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Abandoned Zoo LbNA #68882

Owner:rakoonz
Plant date:Jul 19, 2015
Location: Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
City:Austin
County:Travis
State:Texas
Boxes:2
Found by: Silver Eagle
Last found:Dec 15, 2019
Status:FFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Dec 10, 2015
The Coxville Zoo began in 1939 when Alvin Cox acquired a monkey named Junior. The location of the zoo was along the Dallas Highway, by the intersection of what is now Yager Ln and North Lamar Blvd. There, the Coxes owned a gas station and Mrs Cox maintained a rock garden with a huge variety of specimens from around the country. At first the zoo was free to view, with an optional donation to help cover the cost of food. As Mr Cox acquired more animals, many of which were abandoned pets of service members, the zoo began to charge an entrance fee. Junior was a star of the zoo: he was so gentle that even children could touch him. There were also cabins along a lake where visitors could pay to stay and fish. In 1969, the zoo was forced to close under pressure from the Humane Society and the River Oaks neighborhood. Today some of the structures still remain.

Park in the main parking lot at Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. From the parking lot, head east along the trail alongside the road. Cross the bridge. On the north side of the road, about 55m from the end of the bridge, there is a trail heading north called BMX Loop. Follow this trail north through the trees. The trail winds and at points you can see parallel trails to the west. After you go down and up a little dip, the trees open out into a clearer portion of the trail. After a little while, the trail will make a sharp jog right, then left again. At this point, there is a path of exposed limestone heading east. Here there are a few concrete steps on the right side of the trail. Junior is hiding in a multi-trunked juniper tree just to the southwest of the closer set of steps.

To find Coxville, follow the limestone “path” into the woods, past the barbed wire fence/ cattle guard. A few steps in, there is an old tire on the left side of the path, and a juniper tree sticks out obscuring part of the path. Just past this tree, take a step left off the path and find Coxville at the base of another multi-trunked juniper. Heading back onto the trail, looking south, you should be able to follow another little path to the remains of where the Coxville cabins used to stand.

If you were to keep following the limestone path east, all the way to a wooden fence, with bamboo at the southern edge, you can look over the fence, past a wooden stage, to see the stone arch which used to mark the entrance to the Coxville Zoo. To the south of the cabins, you can still find old cages in the midst of the woods.