Just a short walk south of the pump house along Avenue B, you’ll find a small, square stone building that looks a bit mysterious. This little structure is believed to have housed an electrically powered pump, much like Electric Pump Station #3, which sits just north of the upper pump house. The building has metal casement windows on two sides and a flat roof, giving it a simple but solid look.

If you look closely, there’s a plaque on the building that reads: “City Water Board, Brackenridge Park Electric Station #2, January 1939,” and lists the names of some key figures like Conrad A. Goeth (Chair), Lamar G. Seeligson, and James A. Gallagher, as well as the Mayor, C.K. Quin. It’s a quiet reminder of the park’s history and the people who helped shape it!

Pioneer Hall is sited immediately north of the Witte Museum. It is designated a Texas State Archaeological Landmark! This is because it was one of two projects in the park constructed with federal funds allocated to celebrate the Texas centennial; the second was Sunken Garden Theater (see No. 36). The Mediterranean‐influenced limestone building with red tile roof was designed by the architectural firms of Phelps & Dewees and Ayres & Ayres. It was constructed as a memorial to the state’s pioneers, trail drivers, and rangers.

After crossing the Iron Truss Bridge, you’ll find the Eleanor Brackenridge playground and Joske Pavilion, where you may have spent birthdays or holidays. The playground, named for George Brackenridge’s sister, has been around since the 1920s. The Joske Memorial Pavilion, one of the park’s signature structures, took $10,000 to build, gifted by the estate of retailer Alexander Joske. 

The structure of dark, random‐coursed stone was designed by Emmett Jackson and erected in 1926. It has massive chimneys at the north and south ends. The chimney on the south end has a splayed base with inset, arched openings that reflect larger openings on the east and west sides of the structure. A tall chimney pot tops the structure on the south. An interior stone stairway with wrought iron railing leads to a balcony overlooking the river on the south end. The north end features a parapet in the “Alamo” style. A stone stairway with wrought iron railing accesses a second-story balcony that overlooks the playground and river. The projecting balcony is supported by round stone columns.