Austin has retained one of the most pleasing and unique lighting systems–moonlight or moontowers. What are moontowers? They are the 165-foot-tall towers that support outdoor lighting for parts of Austin.

History of the Moontowers

In 1894, the City of Austin purchased the moontowers from the Fort Wayne Electric Company. The towers, erected in 1894 and 1895, were fabricated by the Fort Wayne Electric Company and shipped in pieces to Austin and assembled on site. The towers were powered by electricity from Austin’s first power plant on the Colorado River. Detroit, Michigan; New Orleans, Louisiana; San Jose, California and Wabash, Indiana, all had moonlight towers around the same time.

Carbon arc lights were first used in the towers, which were lit nightly by a worker who got to the top of the tower via an elevator that ran down the center. In 1928, incandescent bulbs took their place, followed by mercury vapor lamps in 1936, with switches fitted at the base of the tower. Now the moonlight towers are lit with LED lamps.

The First Moontower in Hyde Park

Although most of Austin’s moontowers started construction in 1895, Col. Monroe Shipe, a real estate developer, saw a chance to highlight Hyde Park, the area he was developing in the late 19th century. Shipe powered the moontower at 41st Street and Speedway from his own personal generator, making it Austin’s first moontower.  Shipe also founded the Austin Electric Railway Company, which began as a streetcar service that served Hyde Park before developing into the public transportation system for Austin.

Moontower Restoration Project

In 1976, moonlight towers were added to the National Register of Historic Places. The towers were restored in 1993 as part of a $1.3M project that was finished in 1995. Each tower was taken apart, examined, coated, sealed, and reinforced, extending the life of the lights by another 50 to 75 years.

Moontowers in Popular Culture

The “party at the moontower” is a well-known scene from 1993 Austin classic “Dazed and Confused,” which was shot on a set. The tower referred to in the film no longer exists.

The moontowers have their own movie, “The Last of the Moonlight Towers.”, produced by locals Ray Spivey and Jeffrey Kerr, which discusses the man who claims to have ascended all of them (which is not recommended).

In 2012, the Austin Moontower Comedy Festival began at the Paramount Theatre, swelling to become one of Texas’ biggest comedy events.

The Moontower Saloon combines multiple elements that define Austin: live music, Hill Country scenery, food trucks, and a unique relic with the same name.

Location of the Moontowers

Austin is now the only city in the world with moonlight towers, with 13 of the original 31 still standing and another four currently being restored.

1. Monroe St. and S. 1st S (SW corner)
2. West 9th and Guadalupe St (SE corner)
3. W. 12th St. and Blanco St (SE corner)
4. W. 12th St. and Rio Grande St (NW corner)
5. W. 15th St. and San Antonio St (SW corner)
6. W. 41st St. and Speedway St (SW corner)
7. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Chicon St (SE corner)
8. E. 13th St. and Coleto St (NE corner)
9. Pennsylvania Ave. and Leona St (NE corner)
10. E. 11th St. and Trinity St (SE corner)
11. E. 11th St. and Lydia St (SE corner)
12. Canterbury St. and Lynn St. (NE corner)
13. Leland St. and Eastside Dr (SE corner)
14. Zilker Park (used for Zilker Park Christmas Tree) (moved from Emma Long Metropolitan Park)

The Moontower in Zilker Park is probably the most well-known moontower, and it is illuminated every year during the Trail of Lights when it is bedecked with 3,159 lights, becoming the Zilker Holiday Tree.

Map of Moonlight Tower Locations

Featured Images by Paula K Campos, CC BY-SA 4.0