Behind the Bahn: Schatze
Ayla Lambert
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Everyone knows that for any amusement park, a mascot is a must have. Whether it's Alfundo at Dorney Park, or a famous mouse living inside a castle in Florida... The Schlitterbahn team knew the importance of a loveable and engaging mascot from the very beginning. But, it did take some time to get it just right for our guests.
Schlitterbahn's first mascot "Poly Frog" was created in the early 1980's. The idea came from our Polywog Pond in the west section of the Schlitterbahn park and inspired by one of the most popular kids' slides at the time, the Frog Slide. While kids enjoyed Poly Frog, there was too much competition when it came to famous frogs.
Baron Von Tuben was Poly Frog's replacement in the early 1990's and was created to reflect our German heritage and the tubing culture alive and well here at Schlitterbahn, but also the heart of New Braunfels. Unfortuantely, both of these mascots were great concepts on paper, but not as great as large scale huggable characters. In 1997, the idea for Schatze began.
One of our graphic designers on staff, Jen Rhodes, was experimenting with an idea for a new website and commercial artwork using her own Dachshund, Olive, as her inspiration for an approachable and huggable mascot. As they say, life imitates art. One of her sketches got into the hands of our Retail Director and a plush toy designer. And voila! Jen's vision for Schatze, the waterpark pup, became a reality!
Do you remember this Schlitterbahn commercial from the late 1990's with one of our earliest renderings of Schatze?
The following season, Schlitterbahn opened Schatze's Central Park. Before Schatze's Central Park opened, it was a mini golf course. Many of the structures from the original course are still there and you can even see where the "green" once was. It is now a children's area designed for our smallest guests to enjoy and includes a root beer stand, ice cream parlor, a car wash, and a magical castle that all have been transformed into his own puppy playground. This area also includes playful fountains, squirting fire hydrants, spraying park sprinklers, and pint-sized slides.
Perhaps more importantly, it is the home of Schatze, Schlitterbahn's official mascot. You can find Schatze making appearances here throughout the summer in the New Braunfels location. Schatze has also been spotted at our Galveston park from time to time and even makes appearances outside our parks in the central Texas region.
In 2017, Schatze got a fresh new look thanks to Graphic Designer, Maddy Kouns, and he also got some new nice clothes for his 20th birthday. He has quite the wardrobe these days, so if you are coming for special events - keep an eye out for his fun holiday outfits.
So next time you are at one of our parks, keep an eye out for Schatze strolling through and don't forget to say hi and get a picture with our friendly pup. Be sure to check out our gift shops on the way out of the park to bring home a Schatze of your own!
