wiener dog capital’ unveils 19-foot steel dachshund sculpture.