Scholz Garten: One of Texas's oldest operating businesses

Scholz Garten was established in 1866 by German immigrant August Scholz in Austin, Texas. Following the American Civil War, Scholz turned the establishment into a hub for German immigrants and their culture in the capital city. The Austin Saengerrunde purchased the business in 1914 and still owns it today.

Scholz purchased the lot at 1607 San Jacinto Boulevard in 1862 for about $2,400. In 1908, the Austin Saengerrunde added a new hall with a six-lane bowling alley behind the beer garden. The venue closed during Prohibition and reopened afterward, and the vintage bowling alley remains in use today as one of the oldest continuously operating centers in the United States.

Scholz Garten was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1967 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The business lease was purchased in 1986 by Eddie Wilson, Phil Vitek, and Michael Osborne, who restored the establishment in 1987.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons