The term “Texas-size” is tossed around the Lone Star State to describe everything from fountain drinks to roller coasters, but it truly sums up the sprawling metropolis that is San Antonio. This city spans 417.1 square miles, an area that ranges from a dense downtown to quiet suburban neighborhoods.
But the description covers far more than geographic area; Texas-size describes everything from culture to cuisine, attractions to accommodations. Whether you’re trying to decide on an afternoon activity or an afternoon meal, you’ll find yourself presented with a full menu of choices. As the home of the Alamo, a symbol of Texas pride and its fight for independence, San Antonio boasts historic sites that can’t be equaled. And when it’s pure fun you’re after—whether that translates as a museum tour or a merry-go-round—the city offers a long list of attractions that includes museums, sports, parks, children’s activities, theme parks, and more.
Texas-size really describes San Antonio’s true passion: fiesta. As one local resident once said, “You can’t come to San Antonio without having a fiesta!” “Fiesta” encompasses all aspects of “party” but with a sizzle that only San Antonio parties can deliver. The Alamo City parties in a style like no other Texas destination, with year-round special events and festivals that incorporate foods, dances, and even special touches such as pastel streamers and cascarones, confetti-filled eggs that children (and the childlike) delight in breaking over any unsuspecting person’s head.
Once a year, the fiesta spirit takes over the city with a 10-day celebration called Fiesta San Antonio. Dating back to 1891, this April celebration fills the city with parades, sporting events, live music, and a general party atmosphere.
The fiesta spirit lives year-round at the city’s heart, the Paseo del Rio or River Walk. This magical place is located 20 feet below street level, nestled behind tall buildings away from street noise. With high-rise hotels and plenty of specialty shops and European-style alfresco cafes, the River Walk is easy for visitors to explore on their own. The River Walk embodies what people envision when they hear the name San Antonio: pure fun.
Want to follow the conquistadors who came here in search of gold? Splash in a Texas-shaped swimming pool, or get almost as wet watching an acrobatic killer whale leap and dive in a seven million–gallon tank? Perhaps you’d like to view some of the nation’s finest Latin-American art? Or maybe your taste runs to touring elegant Victorian homes built by German immigrants in the mid-1800s.
If ever there was a destination with something for everyone, it’s San Antonio. Regardless of age, gender, or nationality, you will find attractions here that pique your interest or provide a feast for the eyes. Others will inspire you, and some are just plain fun.
The first attraction most people associate with San Antonio is the Alamo. The former mission is surrounded by Alamo Plaza, a site that is historic and hysterical, the ultimate shrine to Texas history alongside shrines to the Texas tourist. The Alamo, the mission that represents the fight for freedom and the spirit of Texas, is a place where tones are hushed and respectful, a destination to which every true Texan makes a pilgrimage at least once in his or her life. In juxtaposition, Alamo Plaza is the home of the city’s most tourist-oriented businesses: souvenir stands, a wax museum, and a bounty of tour companies. But both solemnity and souvenirs somehow work together to create a memorable destination.
Overview
To help you maneuver through the many attractions of San Antonio, we’ve divided this chapter into sections: Downtown, In and Around Loop 410, San Antonio Missions, Outside Loop 410, Historic Districts, and Tours.
You’ll find that these attractions—and the city itself—are most crowded in the summer months. Other peak times are in April during Fiesta and at Christmastime. In planning your itinerary during a summer visit to San Antonio, keep the heat in mind. Do what residents do: Plan outdoor and strenuous excursions in the morning hours, then head for indoor or shady attractions during the heat of the day.
From the cypress-lined River Walk to beautiful Brackenridge Park, San Antonio has plenty of destinations for a shady stroll. Don’t miss our chapter on Parks and Recreation, which lists lots of options for everything from a jog to a picnic. You’ll also find more things to see and do in the chapters covering Nightlife, Kidstuff, The Arts, Spectator Sports, and the Military.
There’s no denying that San Antonio is a city with a youthful atmosphere. With its wide variety of activities, from a world-class zoo to top theme parks, the city attracts families looking for vacation fun.
That youthful atmosphere is also seen in the faces of San Antonio’s residents. The median age in San Antonio is just 32.3 years, younger than the national average. Children are seen at attractions, restaurants, and establishments across town and make up a large part of the population.
An excellent guide to family-friendly San Antonio attractions is found on the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau website,, offering information on attractions across town. See www.visitsanantonio.com/visitors/play/family-fun/index.aspx.
Another top source of information on children’s activities and attractions is Our Kids: San Antonio. This free publication is distributed around town at grocery stores and Walmarts. The digital version is available on the magazine’s website, http://sanantonio.parenthood.com.
Along with the numerous attractions, programs, and activities, both indoors and out, available in this kid-friendly city, we’ve included many attractions within a short drive of San Antonio. With all that’s going on in the Alamo City, there’s no reason for kids ever to complain “I’m bored” while they’re here.
Mention “Texas” and some travelers might picture the Texas of the movies: miles of rugged, uncivilized land where outlines of cattle and lonely windmills stretch above the horizon. For others, the land near the Louisiana border might come to mind, a region of tall pine forests and bountiful lakes. Some might see the high-tech cities bustling with world-class attractions, shop-’til-you-drop opportunities, and a pulsating nightlife.
And they’d all be right. For years Texas has promoted itself as the “land of contrasts.” Rolling hills, rugged deserts, verdant forests, and sandy beaches are all found within its borders. For city slickers everything from the culture of Dallas to the cowboy fun of Fort Worth, from the south-of-the-border style of El Paso to the youthful exuberance of Austin, awaits within a few hours of San Antonio. Nature lovers find plenty of fun as well, thanks to the rolling hills and fish-filled lakes of Central Texas’s Hill Country, and the beautiful beaches of the Texas coast. All of the following destinations are within a two-hour drive of the Alamo City.