Moonlight towers (Austin, Texas) facts for kids
The moonlight towers in Austin, Texas, are super tall light poles. They are the only ones left in the whole world! These towers are about 165 feet (50 meters) tall. They stand on a 15-foot (4.6 meters) wide base. Each tower has six bright lamps. These lamps can light up an area about 1500 feet (457 meters) around them. It's bright enough to read a watch!
In 1970, these towers became Texas State Landmarks. Later, in 1976, the 15 remaining towers were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. Only 6 of them are still in their original spots from 1895.
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Moonlight Towers
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A moonlight tower at night
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| Location | Austin and vicinity |
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| Nearest city | Austin, Texas |
| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | Fort Wayne Electric Co. |
| Architectural style | Lighting Towers |
| NRHP reference No. | 76002071 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 12, 1976 |
Contents
History of Austin's Moonlight Towers
Building the Towers
In 1894, the city of Austin bought 31 of these special towers. They were made by the Fort Wayne Electric Company in Indiana. Workers then put them together right here in Austin. Some people thought the towers were built because of some old crimes. But the towers were actually put up much later, in 1894 and 1895. The crimes happened about ten years before that.
How the Towers Changed Over Time
When they were first built, the towers got their electricity from the Austin Dam. This dam was finished in 1893. In the 1920s, their first lamps were changed. The original carbon-arc lamps were very bright but hard to take care of. They were replaced with incandescent lamps.
Then, in the 1930s, mercury vapor lamps were used. These new lamps could be turned on and off at the bottom of each tower. During World War II, a main switch was added. This allowed all the city lights to be turned off at once. This was important in case of air raids.
Keeping the Towers Safe
In 1993, the city of Austin took the towers apart. They fixed every single part, like bolts and wires. This big project cost $1.3 million. When it was finished in 1995, the city had a big party to celebrate!
Austin has special rules to protect these towers. This stops them from being torn down. However, since 2004, some towers have been moved. This happened to make room for new buildings. It's not clear if they will be put back up somewhere else.
Where to Find the Moonlight Towers
Surviving Towers Today
There are 13 towers still standing today. They look just like they used to, except for a historical sign on each one.
- West 9th and Guadalupe St (SE corner)
- W. 12th St. and Blanco St (SE corner)
- W. 12th St. and Rio Grande St (NW corner)
- W. 15th St. and San Antonio St (SW corner)
- W. 41st St. and Speedway St (SW corner)
- Zilker Park (used for Zilker Park Christmas Tree) (moved from Emma Long Metropolitan Park)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Chicon St (SE corner)
- E. 13th St. and Coleto St (NE corner)
- Pennsylvania Ave. and Leona St (NE corner)
- E. 11th St. and Trinity St (SE corner)
- E. 11th St. and Lydia St (SE corner)
- Canterbury St. and Lynn St. (NE corner)
- Leland St. and Eastside Dr (SE corner)
Towers That Were Taken Down
Some moonlight towers are no longer standing in their original spots. Here is a list of some of them:
- East 1st St. and Waller St.
- East 6th St. and Medina St.
- E. 14th St. and Sabine St
- E. 14th St. and Sabine St (SW corner)
- Hawthorne (which later became either E. 20th or E. 21st) and Longfellow.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (was 19th St.) and Lavaca St.
- E. 16th St. and Brazos St.
- E. 2nd St. and Neches St. (Convention Center)
- W. 6th St. and Westlynn St
- Dean Keeton St. (was 26th St.) and Whitis Ave.
- E. 5th St. and Brazos St. (moved to Leland St. and East Side Dr.)
- 29th St. and Lamar Blvd.
- W. 6th St. and Lamar Blvd.
- City Park renamed to Emma Long Metropolitan Park (moved to Zilker Park)
- North end of Granite Dam (near power station and Ben Hur dock)
- East Cesar Chavez Street and Trinity St. (SW corner)
- West 4th and Nueces (SW corner)
- Monroe St. and S. 1st S (SW corner)
Moonlight Towers in Pop Culture
The Zilker Park tower was shown in the movie Dazed and Confused (1993). It was the setting for a high-school party. In the movie, the character David Wooderson says, "Party at the moon tower."
The movie scenes were actually filmed at a fake tower. This tower was built at Walter E. Long Park, east of Austin. The movie tower looked different from the real ones.
There is also a band from Austin named Moonlight Towers. The Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin is named after these towers too. It takes place at the Paramount Theater.
The towers were also mentioned in the cartoon show Rick and Morty. In one episode, a character uses a moontower for an experiment.
