In order to do so they had to provide water, so the Military Affairs Committee suggested that the city buy Barton Springs and route the water to the soldiers for bathing. Droughts in the years 1910 and 1917 also prompted the city to seek alternative sources of water. In 1918 Zilker deeded the springs and a surrounding thirty-five acres to the city with the provision that it be used for education. The city also tore down the ruins of the old flour mill. The new bathhouse was a two-story pavilion with a dance hall upstairs and dressing rooms downstairs.
People recall it as quite romantic, with wood paneling and open-air screens.
Schools of fish were visible in the springs, and water pageants and carnivals were held there annually. A bond election approved the information center and souvenir shop.