Barton Springs Pool (annual New Year's 'polar plunge' and communal swims)

Barton Springs Pool, a spring-fed public pool within Zilker Park, is a long-established communal bathing site in Austin and the location for annual New Year's Day cold-water swims often described as a 'polar plunge' organized by local groups. The pool and its spring are managed by the City of Austin and have been the focus of seasonal and community swimming traditions for decades. Barton Springs is also used for memorial swims and spontaneous community gatherings tied to water-based ritual activity.