The Pavilion of Gwangju’s reflection shimmers on the waters of a small pond in San Antonio’s Denman Estate Park.
The colorful structure is a replica of traditional Korean pavilions with a roof that curves upward like birds’ wings. Hand-built in Gwangju, South Korea, it was reassembled in San Antonio by Korean craftsmen and artists in 2010, as a gift to its sister city. The pagoda-style pavilion was restored to its original luster in 2019.
Gwangju, Korea’s sixth-largest city, is about 200 miles south of Seoul. The metropolis is known for its uprisings against Japanese imperialism and military rule. In 2005, the city inaugurated the “Democracy Bell” in a pagoda similar to the one in San Antonio to honor the people of Gwangju and Korea who fought for freedom.
Lovers stroll the shaded half-mile paved trail hand-in-hand while neighborhood walkers get their exercise and children feed the ducks in the pond in the 20-acre park.
At the entrance to the park’s trail is circular meditation path. In a thick stand of live oak trees, the labyrinth is an ancient prayer tool that brings clarity, inner peace, and relaxation as a person walks the pathway.
The park was originally the property of Gilbert Denman Sr., a local attorney and philanthropist who built a two-story Southern-style mansion on the heavily wooded hillside. Privately owned, the house is not open to the public but is used as an event center and school. The city purchased the surrounding land in 2007.
Denman Estate Park is tucked away in northwest San Antonio near the junction of I-10 West and Northwest Loop 410 at 7735 Mockingbird Lane. The grounds are equipped with picnic tables and restrooms. The extended drought has turned the grass brown and significantly reduced the size of the duck pond, but the park is idyllic with the pavilion as the focal point.
1,790th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/day-trips.
This article appears in January 23 • 2026.