Special Event Reservations
Spring Lake is open seven days a week during regular business hours (see the Contact Us page for seasonal hours). You may visit at any time. If you would like to schedule a free private venue tour to discuss the details of your event, please contact the Special Event Coordinator at miranda.wait@txstate.edu.
At this time, we have no large indoor/covered facilities; all event spaces are open to the elements except for the Conference Room and Exhibit Hall. Guests should consider renting a tent in case of inclement weather. Please see the Special Events Reservation Policy for tent guidelines.
Please fill out the following form when requesting to hold All Park Festivals or events that include access to Spring Lake, which the Spring Lake Environmental Review Board must approve: Spring Lake Access Form.
Please read the Outdoor Reservations and Policies below. If you wish to make a reservation request, complete the Reservation Request Form. If you plan to serve food at your event, you must use a Texas State-approved caterer or sign a Food waiver. All alcohol must be served by a TABC server, and security provided by Texas State UPD is required at the reserving parties' expense. Forms can be picked up at the Texas State UPD office on campus.
For live music, please read the Texas State UPPS. Questions can be sent to miranda.wait@txstate.edu.
Rental Fees
A reservation fee will be assessed according to area and user priority status (see below). Please note that the park will remain open to visitors during posted business hours.
| Location | Capacity | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit | Off-Campus Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Location Roof Top | Capacity 200 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $200.00 (<4hours)$300.00 (>4hours) | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $250.00 (<4hours) $350.00 (>4hours) | Off-Campus Users $350.00 (<4hours) $450.00 (>4hours) |
Location Exhibit Hall ONLY in conjunction w/ other areas of the park | Capacity 40 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $150.00 | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $200.00 | Off-Campus Users $250.00 |
Location SLH Veranda ONLY in conjunction w/ other areas of the park | Capacity 50 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $100.00 | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $150.00 | Off-Campus Users $200.00 |
Location Headwater's Green | Capacity 1000 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $200.00 (<4 hours) $300.00 (>4hours) | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $300.00(<4 hours) $400.00 (>4hours) | Off-Campus Users $400.00 (<4 hours) $600.00(>4hours) |
Location South Lawn | Capacity 2,500 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $200.00 (<4 hours) $300.00 (>4hours) | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $250.00(<4 hours) $400.00 (>4hours) | Off-Campus Users $300.00 (<4 hours) $600.00(>4hours) |
Location Sycamore Point alone Or in conjunction w/ other areas of the park | Capacity 40 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $200.00 --- $150.00 | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $250.00 --- $200.00 | Off-Campus Users $300.00 --- $250.00 |
Location Bus Loop | Capacity 1000 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $300.00 | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $400.00 | Off-Campus Users $600.00 |
Location All Park Festivals | Capacity 2000 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $900.00 | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $1250.00 | Off-Campus Users $1,500.00 |
Location Glass-Bottom Boat In conjuncture with venue rental (does not apply to conference room rental) | Capacity 20/boat for 30 minute tour | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $100 | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $120 | Off-Campus Users $150 |
Location Conference Room* | Capacity 30-80 | TXST Personnel, Dept & Orgs $100 Half Day $200 Full Day | TXST Student, Alumni & Non Profit $125 Half Day $250 Full Day | Off-Campus Users $150 Half Day $250 Full Day |
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Area Descriptions
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Roof Top
The Spring Lake Hall Roof Top provides a bird’s eye view of the springs and park below. It can accommodate up to 200 people for your gathering, depending on the furniture you decide to rent.
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Exhibit Hall
Celebrate in style surrounded by interactive exhibits and aquariums! This space is perfect for small cocktail parties and may be rented alone or in conjunction with other areas of the park. This area is limited to use after business hours.
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Spring Lake Hall Veranda
Overlooking Spring Lake and the restored meadow across the water, this paved area is the right size for small dinners or cocktail parties. Rent the adjoining Conference Room for the perfect buffet serving area. This area is limited to use after business hours.
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Headwaters Green
This area is a large open lawn overlooking Spring Lake, the headwaters of the San Marcos River. It can accommodate a very large number of people depending on the amount of furniture you rent. A view of Texas State University’s Old Main building is a prominent feature.
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Sycamore Point
With the Balcones Escarpment and Spring Lake as a lush backdrop, this area is the perfect spot for a small ceremony right by the water. This area also features a great view of Old Main.
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The Bus Loop
The Bus Loop is part of our blacktop parking lot and provides a large, stable space for gatherings. Parties using this area will need to figure out another place to park their guests during the event. This area is most often used for large festivals.
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All Park Festivals
Organizations can use the full park grounds for large festivals and events. Past events, like the Powwow, have included craft and food vendors, public speakers, dances, ceremonies, and more.
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Glass-Bottom Boats
Add a special touch to your events by reserving a glass bottom boat for you and your guests.
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Conference Room*
The conference room is great for meetings or presentations. Organizations and parties interested in renting the conference room space should follow this link for more information.
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Other fees associated with Spring Lake events may include:
Departmental Event | Students & Personnel | Off-Campus Users | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Fee *determined after event | $50.00 fee plus $25/hour of staff time cleaning | $50.00 fee plus $25/hour of staff time cleaning | $50.00 fee plus $25/hour of staff time cleaning |
| Event Staffing | $25.00/hour | $25.00/hour | $25.00/hour |
| Overtime Fees (events held outside of normal business hours) | $10.00/hour | $10.00/hour | $10.00/hour |
| UPD Security Officer *minimum of 4 hours Required if alcohol is served or for events over 100 people | $50.00/hour/100 guests | $50.00/hour/100 guests | $50.00/hour/100/guests |
| Fee for Weddings and Events Over 100 People | $100 | $150 | $200 |
| 8’ Tables (10) | Included in Rental Fees | ||
| Folding Chairs (50) | Included in Rental Fees | ||
- All events are subject to a Cleaning Fee of $50 plus $25/hour of staff time if areas are not left as they were found. A credit card will need to be on file before the event takes place.
- Reserved area(s) must be left in clean condition, with all trash bagged and removed from the property.
- Failure of a group to exercise proper care of facilities will result in losing future reservation privileges.
- Spring Lake Staff rate is $25 per hour. Staff may be used to help with setup, clean up, parking, and more. The Event Coordinator will determine the number of staff needed for the event.
- An Overtime Fee of $10 per hour will be assessed for the use of the facilities beyond or prior to posted park hours and will be an addition to the staffing fee.
- Events serving alcohol are required to hire UPD Officers to provide security. Any event not serving alcohol but over 100 people attending will be required to have a UPD officer on site for security. The UPD officer rate is $40 per hour per 100 guests. There is a minimum of 4 hours per officer. The ability to serve alcohol will be at the discretion of the Meadows Center and the University Police Department.
- Cancellation Policy: All events are subject to a $50.00 non-refundable deposit. This deposit will be applied to the final invoice.
- Functions scheduled from Monday 8:00 a.m. through Friday 5:00 p.m. require a seven (7) working day cancellation notice. Failure to cancel a scheduled event will result in a $25.00 cancellation/no-show fee to the reserving party.
- Functions scheduled from Friday at 5:00 p.m. through Sunday night require a 30-day cancellation notice. If a cancellation notice is received less than 30 days prior to the function, a $150.00 cancellation fee will be charged to the reserving party.
- Event Fees: Weddings and all events with over 100 guests will automatically be charged a fee. This is to help cover the impact of the event on the staff and facilities.
- Tables and Chairs: The Meadows Center does not guarantee availability. However, you may request to reserve up to 50 blue folding chairs and 10 8’ folding tables for your event at no charge. All tables and chairs must be set up by the party renting the facility unless set-up is arranged with the facility coordinator and a fee is applied. These are intended to be “borrowed” by the reserving party and must be put back where they are found.