Submarine Theatre, 1950s
A view from inside the Submarine Theatre at Aquarena Springs, undated
Following the success of the glass-bottom boats, the owners created another irresistible attraction at Spring Lake: a submarine theatre, which debuted in October 1950. The original theatre was 80 feet long, held 125 visitors, and weighed 75 tons.
The June 1952 issue of Popular Mechanics featured the submarine theatre as its cover story, explaining the engineering principles that allowed the audience to be lowered into the lake to watch underwater shows through heavy-duty glass windows.
The charming underwater performances were held every day of the year except Christmas. The spring-fed lake's constant temperature allowed the shows to go on, even in the winter.
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.