Welcome to Kingsbury Commons

Kingsbury Commons is the welcoming front door to Pease Park! Bring your loved ones to enjoy the interactive water feature, unique Treehouse Observation Pod, the nature play area, state-of-the-art playground equipment, and the high school regulation-size basketball court!

Park Hours: 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
The Splash Pad season begins in May and ends in October. During its season, the water is on between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Address: 1100 Kingsbury Street, Austin, TX 78703

Thanks in part to a generous lead gift from the Moody Foundation, the Conservancy recently revitalized Kingsbury Commons, the southern 7-acres of Pease Park. As the recreational heart and cultural soul of Pease Park, Kingsbury Commons was prioritized as the first major project implemented from the award-winning Pease Park Vision Plan.

Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Inc. (TELA) was the lead designer for the Kingsbury Commons project. TELA’s unique experience and ability to fold the natural environment into their designs made them the clear choice for Pease Park, whose immense canopy, shaded trails and green meadows have always enchanted park-goers.

TELA and its assembled team of experts designed a world class park with features that include the repurposing of the Tudor Cottage as a community gathering space with new terraced seating, a unique nature play area, a state-of-the-art water play feature, an innovative treescape, safe and inviting park gateways, an improved basketball court, a new volunteer plaza, enhanced restrooms, a new bocce court and numerous new native plantings.

A Welcoming Front door

Kingbsury Commons is the most important entry and activity space in the Park. It is the focal point, and “the capital” of the 15th-31st Street open space. It is a beloved part of the neighborhood, the citywide collective memory and civic DNA. Although “Commons” is a New England term, it serves to describe the sense of deep community connection and popular use in this green space. Kingsbury Commons is a busy, exciting place to be when the many different user groups are all present. A more memorable and fitting “postcard” entry at Kingsbury Commons was created, one befitting the Park’s historic and civic legacy in a way that does not just accommodate, but truly serves to inspire future generations.

To create that “postcard” entry, “Pease Park” was carved into a limestone entry wall framed by two large live oaks. The old splash pad and prefab restroom building were removed and trees have been moved to open up the view. An interpretive ribbon wall encircles the lower field and frames the lawn. The park and trails are now more accessible. All improvements serve to invite all visitors to enjoy Pease.

to Play and Learn

Kingsbury Commons now includes new leading-edge playscapes, a larger water play feature, and other recreational amenities for children of all ages and abilities. A new regulation high school size basketball court and baseball diamond have replaced the old dilapidated structures. The play areas incorporate research-based designs proven to aid child development, while strongly emphasizing nature-based play.

Kingsbury Commons now also includes a truly one-of-a-kind Treehouse designed by Mell Lawrence Architects to inspire all ages. The Treehouse brings park users up into the canopy where they can lay on a net and enjoy the chorus of birds and wildlife that call Pease their home. It sets Pease Park apart from its peers.

Infrastructure to grow

The whimsical 1920’s Tudor Cottage, the most recognizable landmark of Pease Park, used to serve as a storage unit for maintenance equipment. To breathe new life into this historic feature, Clayton Korte repurposed the building into a community gathering space and added a gracious stone terrace adjoining it to the north. The Tudor Cottage is now available for reservations for events, receptions, and gatherings. Pease Park Conservancy manages this facility under an agreement with the Austin Parks & Recreation Department (PARD). This provides the Conservancy with a rental venue for community gatherings, parties, and events, creating an earned-revenue stream for further investment in the park.

A new, larger restroom and storage building joined by an outdoor plaza have been built to serve park patrons' comfort needs and to house the Conservancy's tools for our beloved Pease Corps volunteer program.

Other historic features built in the 1920’s and during the Civilian Conservation Corps-era such as picnic tables, walls, and bridges have been restored and protected for future generations to enjoy.

PROJECT TEAM