Sparky Park is one of Austin's most notable public art installations, located on the grounds of a former electrical substation constructed in the 1930s. The station consists of a utilitarian lot and an Art Deco-style municipal building which formerly housed city electrical machinery. Following an overhaul of the city's electrical grid in the mid-2000s, Austin artist Berthold Haas was commissioned to develop a large public art installation to convert the station's grounds into a public park space. Today, the station is decorated with a unique junk art display reminiscent of Spanish Art Nouveau pieces, 1960s psychedelic culture, and 20th-century Midwestern Grotto Culture. The resulting effect is a whimsical stone grotto on the station's grounds, reminiscent of a fairytale land or underwater mermaid grotto. Visitors of all ages are welcome to explore the structure and touch and take pictures of its artistic elements. Map