Kallison Amphitheater
The Nathan and Anna Kallison Amphitheater is located in the Government Canyon State Natural Area in San Antonio, Texas. Government Canyon State Natural Area protects over 12,000 acres of rugged hills and canyons typical of the Texas Hill Country.
Located on the northwest side of San Antonio, it preserves a large, relatively pristine tract of the Hill Country Terrain. It is home to numerous and diverse species of plants and wildlife and the upper Culebra Creek/Leon Creek watershed.
In addition, it is part of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, the primary source of drinking water for San Antonio and surrounding communities. The reserve offers more than 40 miles of trails, as well as campgrounds, beautiful scenic views, spring-fed creeks, and native flower and wildlife.
The Nathan and Anna Kallison Amphitheater serves as an environmental education center that hosts programs about the area’s unique ecology, geology, and history. It was completed through private donations from their family, as well as from public grants. The project commemorates the contributions of one of South Texas’ influential ranching, retail and real estate families.
Nathan Kallison was born in the Ukraine region of Russia and moved to San Antonio in 1899. He opened a saddle and harness shop that grew into a successful business selling ranching and general merchandise.
Government Canyon State Natural Area includes a ranch property that was purchased by Nathan and Anna Kallison in 1910. The family-owned business became the largest farm and ranch supply business in the Southwest. The Kallisons’ were agriculture innovators.
One of the features of the amphitheater includes multiple interpretive panels telling the family’s full history. The adjacent structures provide tribute to the continued sense of community-mindedness that the Kallison’s were known for.
GCSNA decided to use iZone as they were a local, Texas business and their panels are vibrant and durable. We needed a material that would withstand the Texas weather and tell the story over the years. – John H Koepke, Government Canyon State Natural Area
