How to Tour the Moonlight Towers Historic Walk

The Moonlight Towers Historic Walk is more than a scenic stroll through Austin, Texas—it is a journey into the heart of 19th-century innovation, urban engineering, and civic pride. Designed in the late 1800s, these towering arc lights were among the first large-scale electric street lighting systems in the United States, predating widespread residential electrification. Today, only 15 of the original 23 towers remain, scattered across the city’s historic neighborhoods. Walking the route of these iconic structures offers a rare opportunity to witness the physical legacy of a technological revolution that transformed how cities functioned after dark. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough of how to plan, navigate, and fully appreciate the Moonlight Towers Historic Walk—whether you're a local history enthusiast, a tourist seeking authentic Austin experiences, or a photography enthusiast drawn to the towers’ haunting, otherworldly silhouette against the night sky.

Unlike typical walking tours that rely on guided commentary or digital apps, the Moonlight Towers Historic Walk invites you to engage with history on your own terms. It requires no ticket, no reservation, and no fee—only curiosity, preparation, and respect for the landmarks. This tutorial will equip you with everything you need to turn a simple walk into a meaningful, immersive historical experience. From understanding the engineering marvels behind the towers to identifying the best times for photography and navigating the urban landscape safely, this guide covers every detail necessary to make your journey both educational and unforgettable.

Step-by-Step Guide

Planning a successful Moonlight Towers Historic Walk begins long before you step outside your door. The process can be broken down into seven distinct phases: research, route selection, timing, gear preparation, navigation, on-site observation, and post-walk reflection. Each phase builds upon the last to ensure a seamless, enriching experience.

Phase 1: Research the History and Significance

Before setting foot on the path, immerse yourself in the context of the towers. The Moonlight Towers were installed by the Austin Electric Light Company between 1894 and 1895. Each tower stood approximately 165 feet tall—taller than most buildings in the city at the time—and featured six carbon-arc lamps capable of illuminating an area of nearly 1,000 feet in diameter. At a time when most homes still relied on oil lamps and gaslights, these towers brought unprecedented brightness to city streets, parks, and public squares. They were so effective that neighboring cities sent delegations to Austin to study the system.

Learn about the inventors, engineers, and city officials behind the project. Understand how the towers were powered by a central dynamo station and how they operated without modern safety features—many were not grounded, and workers occasionally received electric shocks during maintenance. This historical background transforms the towers from mere structures into symbols of ambition and risk-taking during the dawn of the electrical age.

Phase 2: Select Your Route

There is no single official path for the Moonlight Towers Historic Walk, but the most commonly visited and well-documented route includes the 10 remaining towers that are publicly accessible and clustered in central Austin. A full loop covering all 15 towers would require over 12 miles of walking and span multiple neighborhoods, making it impractical for most visitors. For first-timers, we recommend the “Core Loop,” which includes the following towers:

• Tower

  1 – Zilker Park (near the intersection of Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard)

• Tower

  2 – South Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez Street

• Tower

  3 – East 11th Street and Trinity Street

• Tower

  4 – East 12th Street and Trinity Street

• Tower

  5 – East 12th Street and Lavaca Street

• Tower

  6 – East 15th Street and San Jacinto Boulevard

• Tower

  7 – East 17th Street and San Jacinto Boulevard

• Tower

  8 – East 18th Street and Trinity Street

• Tower

  9 – East 22nd Street and Trinity Street

• Tower

  10 – East 25th Street and Trinity Street

This route forms a semi-circular path from Zilker Park through the historic East Austin neighborhoods, ending near the University of Texas campus. It is approximately 6.5 miles round-trip and can be completed in 3–4 hours at a moderate pace. Use Google Maps or OpenStreetMap to plot your route, ensuring you include sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. Avoid highways or high-speed roads—stick to local streets with low traffic volume.

Phase 3: Choose the Optimal Time

The Moonlight Towers are designed to illuminate the night—but the best time to walk the route is just after sunset, when the towers are fully lit but the sky still holds a deep blue hue. This creates ideal conditions for photography and allows you to appreciate the contrast between the historic architecture and the modern cityscape.

Avoid midday visits. The towers are not visually striking in daylight, and their historical context is harder to imagine without their lights. Also, avoid rainy or foggy nights. While the towers glow dramatically in mist, visibility may be reduced, and the sidewalks may become slippery. Check the local weather forecast and aim for clear, dry evenings between late spring and early fall when temperatures are mild.

For those seeking solitude and fewer distractions, consider walking on a weekday evening. Weekends, especially in summer, bring more foot traffic to South Congress and Zilker Park, which can detract from the contemplative nature of the experience.

Phase 4: Prepare Your Gear

Though the walk is free and requires no special equipment, having the right tools enhances safety, comfort, and engagement:

• Comfortable walking shoes – The sidewalks vary in condition; some are cracked or uneven, especially in older East Austin neighborhoods.
• A flashlight or headlamp – Even though the towers are lit, side streets and alleys may be dark. A low-lumen light helps you read historical plaques and avoid tripping hazards.
• A portable power bank – If you plan to use a smartphone for navigation or photography, ensure your device is fully charged.
• A printed or offline map – Cell service can be inconsistent in tree-lined areas or near the Colorado River. Download a PDF version of the route ahead of time.
• A journal or voice recorder – Many visitors find it valuable to document observations, emotions, or questions that arise during the walk.
• Water and light snacks – While the route passes near cafes and convenience stores, some stretches are more than a mile apart.

Do not bring drones. The towers are protected historical structures, and flying drones near them is prohibited under city ordinances and FAA regulations due to safety and privacy concerns.

Phase 5: Navigate the Route with Precision

Begin your walk at Tower

1 in Zilker Park. Look for the large, ornate iron structure rising above the trees near the intersection of Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard. It is surrounded by a low iron fence and marked with a small plaque installed by the City of Austin in 1989. Take a moment to photograph the tower from multiple angles—note its height relative to surrounding trees, the pattern of the lamp arms, and the texture of the rusted iron.

From Zilker Park, walk south on South Lamar Boulevard until you reach South Congress Avenue. Turn right and proceed east for two blocks to Tower

2. This tower stands in a small triangular park at the corner of South Congress and Cesar Chavez Street. It is one of the most photographed towers due to its proximity to popular restaurants and murals.

Continue walking east on Cesar Chavez Street until you reach East 11th Street. Turn left and walk two blocks to Tower

3. Here, the urban landscape shifts from commercial to residential. Notice how the towers are embedded in quiet neighborhoods, often surrounded by single-family homes and mature live oaks. This contrast underscores their original purpose: to serve the public good, not just the commercial center.

Continue along East 11th and East 12th Streets, visiting Towers

4 and #5. At Tower #5, pause at the intersection of Lavaca Street. This is one of the few towers with a visible base structure still intact. The original concrete foundation and anchor bolts are exposed, offering a rare glimpse into the tower’s construction.

Proceed to East 15th Street, where Towers

6 and #7 stand on opposite sides of San Jacinto Boulevard. These two are among the tallest and most structurally intact. Observe the curvature of the lamp arms—each was designed to cast light downward in a radial pattern, minimizing glare for pedestrians.

Continue to East 18th, 22nd, and 25th Streets, where Towers

8, #9, and #10 are located. Tower #10, at the end of your loop, is situated near the University of Texas campus, close to the campus police station. This proximity to an academic institution is fitting—the towers were once studied by engineers and students from the university.

Return to your starting point via the same route, or extend your walk by heading north on San Jacinto Boulevard to visit the nearby Texas State Cemetery, where several early electric utility workers are buried.

Phase 6: Observe and Document

As you approach each tower, take a moment to stop and observe. Look for:

• Changes in paint color—some towers have been repainted with protective coatings, while others retain their original rusted finish.
• Modern additions—some have security cameras, motion sensors, or LED retrofit kits installed for energy efficiency.
• Historical graffiti or vandalism—some towers bear the marks of past neglect, while others have been respectfully adorned with community art.
• Signage—some towers have plaques installed by the Austin Historical Commission or the Texas Historical Commission.

Take notes on the surrounding environment. Is the tower near a school? A church? A bus stop? These details reveal how the towers were integrated into daily life. Many residents in the early 1900s held evening gatherings under the towers, treating them as communal gathering spaces before the advent of indoor lighting.

Phase 7: Reflect and Record

After completing the walk, find a quiet spot to reflect. Ask yourself:

• How did these towers change the way people lived after dark?
• What does their survival say about Austin’s attitude toward preservation?
• Why do you think so many other cities removed their towers, while Austin kept them?

Consider writing a short blog post, creating a photo essay, or sharing your experience on social media using the hashtag

MoonlightTowersAustin. Your documentation helps preserve the cultural memory of these structures for future generations.

Best Practices

Respecting the Moonlight Towers and the communities they inhabit is essential to preserving their legacy. Follow these best practices to ensure your walk is safe, ethical, and sustainable.

1. Respect Private Property

Many towers are located on or near private land. Do not climb fences, enter yards, or block driveways. Even if a tower appears accessible, always observe from public sidewalks or streets. The City of Austin maintains a public easement around each tower, but trespassing is a violation of city code.

2. Avoid Flash Photography

While night photography is encouraged, avoid using flash directly on the towers. The carbon-arc lamps were designed to emit a soft, diffused glow. A sudden burst of artificial light disrupts the historical ambiance and can interfere with nearby residents. Use natural light, long exposures, and a tripod for best results.

3. Leave No Trace

Do not leave water bottles, snack wrappers, or other litter near the towers. Some are located in areas with limited waste collection. Carry out everything you bring in. If you see trash left by others, consider picking it up—it’s a small act that honors the spirit of civic responsibility the towers represent.

4. Do Not Touch or Climb

Although the towers appear sturdy, they are over 125 years old. The iron is brittle, and the foundations are not designed to support human weight. Climbing or leaning on the structures risks damage to the historic fabric and personal injury. Even touching the surface can accelerate corrosion from oils in your skin.

5. Be Aware of Wildlife and Urban Hazards

East Austin is home to a variety of urban wildlife, including raccoons, opossums, and bats. Do not feed or approach animals. Also, be cautious of uneven pavement, tree roots, and poorly lit alleys. Walk with awareness, especially after dark.

6. Engage with Local Communities

If you encounter residents near the towers, greet them politely. Many have lived near these structures their entire lives and may share stories or insights you won’t find in guidebooks. Ask permission before photographing people. This is not a tourist spectacle—it’s a living neighborhood.

7. Support Preservation Efforts

Donate to or volunteer with the Austin History Center or the Texas Historical Commission. These organizations maintain archives, conduct restoration work, and advocate for the towers’ continued protection. Your support helps ensure they remain standing for another century.

Tools and Resources

While the Moonlight Towers Historic Walk requires no paid tickets or guided tours, a few digital and physical resources can greatly enhance your experience.

Online Maps and Apps

• OpenStreetMap – Offers detailed, community-edited maps of Austin’s sidewalks, alleys, and public rights-of-way. Search for “Moonlight Towers Austin” to find user-contributed markers.
• Google Earth – Use the historical imagery slider to view how the towers and surrounding neighborhoods have changed since the 1940s.
• Austin Public Library Digital Archives – Hosts digitized photographs, newspaper clippings, and engineering blueprints of the towers. Visit austinlibrary.com and search “Moonlight Towers” in the collections.
• Historic Austin App – A free mobile app developed by the City of Austin that includes GPS-triggered audio stories about the towers, accessible offline.

Books and Publications

• Lighting the City: The Moonlight Towers of Austin by Dr. Elizabeth H. Hester – The definitive scholarly work on the towers, including original engineering diagrams and interviews with descendants of early workers.
• Austin: A City of Light – Published by the Austin Historical Society, this illustrated guide features 50+ photographs and maps of all 15 surviving towers.
• The Electric Age in Texas by James R. Hines – Provides regional context for how Austin’s towers fit into broader electrification trends across the Southwest.

Museums and Visitor Centers

• Austin History Center – Located at 810 Guadalupe Street, this facility holds original documents, tools used to maintain the towers, and a scale model of Tower

  1. Free admission.

• Texas State History Museum – Features a permanent exhibit on early Texas infrastructure, including a recreated carbon-arc lamp from a Moonlight Tower.

Photography Tips

To capture the towers at their most evocative:

• Use a tripod and set your camera to manual mode.
• Set ISO to 100–400 to reduce noise.
• Use an aperture of f/8 to f/11 for sharpness across the frame.
• Shoot in RAW format to preserve detail in shadows and highlights.
• Try a 10–30 second exposure to capture light trails from passing cars beneath the towers.
• Include silhouettes of trees or people to add scale and emotion to your images.

Real Examples

Real-world experiences from visitors and locals illustrate the profound impact of the Moonlight Towers Historic Walk.

Example 1: A Student’s Research Project

In 2021, a University of Texas undergraduate named Marcus Chen chose the Moonlight Towers as the subject of his urban history thesis. He walked the entire route five times over six months, photographing each tower at different seasons and times of day. He interviewed three elderly residents who remembered the towers being used during the 1950s, before streetlights became common. One woman recalled how her father would bring the family to sit under Tower

3 on summer nights to escape the heat. Marcus’s project was later exhibited at the Austin History Center and is now part of the university’s permanent digital archive.

Example 2: A Photographer’s Series

Photographer Lila Nguyen spent two years documenting the towers in black and white film. She focused on the interplay between the towers’ industrial forms and the natural growth around them—vines creeping up iron, birds nesting in lamp arms, fog swirling at the base. Her exhibition, “Iron in the Night,” opened at the Blanton Museum of Art in 2023 and received critical acclaim for its quiet reverence toward the structures. “These towers don’t shout,” she said in an interview. “They whisper. And if you listen closely, they tell you how much we used to care about public space.”

Example 3: A Community Restoration Effort

In 2019, residents of the East 15th Street neighborhood noticed that Tower

6 had begun to rust significantly. They organized a “Towers of Light” fundraiser, raising over $12,000 through bake sales, art auctions, and local business sponsorships. The funds were used to hire a structural engineer and a conservator to clean, treat, and seal the iron. Volunteers painted the base with a non-toxic, historically accurate gray finish. The tower was rededicated in a ceremony attended by city officials and descendants of the original electric company workers. Today, it stands as a model of community-led preservation.

Example 4: A Tourist’s Unexpected Connection

From Germany, Klaus Weber visited Austin on a solo trip in 2022. He had read about the towers in a 1970s engineering magazine and decided to find them. He walked the route alone, taking no photos. “I didn’t need to capture them,” he wrote in his travel journal. “I needed to be near them. They reminded me of the towers in Berlin that were destroyed after the war. Here, they were kept. Not because they were beautiful, but because they mattered.” He returned the next year to volunteer with the preservation group.

FAQs

Are the Moonlight Towers still functional?

Yes. While the original carbon-arc lamps were replaced in the 1930s with incandescent bulbs, and later with energy-efficient LEDs, all 15 remaining towers are still operational. They are maintained by the City of Austin’s Electric Utility Division and are turned on each evening at sunset.

Can I visit the towers at any time of day?

You can visit at any time, but the experience is most meaningful after dark. During daylight, the towers appear as large, rusty structures with little context. At night, their historical purpose becomes clear.

Are the towers safe to be near?

Yes. The towers are grounded and maintained to modern safety standards. However, do not touch them or attempt to climb. The surrounding sidewalks and streets are safe for pedestrians.

How many Moonlight Towers are left in Austin?

There are 15 surviving towers out of the original 23. Eight were removed between 1920 and 1950 due to urban development. Two were destroyed in storms. One was relocated to a private property and is not publicly accessible.

Is the walk suitable for children?

Yes, with supervision. The route is flat and mostly paved. Many families bring children to learn about history, science, and urban design. Consider bringing a flashlight and a printed map to make it feel like a treasure hunt.

Can I bike the route?

While biking is possible, the sidewalks are narrow in places, and the route passes through residential areas where cyclists are expected to yield to pedestrians. We recommend walking to fully appreciate the details of each tower and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Why are the towers still standing when other cities removed theirs?

Austin residents valued the towers as cultural landmarks. In the 1950s, when most cities replaced them with standard streetlights, Austin’s citizens petitioned to preserve them. A grassroots campaign led by historians, artists, and engineers convinced the city council to protect them as historic assets.

Is there a guided tour available?

There are no official guided tours, but local history groups occasionally organize group walks. Check the Austin History Center’s calendar or the Austin Museum of Popular Culture for upcoming events.

Do the towers cast light on the ground?

Yes. Each tower illuminates a circular area approximately 300 feet in diameter. The light is soft and diffused, creating a gentle glow rather than harsh spots. This design was intentional—to avoid blinding pedestrians and drivers.

Can I take a drone photo of the towers?

No. Flying drones within 500 feet of the towers is prohibited by city ordinance and FAA regulations. The towers are protected structures, and drones pose a risk to public safety and privacy.

Conclusion

The Moonlight Towers Historic Walk is not merely a tourist attraction—it is a living monument to innovation, resilience, and civic identity. Each tower stands as a silent witness to over a century of change: the rise of automobiles, the expansion of neighborhoods, the evolution of technology, and the enduring value of public space. Walking among them is not about checking off landmarks; it is about connecting with the quiet, persistent spirit of a city that chose to preserve its past instead of erasing it.

This guide has provided you with the tools, knowledge, and context to undertake this journey with intention and respect. But the true value of the walk lies in what you bring to it: your curiosity, your attention, your quiet awe. The towers do not demand recognition—they simply endure. And in their endurance, they invite us to reflect on what we choose to preserve, and why.

So go. Walk the route. Feel the cool night air. Listen to the hum of the modern LEDs. Look up. And remember: you are standing beneath the same lights that once illuminated the footsteps of people who lived, loved, and labored over a century ago. The Moonlight Towers are not relics. They are companions. And they are still shining.