Glass-Bottom Boats on Spring Lake
Glass-bottom boats on Spring Lake, 1950s
Launched in 1946, the first glass-bottom boat was a small prototype that held only a few people. A second boat was added a year later. The first official glass-bottom boat tour of Spring Lake was held on August 10, 1947.
Word quickly spread about the glass-bottom boat tours, where Spring Lake's clear water allowed for fantastic views of wildlife, vegetation, and bubbling underwater springs.
Between 1945 and 1994, a total of eight hand-crafted glass-bottom boats were added to the fleet to keep up with the demand for tours. Glass-bottom boat tours of Spring Lake are still offered by the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
Negative no. SMDR_Undated-1_192
Image from the San Marcos Daily Record Negative Collection.
University Archives, Texas State University.
Digitized and printed by the Digital Media Lab.