Austinites are used to new buildings going up, but new play forts warrant a real celebration. Fortlandia, a nature-inspired, climbable exhibition at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, is returning with new forts for its eighth year starting October 4. The forts will remain open to explorers until February 1, 2026.
Artists and architects customarily team up on this project, combining wild ideas with smart ways to fortify them so children and even adults can stand on them, crawl through them, hide under them, and more.
“We have a lot of fun producing Fortlandia,” said Wildflower Center hospitality director Erika Tucker in a press release. “It’s incredible to see the forts go from concept to reality at the hands of so many creative people.”
The release release says the forts are "ready to encourage creative play and spark an appreciation of the outdoors and art." Namely, they are inspired by native plants, a central value of the Wildflower Center.
Guests to Fortlandia can expect to see eight unique forts in 2025. Images aren't available for all the works, but renderings fill some of the gaps in what to expect.
Birdhouse by Cushing Terrell tips a few giant birdhouses and stacks them up for a playhouse experience that literally upends expectations.Image courtesy of Cushing Terrell
Prairie Schooner by DMD Interactive is a 21-foot tall sailboat with actual cloth sails, a steering wheel, a crow's nest, and a rope ladder.Photo by DMD Interactive
Play Perch by Gensler has abstract rock wall-like textures inside (seen at the top of this article) so kids can enter from underneath and emerge between the protrusions on top.Rendering courtesy of Gensler
Cactlandia by Jobe Corral Architects looks more like traditional playgound equipment with a cactus theme.Rendering courtesy of Jobe Corral Architects
Four other projects remain mysterious:
- Flower Wild by Hill & Hammer
- Living Kaleidoscope by HKS Austin
- Roots Rambler by MEM + SWYSS
- Petal Stitch by Page, now Stantec
“Fortlandia is both nostalgic and forward-looking, and that’s part of what makes it magical,” said Wildflower Center executive director Lee Clippard. “To see families so excited and engaged in our gardens is incredibly positive for everyone involved in the project. Nature-based play is a powerful way to engage children, and Fortlandia delivers on that, year after year.”
Fortlandia will be open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, with some exclusions made for holidays. Members can visit for free, and entry for non-members is included in admission to the Wildflower Center.
