1894
Photograph: Niel Douglass/Austin History Center
As one gruesome theory has it, the history of Austin’s moonlight towers—tall structures that illuminated several city blocks—began with a series of unsolved murders in 1885, when a serial killer, later dubbed the Servant Girl Annihilator, terrorized the town in the pitch-black night. In 1894, the city of Austin purchased 31 towers from a Detroit factory to light the streets, albeit casting dark shadows as well. At 15 stories high, they loomed over the town, blinding its residents with carbon arc lights to the point where some citizens started carrying umbrellas as a shield. In the 1920s, arc lights were replaced with incandescent bulbs, and, in the following years, many of the towers started to come down.
NOW
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Lindsay Attaway
While other cities have since removed their moonlight towers, Austin is the only place in the world that still has them, with 15 in total. In 1976, the towers were inducted into the National Register of Historic Places, and they’ve seen multiple renovations in recent years. The most famous of the bunch, the Zilker Park tower is transformed every winter as twinkling bulbs form a winding cone that mimics a Christmas tree. You can find some of the remaining moonlight towers at San Antonio and 15th Streets or Trinity and E 11th Streets. Still not convinced of their appeal? Just take it from Matthew McConaughey and his immortal rallying cry: “Party at the moon tower!”