The Parks

Dignowity Hill is home to several wonderful parks, each with its own defining characteristics.
For park hours and other details, visit the San Antonio Parks & Recreation website here.

  • Dignowity Park was renovated in 2023 and offers a gated dog park, playground, basketball court, walking paths, lighting, and a beautiful view of downtown.

  • Fairchild Park features multiple tennis and pickleball courts, a playground, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. There is no charge for these amenities.

  • The new Berkley V. & Vincent M. Dawson Park under construction adjacent to Hays Street Bridge and the Alamo Brewery will feature a skate park and a dog park.

  • Healy-Murphy Park is a lovely park with picnic amenities and views of downtown. Learn more about Margaret Mary Healy-Murphy here.

Hays Street Bridge

Looking down Hays Street from Dignowity Hill one can glimpse the trusses of the iron Hays Street Bridge. The bridge originally carried narrow gauge trains across the wild swamps of the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana. The parts of the Whipple-style bridge were moved to San Antonio between 1908 and 1910.The bridge is actually two different iron truss bridges linked together, a whipple and a phoenix style. Only five other Whipple-style bridges exist in Texas. The phoenix style is more common. There is ornate 19th Century scroll work in the upper corners of the trusses. The City of San Antonio named the bridge a historically significant landmark in 1982. The bridge is open to pedestrian and bike traffic providing an additional link between Eastside neighborhoods and downtown San Antonio.

Ellis Alley

Located near St. Paul Square, this area has historical significance as one of the first areas where African-Americans were allowed property ownership in Texas after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The City Cemeteries Historic District

Recently named to the National Register of Historic Places, the district includes over 100 acres of city and private cemeteries dating back to the mid 19th century.

Ella Austin Community Center

Provides family, social, senior and family services to the community. The center is named after Ella Austin who founded the center in 1897.