Alpine Drive takes you on an awesome journey starting from Tuleta Drive near the zoo entrance, climbing up a steep incline along the old quarry wall above the Japanese Tea Garden. This road was originally made to give people a stunning view of the Tea Garden and the nearby Sunken Garden Theater. The drive eventually slopes down to meet North St. Mary’s Street just south of the theater. Along the way, you’ll find cool stacked stone pylons with lights—though many of them are in bad shape today, some still stand as a reminder of the past. The area above the Tea Garden and Theater was preserved and rebuilt as part of the US Highway 281 plan, but today, Alpine Drive is closed to cars. It’s a scenic spot that’s all about walking and soaking in the views!

When you walk into Koehler Park from St. Mary’s Street, you can’t miss the huge red sandstone columns with awesome ironwork on each side. These massive columns were built right after Emma Koehler donated the park to the city in 1915, though no one really knows who designed them. On each column, there’s a simple plaque that says “Otto Koehler Park,” marking the entrance to a place full of history and adventure!

Two faux bois, meaning “false wood” in French, works by Dionicio Rodriguez are situated between the Koehler Park entry gates and the San Antonio River. The first, located close to the low water crossing, is a palapa‐roofed bench. The second is a palapa table and two benches, located just north of Koehler Pavilion. There is a single faux bois “hollow log” shelter by Rodriguez located on a walking trail immediately south of Tuleta Drive. This piece was moved to the park from a temporary location in about 2006. It is thought to have originally been located downtown on Alamo Plaza. His most significant design is the arbor bridge built across the acequia and raceway.

The pedestrian bridge, spanning the river below Lambert Beach, is a structure with arched iron trusses. Tall concrete stairs with curved pipe railings lead to either side of the bridge, which features metal lattice siding. The center of the bridge is the dividing line between Koehler Park to the west, where alcohol may be consumed, and Brackenridge Park to the east, where it cannot be consumed. The bridge was moved to the park in 1925 from its original location on Fourth Street at the river in the downtown area. Next time you visit, try to spot differences between this bridge and the Iron Truss Bridge!