The San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden, or Sunken Gardens in Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Texas, opened in an abandoned limestone rock quarry in the early 20th century. It was also known as Chinese Tea Gardens, Chinese Tea Garden Gate, Chinese Sunken Garden Gate and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden (also known as the Sunken Gardens) in the U.S. state of Texas was developed on land donated to the city in 1899 by George Washington Brackenridge, president of the San Antonio Water Works Company. The ground was first broken around 1840 by German masons, who used the readily accessible limestone to supply the construction market. Many San Antonio buildings, including the Menger Hotel, were built with the stone from this quarry on the Rock Quarry Road.
In 1880 the Alamo Cement Company was incorporated and produced cement for 26 years in the kiln; the chimney still stands today. Supporting the workforce of the quarry was a small “village,” populated primarily by Americans who worked the site. They and their families became popular with tourists, who purchased pottery, hand-woven baskets, and food.
About 1917, City Parks Commissioner Ray Lambert visualized an oriental-style garden in the pit of the quarry. His engineer, W.S. Delivery, developed plans, and work began when several donors paid for it in 1918. Lambert used prison labor to shape the quarry into a complex that included walkways, stone arch bridges, an island, and a Japanese pagoda.
For years the garden sat in neglect and disrepair, becoming a target of graffiti and vandalism. Due to limited funding, the city threatened to close the garden, but the community and parks supporters rallied and lobbied to keep it open. In 2005, the city used about $550,000 in bond money to reroof the pagoda-like Pavilion and the Jingu House. EZ Bed Bug Exterminator San Antonio
In 2007, former Councilwoman Bonnie Conner, vice chairwoman of parks projects for the San Antonio Parks Foundation, and former Mayor Lila Cockrell, Parks Foundation president, began a $1.6 million restoration campaign to restore the ponds and waterfall in conjunction with the City of San Antonio. On March 8, 2008, Jingu family members returned to San Antonio for the public re-opening.
Restaurants and Pubs
- 5 Points Food & Drink is located at 1017 N Flores St, San Antonio, TX
- Outlaw Kitchens is located at 2919 N Flores St, San Antonio, TX
- Boxcar Bar is located at 125 Lamar St Ste 103, San Antonio, TX
Check out other attractions like San Antonio Mission