AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time ever, KXAN got an exclusive, in-person tour of the newly constructed Waterloo Park and Moody Amphitheater, set for a grand opening to the public in spring 2021.

Heralded as the largest park in downtown Austin, the 11-acre plot includes rolling gardens, play spaces, food trucks and shady areas to meet with friends. The amphitheater will comfortably sit around 5,000 people for outdoor entertainment and live shows.

A conceptualization of the Moody Amphitheater (Courtesy: Thomas Phifer and Partners)

Peter Mullan, the CEO of Waterloo Greenway, says the amphitheater will host performances year round and will be open to the public daily when shows are not playing.

“This will be a place where people can come have lunch or take an outdoor meeting,” Mullan said. “We have learned how to use our outdoor spaces in a variety of ways these past few months and so this is a place that can serve all of those different needs and all those different uses.”

Other features of Waterloo Park include:

  • Custom crafted European playscapes, including a 25,000 pound stone slide
  • Amenities such as concessions, spots for local food trucks and restrooms
  • Thoughtfully designed lighting such as puck lights in handrails to illuminate the park
  • Heritage tree canopies and seating under beautiful shade trees (nearly 500 added)
  • Four green roofs and multiple rain gardens
  • The addition of 62,000 new plants (170 different species)
  • A highly-engineered “S” bridge that snakes down to the park
A map of the Waterloo Greenway Project

The Waterloo Park is only one phase of the entire Waterloo Greenway, a 1.5-mile park system that stretches from the UT campus on 15th Street down to Lady Bird Lake.

Final construction of more than a dozen projects that make up the greenway is scheduled for completion in 2026.

Tonight on KXAN News at 5 p.m., get your first look at the inside of Waterloo Park, just months before its debut.