Q. Is San Marcos really the “Mermaid Capital of Texas?” Why?
Yes — San Marcos is the A. Mermaid Capital of Texas! On May 23, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 (SCR9), designating San Marcos as the official Mermaid Capital of Texas for a 10-year period beginning in 2021. SCR9 notes that “For thousands of years, the mermaid has been one of the most striking symbols of humanity’s connection with the natural world, and over the past century, this legendary figure has come to represent the city of San Marcos and its special relationship to the water resources of Central Texas.”
The “Aquamaids” as they were called (not mermaids) were original to the amusement park, Aquarena Springs. These amazing women entertained at least 350,000 visitors every year at the peak of the park’s popularity. These performers are the origin of the San Marcos mermaid. In 1950, Paul Rogers (the owner at the time) decided to develop the property for tourists and went to Florida to see similar attractions there. At Weeki Wachee Spring, he met a man named Don Russell and was so impressed by him that he invited him to join the Aquarena project. He agreed to come and brought his wife, Margaret, with him. Margaret Russell had been a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Spring and initiated the first underwater show and trained the first Aquamaids. The Aquamaids staged exhibitions of synchronized swimming and other wonderful watery feats (including picnics and swimming with pigs) in the underwater theater, the Submarine Theatre, built by Paul Rogers in 1950. Shows continued until the 1990s when Texas State acquired the park and it became what it is today, the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. The Meadows Center has created a space for people to take nature walks on established trails, study educational exhibits, and even set out on glass-bottom boat tours, just like in the days of Aquarena.
