Peter Pan Mini Golf, the local miniature golf course known for its giant Peter Pan and T. rex statues, will stay open until at least Sept. 30, 2024, after the owners received a lease extension.
The business sits on land that is owned by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and the owners lease from the state. In September, the owners said they didn’t have clarity from the state on the future of their lease, and it was set to expire at the end of next March.
The family said they were working with Austin city leaders to find a solution to keep the golf course open. Part of that effort included going to the Historic Landmark Commission in an attempt to make the golf course a landmark.
Margaret Dismukes Massad, who is the daughter of one of the owners, announced the lease extension in an Instagram post and said Mayor Kirk Watson and his team were able to help keep the golf course open.
“We wish to thank Austin Mayor Kirk Watson for facilitating this six month extension with TJJD,” she wrote. “Thank you so much Mayor Watson, and your staff, for your support and encouragement!”
Mayor Watson called the mini golf course an "important piece of Austin," and said he intends to continue working on finding a long-term solution to the land's lease restrictions.
“We try to help every constituent who reaches out with an issue to get them to the right people or explaining a process or simply getting a status update on the project," he wrote in a statement to KUT. "I’m really pleased we could help achieve this positive result."
Massad said the state still needs to appoint a trustee to the land, and that the business hopes to work with the trustee to work toward a new, multi-year lease.
