Mini golf, pickleball, music headline new Austin-area entertainment complex

A new 64-acre outdoor arts, entertainment and sports venue in Dripping Springs will soon be ready for fun and games.

Dreamland, at 2770 W. Highway 290, will offer outdoor sports, music, visual arts, a range of food and a beer garden and tap room with beer and wine from around the region.

The venue will open to the public on Feb. 5, with grand opening outdoor concerts scheduled for March 12 and March 13.

Dreamland's ownership says some of the top draws at the complex will be two 18-hole miniature golf courses – one more challenging with three difficulty levels and another shorter course with a chance for a hole-in-one on most holes. Players can brush up their skills on a Texas-shaped putting green in the beer garden.

What you'll be able to do at the new Dreamland

Pickleball, the increasingly popular sport that combines badminton, tennis and ping pong, will also be showcased. Dreamland will feature four weather-protected, lighted courts. Visitors can reserve the courts for private use, and Dreamland will host a variety of leagues, clinics, tournaments for all skill levels.

Dreamland will have a sports bar and beer garden featuring 50 local beers, along with wine, hard seltzers, ciders and kombuchas. Adults can enjoy a beverage while their kids play at the adjacent playscape and splash pad. The venue becomes age 21 and over after 9 p.m.

A video wall will be used to air special sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, which guests can watch while lounging on the turf lawn. Several stages will provide live music.

Admission and most of the amenities at Dreamland are free. The venue will charge for miniature golf, disc golf and for food and beverages.

Dreamland is owned by Steve Kuhn, a former hedge fund manager who founded the nonprofit IDEAL Immigration to advocate for immigration reform and serves on a number of nonprofit boards. His community work inspired him to create a place where everyone feels accepted, Kuhn said.

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"We've been envisioning Dreamland for quite some time as a place that reflects the natural heritage of Texas and creates an inclusive experience where all guests are welcome," he said. "It's been so fulfilling to see Dreamland come to life. There really is something for everyone to enjoy here."

While sports and music will provide entertainment, art is at the heart of Dreamland, Kuhn said. The venue will display large sculptures and murals throughout the property, including a mural and graffiti park created using repurposed rainwater storage tanks.

"The art is really central, and there is more to come, with art pieces that really inspire people and make them think," Kuhn said. "It's a fun way to get people to go to an art museum."

Kuhn is majority owner of Richard's Rainwater, which sells bottled rainwater and operated on the property before moving its facilities to other locations. Kuhn said sustainability is one of Dreamland's goals.

Captured rainwater will provide about 90% of the venue's water, while a solar array on the roof of the bar and beer garden will power many of the amenities on the property.

Dreamland is also partnering with organizations to raise money and awareness for their causes. The nonprofits include the Andy Roddick Foundation and Well Aware, which provides sustainable safe water in East Africa.

"We see ourselves as a mission-driven playground," Kuhn said. "We want people to have fun and we want them to feel safe. We're very cautious about COVID — almost everything we do is outdoors where people can really spread out and we are taking all the precautions."

Dreamland is one of a growing number of outdoor entertainment venues in Central Texas. Bouldin Acres an indoor-outdoor facility in South Austin that features an oversized chess board, pickleball courts, billiards and bar food, cocktails and beer, opened last year.

Coming soon is the Austin Pickle Ranch, a 13-acre sports and entertainment complex being built in Southeast Austin. In addition to 32 pickleball courts, the project, scheduled to open this summer, will include sand volleyball courts, a stage for live concerts, outdoor Pilates and yoga, along with a dog park.