Presented to the City of Austin “for the enjoyment of all the people of Austin,” the gazebo at Lady Bird Lake represents a four and half year commitment by the Austin Chapter of Women in Construction. The project, begun in 1967 and dedicated in 1970, was intended to serve as a “lasting tribute to the construction industry” and to spawn other beautification projects along Lady Bird Lake. Built for $6,000 with a lot of contributed labor and materials, it is sometimes compared to a spaceship. The structure was designed by Sterry Nill, Jr., to match the architecture of the nearby Municipal Auditorium and to blend with the beauty of Lady Bird Lake.
The gazebo has been renovated many times (most notably in 1985) at cost that is a whole lot more than $6,000. A bit of trivia, the gazebo is one of the few structures named after a living person when in 1985 it was named after a charter member of NAWIC–Ms. Fannie Davis (who passed away in 1997).
Town Lake Gazebo
This Gazebo is located just east of the dog park near Riverside and the South First Street bridge as it crosses the Colorado River.