Officially designated as the Mermaid Capital of Texas in early 2021, San Marcos, Texas is known for being home to Texas State University, the San Marcos River, a popular night life and portraying an old-school charm. Standing along the river, city parks and downtown you'll find many mermaid statues that are a part of a public art project. However, not many residents or Texas State students are familiar with the beautiful statues or where they came from.
Uniquely crafted and installed by the San Marcos Art Commission in 2018, the 7-foot-tall mermaid statues are a collection of 10. Each statue was painted by artists selected by the commission.
The town’s connection to mermaids began in the 1950's because of Aquarena Springs, a family-owned resort and theme park near Spring Lake. Featured attractions included glass-bottom boat tours, “Ralph” the swimming pig, and a submarine theater allowing for underwater performances of the park’s divers, synchronized swimmers and “AquaMaids”. After closing in the 1990's, the San Marcos Art commission wanted to honor what once was.
As curiosities of my own built, I created a Google Form and posted the link in a private San Marcos Local Facebook group. In the 6 question Google Form, I ask the group members to identify themselves as either a student attending Texas State or a San Marcos Local. Other questions asked include how many statues they've seen around town, where they think the statues came from, if they knew San Marcos was named the Mermaid Capital of Texas, if they've attended any mermaid events, and a space to leave any other curiosities they might have themselves. After collecting the first 50 responses, I created the chart below using the data provided.
Most San Marcos residents were found to have seen 5 to 9 of the statues, while most Texas State students were found to have only seen 1 to 4 statues out of the collection. The filtering table below organizes the remaining responses. To view, make a selection on the dropdown.
Google Form Data Filter
Total Responses Collected:
| # of Statues Seen | Who created them? | Mermaid Capital of TX? | Events Attended | Comments |
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Watch the YouTube video below to gain a deeper understanding of the statues and what they add to the San Marcos community.
Ready for your own mermaid hunt?
Pinpoints for the exact locations to all 10 mermaid statues can be found in the Google Map below, along with the coordinates of San Marcos' mermaid-themed events. Be sure to take a few pictures of the statues you find. Good luck!
If mermaid hunting isn't your forté, try checking out some of the Memraid-themed murals around town. Since 2014, the City of San Marcos has conducted a Mural Art's Grant program, where they provide funding and design assistance to new projects around the San Marcos with the goal of battling graffiti, and continuing the growth of culture and art, making San Marcos a leading destination.
Pictured on the left is a painting outside the Putt Pub mini-golf and bar patio building. On the right, the San Marcos Arts Commision dedicated this mural as, "Dive into the Divine" designed and painted in 2016 by Morgan Haberle Egan and Jana Swec.
After diving deep into the underwater world of the San Marcos Mermaids, keep in mind what they symbolize. Serving as the protector of the river, the mermaid is a reminder to preserve our pristine and crystal clear San Marcos river. Boudning the community with an appreciation for culture and art, these mermaids are only the beginning.
