Peter Pan Mini-Golf's lease extended through late 2024

After an initial lease expiration at the end of March 2024, Peter Pan Mini-Golf announced Wednesday its lease had been extended through Sept. 30, 2024.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After an initial lease expiration at the end of March 2024, Peter Pan Mini-Golf announced Wednesday its lease had been extended through Sept. 30, 2024.

The latest news came after months of uncertainty surrounding the future of the 75-year-old Austin business.

The property underneath the mini-golf course and the now knocked-down McDonald’s at South Lamar and Barton Springs Road are presently owned by a trust left behind by John C. Wende. Wende's trust was designed to benefit orphans in Texas, a spokesperson for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TTJD) previously told KXAN.

For the past seven decades, the trust was managed by the TTJD board and before that the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) board, according to the TTJD. However, because of a mandate by the Sunset Advisory Commission, the trust now has to be transferred to a third-party trustee, the TTJD told KXAN in August.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Peter Pan Mini-Golf co-owner Margaret Dismukes Massad thanked Mayor Kirk Watson, who they credited with facilitating a lease extension with the TTJD. Once the TTJD appoints a new trustee to oversee the land, Dismukes Massad added she and staff will work to pursue a new, multi-year lease agreement.

"We wish to thank Mayor Watson for expressing his desire to advocate for a longer term lease, preserving Peter Pan Mini Golf for the people of Austin," she said in the release. "We appreciate the well wishes and show of support expressed by our wonderful fans. We are humbled by the affection for Peter Pan Mini Golf. Our sincere and heartfelt thank you!"