During the oil boom in the early 1920s a dam was built damming Sandy Creek, a tributary flowing into the Clear Fork Brazos River, forming Lake Cisco. The dam was completed in 1923 and is the municipal water supply for Cisco, Texas.
Local officials thought that the cement dam could double as a zoo. A deer was donated, then a bear, and also an assortment of animals was moved into the damp and humid facility bordering the dam. Soon they realized that this location did not provide good habitat for the zoo animals and a decision was made to move the zoo to the nearby bluffs.
During the 1920’s and early 1930’s the folks came to see all the animals, stay in stone cottages that were constructed and to swim in a resort style swimming pool that was promoted as the world largest swimming pool. There was also a two-story building with a skating rink upstairs, an amusement park with rides, and a park. The zoo’s glory days were short-lived. There are newspaper articles that report that someone poisoned the bear and the deer died, soon the zoo was closed and the crime remains unsolved! The swimming pool stayed open until early 1980’s.
In 2021, a nonprofit group, Students, Athletics, Families, and Education (SAFE) to on the task of turning the wild overgrown property into a hiking area. There are two easy hiking paths that wind through the ruins of the old abandoned zoo. These are kid safe – bring water!
THE OLD ZOO NATURE TRAILS are a step back into history and a fantastic reason to jump in the car for a road trip.
Cisco is also where The Hilton Hotel dynasty began when Conrad Hilton purchased his first hotel, the Mobley Hotel, in 1919. The hotel is now a museum and community center
