Twenty acres of pure delight

San Antonio is blessed with an abundance of green spaces, but the Denman Estate Park has to be one of its most lovely.

The City of San Antonio purchased 12.5 acres of land from the estate of San Antonio philanthropist Gilbert M. Denman, Jr., the grandson of Judge Leroy G. Denman, former Texas Supreme Court justice, in 2007. The University of the Incarnate Word purchased an adjacent 7.7 acres, and the combined area has given natives and visitors more than 20 acres to roam since 2010.

Located near the Loop 410/Interstate 10 intersection, the park provides a peaceful respite for weary souls. You may ramble around its half-mile paved trail, feed baby ducks in the picturesque pond, marvel at the Korean pavilion‘s craftsmanship, enjoy a picnic lunch underneath a majestic Cypress tree, find inner peace in its moon labyrinth or practice Tai Chi in the company of some heritage Live Oaks.

Gilbert Denman’s legacy

Denman’s name should ring a bell for local folks. He established the San Antonio Museum of Art’s collection of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World; provided long-time support of Trinity University, even though he was a UT-Austin graduate (undergrad and law school); and negotiated the deal that allowed the interiors of the San Antonio Missions to be retained by the Catholic Church with the exteriors handled by the National Park Service.

Another interesting fact: Denman served as the personal aide to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz during World War II. Denman grew up in the stately mansion built by his father and mother in 1936. The Family Educators Alliance of South Texas (FEAST) recently purchased UIW’s parcel and has converted the mansion and its outbuildings into an event venue.

The park, located at 7735 Mockingbird Lane off of Fredericksburg Road, is open daily from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Parking is free.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!