San Antonio is a great place to visit! Here are a few places you might enjoy visiting. They’re in no particular order or anything, and we haven’t tried them all ourselves – though we’d like to! It’s just a list of things that sounded like fun to us.  Please note, information on these activities is provided for your information only. Hours and prices are subject to change.
www.sanantoniocvb.com/visitors/attractions.asp The Alamo  Remember it? It’s the most famous spot in Texas where 189 defenders fought and died for Texas liberty on March 6, 1836, after repeated attacks by Mexican General Santa Anna’s army. The chapel is one of the most photographed buildings in the nation; it and the Long Barracks are all that remain of the original fort. The museum contains relics and mementos from the Republic of Texas and offers narration on the fall of the Alamo. The Alamo is located smack in the heart of the city, surrounded by a beautifully landscaped peaceful garden.
ADDRESS: 300 Alamo Plaza
PHONE: 210/225-1391 x34
HOURS: Monday-Saturday: 9 am - 5:30 pm, Sunday: 10 am-5:30 pm
URL: TheAlamo.org IMAX Theatre Rivercenter Before you head to the Alamo, stop in at the IMAX to watch The Price of Freedom, a 45-minute docudrama about the 13-day siege and fall of the Alamo. Does that sound boring? It’s not! In the film you’ll meet men who had the choice to surrender and live – or fight and die for the cause of freedom. Watching them struggle with that decision (and accept the inevitable outcome) can give you a new perspective on life. ADDRESS: 849 E Commerce, #285
PHONE: 210/247-4614 Toll Free: 800/354-4629
HOURS: Shows daily from 9 am - 10 pm
URL: imax-sa.com River Walk (Paseo Del Rio)  Paseo Del Rio, in the heart of downtown, is the pride of the city – and justifiably so. Lush green foliage lines the banks of the peaceful, historic river one level below the hustle and bustle of city streets. Cobblestone walkways lead you to river-level restaurants and shops. Along the horseshoe shaped riverbend, the river is shaded by towering cypresses, oaks and willows and bordered by gardens. River cruisers with tour guides travel the River Walk’s three miles – you can even dine while you float. (See sarivercruise.com for dining boat options.)
ADDRESS: downtown (see Web site below)
URL: thesanantonioriverwalk.com Aztec on the River A meticulously restored historic 1926 movie palace. The lobby features a spectacular, multi-million dollar special effects show every ninety minutes, free and open to the public. Guests with tickets will experience even more special effects in the auditorium, including a massive 1925 Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ and an authentic silent film movie experience. Another free special effects show features the theatre's enormous engine room. ADDRESS: On the RiverWalk at the corner of E. Commerce and N. St. Mary’s Streets.
PHONE: 210-227-3930
URL: aztecontheriver.com Institute of Texan Cultures  Celebrate the cultures of Texas at San Antonio’s cultural experience museum. Step into the lives of early Texans at the Living Texas demonstration areas. Learn their stories firsthand from character performers! Immerse yourself inside a 360 Dome Theater for a multimedia experience. It’s all just a short walk from the Alamo and the River Walk through HemisFair Park.
ADDRESS: 801 S. Bowie
PHONE: 210/452-2330
HOURS: Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am- 6 pm; Sunday noon – 5 pm; closed Mondays
URL: texancultures.utsa.edu Buckhorn Saloon & Museum  Discover more than 120 years of history.... Texas style. Marvel at two stories of exotic, um, things – from a unique horn collection to cowboy memorabilia and fish from the Seven Seas. Test your hand in the authentic shooting gallery and arcade and tour the world's only Wax Museum of Texas History. Located just two blocks from the Alamo and 50 feet from the River Walk, where Teddy Roosevelt recruited Rough Riders and Pancho Villa is rumored to have planned the Mexican Revolution
ADDRESS: 318 E. Houston St
PHONE: 210/247-4000
HOURS: Sunday – Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm or later,; Friday – Saturday 10 am - 6 pm or later. Call for exact closing times.
URL: buckhornmuseum.com King William Historic Area If you love beautiful old homes, this is the place to wander. A 25-block area near downtown on the south bank of the San Antonio River, the King William District was originally settled by prominent German merchants in the late 1800’s. It’s the oldest historical district in Texas. See the Web site below for a walking tour history and map. ADDRESS: 1032 South Alamo (see map on Web site)
PHONE: 210/227-8786
URL: kingwilliamassociation.org Guenther House Museum & Restaurant Located at the foot of the King William District, this elegant mansion was built in 1860 on a bend of the San Antonio River by the founder of Pioneer Flour Mills. After you tour the house, stop in at the restaurant for a meal and pick up a memento in the Mill Store. ADDRESS: 205 E. Guenther
PHONE: 210/227-1061
HOURS: Monday – Saturday: 8 am - 4 pm; Sunday: 8 am to 3 pm
URL: guentherhouse.com La Villita A unique arts and crafts community with shops, working artists, restaurants and a post office. The Old San Antonio Exhibit (located in Bolivar Hall) houses a collection of art objects, artifacts and symbols. This beautifully landscaped historic district offers leisurely shopping and dining. ADDRESS: 418 Villita
PHONE: 210/207-8611
HOURS: Shops open daily 10 am - 6 pm
URL: lavillita.com Market Square – El Mercado  From early morning until late at night, Market Square is alive with activity. Visitors browse through the 32 shops at El Mercado, an area patterned after an authentic Mexican market. In addition, there are 80 specialty shops in Farmers Market Plaza. Market Square is also the site of many Hispanic festivals where food and beverage booths spring up alongside the Guadalajara lamps and the strains of mariachi music blend with the excitement of Mexican dances.
ADDRESS: 514 W. Commerce
PHONE: 210/207-8600
HOURS: Summer: 10 am - 8 pm; Winter: 10 am - 6 pm
URL: marketsquaresa.com San Antonio Botanical Garden  A 33-acre living museum; enjoy colorful flowers, a serene native forest walk, exotic plant specimens from around the world, modernistic glass pyramids, and even an authentic log cabin. Highlights include the Old Fashioned Perennial Garden, Rose Garden, Sacred Garden, Garden for the Blind, Kuamoto En (an authentic Japanese Garden), and extensive native collections.
ADDRESS: 555 Funston
PHONE: 210207-3255
HOURS: Daily 9 am - 5 pm
URL: sabot.org San Antonio Missions National Historical Park  The chain of missions established along the San Antonio River in the 18th century are reminders of one of Spain’s most successful attempts to extend its New World dominion from Mexico. Representing both church and state, these missions were charged with converting the local Native Americans into devout Catholics and productive members of Spanish society. More than just churches on the Spanish Colonial frontier, the missions also served as vocational and educational centers, economic enterprises involved in agricultural and ranching endeavors and regional trade. The visitor center is located next to Mission San Jose and contains a theater showing a 20-minute depiction of early life at the mission, a museum and book shop.
ADDRESS: 2202 Roosevelt Ave.
PHONE: 210/534-8833
HOURS: Daily 9 am – 5 pm
URL: nps.gov/saan Witte Museum  San Antonio's premiere museum of South Texas history, culture, and natural science. Located in Brackenridge Park, on the banks of the San Antonio River, the Witte offers permanent exhibits that include dinosaur skeletons, cave drawings, wildlife dioramas, and even some live animals. Several historic homes have been reconstructed on the campus, which also features the very popular H-E-B Science Treehouse.
ADDRESS: 3801 Broadway
PHONE: 210/357-1900
HOURS: Monday: 10 am - 5 pm; Tuesday: 10 am - 8 pm; Wednesday-Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm; Sunday: Noon - 5 pm
URL: wittemuseum.org Brackenridge Park  The 343-acre park is home to a variety of popular attractions and outdoor activities. Two of the best-known attractions are the San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium (one of the finest zoos in the U.S., home to 3,500-plus animals) and the Japanese Tea Gardens, also known as the Sunken Gardens. The Japanese Tea Gardens sits upon the former site of the rock quarry that produced the limestone used to construct the Texas State Capitol. Don’t miss the 60-foot waterfall!
ADDRESS: Brackenridge Park is located along the headwaters of the San Antonio River, approximately two miles north of downtown San Antonio. The main entrance to Brackenridge Park is in the 2800 block of North Broadway.
HOURS: Daily 5 am – 11 pm Outside Town… Enchanted Springs Ranch For all you non-Texans who want to see what the Old West was really like – you can visit an authentic old west town right out of the 1800’s! It’s the site of western films, commercials, and special events. Your entrance fee includes a tour of the old west town plus a tractor wagon ride through a working ranch of Texas longhorns, horses, buffalo and lots of exotic animals. Call for more information. ADDRESS: 242 Hwy 46 Wes, Boerne, TX 78006
PHONE: 830/249-8222; Toll Free: 800/640-5917
HOURS: Tuesday – Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm
URL: enchantedspringsranch.com |