Even though San Antonio is the eighth largest city in the United States, we have retained our sense of history and tradition, while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress.
San Antonio has always been a crossroads and a meeting place. Sounds and flavors of Native Americans, Old Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, African-Americans and the Deep South mingle and merge. Close to twenty million visitors a year delight in the discovery of San Antonio's charms.
San Antonio offers a wonderful array of attractions to fill your days and nights with entertainment, exploration, education and just plain fun! Our city beckons visitors with history, romance, sports, family fun, adventure and the arts. 
The Gulf coast is only 100 miles away. Working ranches throughout Central and South Texas are available as hunting leases for wild game, while dude ranches offer a taste of the Old West, complete with horseback riding. Numerous state parks offer opportunities for hiking in the rugged terrain of the Hill Country.
The Alamo
"Yanaguana" - "place of refreshing waters" - is what the first citizens of San Antonio, who were Native Americans, called the San Antonio River. In 1691, on the feast day of St. Anthony, Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived at the river, which they named "San Antonio" in honor of St. Anthony. The founding of the city is credited to Father Antonio Olivares, who established Mission San Antonio de Valero, in 1718. This mission became known as the Alamo in 1836, where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days. One of Americas truly great festivals, Fiesta San Antonio, is a 10-day celebration held every April to honor the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto as well as recognize and celebrate San Antonios rich and diverse cultures.
The Paseo del Rio (the "River Walk")
In the heart of downtown, the Riverwalk is the pride of the city. Lush green foliage lines the banks of this peaceful jade-green historic river. Cobblestone walkways lead visitors to the river-level restaurants and shops. The river bubbles to the surface on the grounds of Incarnate Word College and flows to downtown, threading its way through the city one level below the hustle and bustle of city streets. Along the horseshoe shaped river, the river is shaded by towering cypresses, oaks and willows and bordered by gardens of flowering ornamental plants. European style sidewalk cafes, specialty boutiques, nightclubs and gleaming high-rise hotels adorn the banks of the River Walk. River cruisers travel the River Walks three miles past unique retail shops, restaurants and nightclubs. It is also possible to dine aboard open-air, candle-lit river barges as they wind their way along the scenic waterway. Spanish Colonial Missions that date back to the 18th Century.
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Four Spanish frontier missions, part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries, are preserved here. They include Missions San Jose, San Juan, Espada, and Concepcion. The park, containing many cultural sites along with some natural areas, was established in 1978. The park covers about 819 acres.
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center
brings its artistic vision alive through six art disciplines: visual arts, media arts, theatre arts, literature, dance, and music. Over the last 18 years the Center's public programming, annual events, festivals, publications, and educational offerings have touched many lives.
The Majestic Theater
is a State and National Historic Landmark. One of the few remaining vintage atmospheric vaudeville movie palaces. Home to the San Antonio Symphony and Majestic Broadway Series.
The King William District
was the most elegant residential area in the city. Prominent German merchants originally settled the area. The area includes the following attractions. The Guenther House- Carl Hilmer Guenther founder of Pioneer Flour Mills, built this elegant home in 1860. The restored house offers a museum where mill memorabilia is displayed. Of interest to collectors are the Dresden china anniversary plates made in Germany until WWII. The Steves Homestead- This Victorian French Second Empire design three-story home was built for Edward Steves in 1876. Furnished in a late 19th century style, The River House, a one-story brick structure housed the first natatorium or inside swimming pool in San Antonio.
La Villita
A beautifully landscaped historic district offers leisurely shopping, dining and five rental venues for special events.
Market Square (El Mercado)
From early morning until late at night, Market Square is alive with activity. Visitors browse through 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 scene of many Hispanic festivals where food and beverage booths spring up alongside the Victorian lamps and the strains of mariachi music blend with the excitement of Mexican dances.
The San Antonio Botanical Gardens
which houses the Lucille Halsell conservatory, is a 33-acre garden that represents in miniature, the diverse Texas landscape from the Hill Country wild flowers to the formal rose gardens of East Texas. A biblical and children's garden, and a fragrance garden are featured. The Lucile Halsell Conservatory, is a $6.5 million conservatory complex with 90,000 sq. ft. of climatically controlled structures including an exhibition hall, tropical house, desert house, palm house, fern room and an orangery.
Southwest Craft Center
Contemporary art, lush gardens, historic buildings and more await visitors to the Southwest School of Art & Craft on the Riverwalk. See free changing exhibitions or artist lectures at the new Navarro Campus, or walk across the street to tour, lunch or shop at the historic Ursuline Campus, formerly a girls school and convent, whose French and Gothic influenced buildings date back to 1851. In late September, the school will open a new Visitors Center Museum that tells the story of the pioneer educators who founded the academy and the art school that now occupies the site. Call (210) 224-1848 for more information, or visit the schools web site. 300 Augusta at Navarro, across from the Central Library.
San Antonio has some of the most beautiful PARKS in the US. The largest park in San Antonio is Brackenridge Park. This park houses the Brackenridge Park Carousel, which features 60 antique Bradley-Kay horses manufactured in Wichita, Kansas; The Brackenridge Park Railroad, a miniature railway that runs 3 1/2 miles through the park. There are three trains, all replicas of the 1863 Central Pacific Huntington steam locomotive. The Brackenridge Park Skyride (opposite Zoo entrance.), which uses Swiss manufactured cable cars to provide a panoramic view of the park and the best view of the San Antonio skyline. The Brackenridge Park Japanese Tea Gardens at the northwestern edge of Brackenridge Park, consists of winding walkways, stone bridges and tranquil pools in a lush year 'round garden. These gardens are located in an old rock quarry, which produced the limestone used to build the State Capitol in Austin and many of the homes in San Antonio. The outstanding floral displays feature a wide variety of plants from hibiscus to copper plants to ornamental cabbage. Irregular shaped ponds with giant goldfish and water lilies reflect flashes of color from the plants and trees. Pebble pathways and bridges guide visitors throughout the gardens. A waterfall drops 60 feet from a high cliff into a pool. The Brackenridge Paddle Boats allow you to cruise the river at your own pace.
The San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium
Ranked as one of the best zoos in the nation, contains exhibits of over 3,000 animals of 700 species. Situated at the headwaters of the San Antonio River, the zoo encompasses 25 landscaped acres.
Friedrich Wilderness Park
is a 232-acre hilly and heavily forested wilderness park with 5 miles of hiking trails including this region's most improved handicapped accessible park. Rich in natural history, with an abundance of diversified flora and fauna, the park is a birdwatcher's cornucopia and attracts international as well as local birders. Guided interpretive hikes are available by arrangement with the Park Naturalist.
Hemisfair Park
is adjacent to the central business district, and includes the area around the base of the Tower of the Americas landscaped with dramatic water features. The park includes the Institute of Texan Cultures, where Texas history and folk culture contributions from 28 different ethnic groups are displayed. The Dome Show is a multimedia exhibit presenting dramatic events, places and faces of Texas. The Mexican Cultural Institute is a nonprofit organization dependent on the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. Its mission is to promote the Mexican culture to strengthen the ties of friendship and understanding between both countries. The Institute has a complete and busy program during the year offering for review the rich artistic expressions of Mexico. This program of activities among others, includes visual arts, exhibits, concerts, lectures, workshops, movies, folk dance and choir performances. The Tower of the Americas is a 750 foot tower that offers the visitor a panoramic view of San Antonio and the surrounding area. Glass-walled elevators ascend over five hundred feet to the observation level.
The Jose Antonio Navarro State Historical Park
is the former home of the only native Texan to participate in the convention that ratified annexation of Texas to the union. An eminent statesman, Jose Navarro guided the development of Texas from a Mexican territory to Statehood in the United States. The site contains three restored historic structures-his home, kitchen and office.
McNay Art Institute
The former estate of Marian Koogler McNay is a private museum containing a varied collection of post-impressionist paintings (Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Matisse, O'Keefe, Goya, Renoir and Bourdelle), early New Mexican arts and crafts, plus gothic and medieval collections. A highlight of the McNay is its charming patio and gardens.
The San Antonio Kids Museum
offers a better understanding of the cultural diversity of San Antonio through a hands-on museum targeted to appeal to children ages 2-10. Interactive educational exhibits are designed to engage all of a childs senses to make learning an entertaining experience.
The Hertzberg Circus Museum
is an unusual museum that contains more than 20,000 items of Big Top memorabilia, including a priceless collection of circus posters, Tom Thumb's carriage and an intricately detailed scale model of the three ring circus. Weekend special events include: classic film series, jugglers, mimes and magicians. face painting/mask making workshops year round.
The San Antonio Museum of Art
a blend of glass elevators, skylights and skywalk in the former Lone Star Brewery's castle-like building, is a sight no visitor to San Antonio can afford to miss. Art collections range from ancient art to the most contemporary, including magnificent Greek and Roman sculpture, and Latin American folk art. The Asian section has been expanded to include Asian sculpture as well as other forms of Chinese, Japanese and Korean art. The museum is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Witte Museum
features history, science, the humanities, exciting hands-on exhibits of Texas history, natural science and anthropology, changing exhibits and family programs. Permanent exhibitions include "Texas Wild: Ecology Illustrated," focusing on the ecological diversity of the state's seven natural areas. "Ancient Texans: Rock Art and Life ways Along the Lower Pecos" focuses on the culture and cave paintings of a hunter-gatherer society that flourished in Texas 4000 years ago. The museum also includes an EcoLab of live Texas animals, an outdoor Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden and three restored historic homes.
The U.S. Army Medical Department Museum
at Fort Sam Houston is the home of army medicine and the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum. The collection, dating from 1775 to the present, contains army medical equipment, vehicles (including a 1953 hospital train ambulance car), uniforms, artwork, insignia and scale models.
The Hangar 9/Edward H. White Museum
is the oldest in the Air Force, housing the Museum of Flight Medicine and Flight Nursing Annex. Exhibits contain the history of the base, the development of manned flight and the evolution of aerospace medicine.
The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum
showcases over 3,300 artifacts and 520 different animal species found in Texas. Highlights include the world-famous 78 point Whitetail, a 1,056-pound Black Marlin and The Hall of Texas History Wax Museum.
The Fort Sam Houston Museum
traces the history of the post and the U.S. Army from 1845 to the present. The fort has more than 900 historic structures including the Quadrangle (1876), Pershing House (1881), Eisenhower House (1908), and Gift Chapel (1909).
Sea World
The World's largest marine life park with more than 25 spectacular shows, educational exhibits, rides and family attractions is one of 10 Anheuser-Busch Theme Parks across America. Sky Tubin' at Lost Lagoon, an exciting water ride towering almost five stories, allows groups of up to four to interlock inflated tubes and experience a wild, wet adventure. There is also a new thrill-packed water ski show and a superstar concert series. Other attractions include: Lost Lagoon water adventure paradise with twisting slides, huge wave pool, beach, alligator habitat and walk-through aviary with tropical birds; splashy shows with famed killer whales Shamu and Grandbaby Shamu, beluga whales, dolphins, sea lions, walruses and otters; "The Amazing World of Birds" show; Shamu's Happy Harbor children's adventure area; Texas Splashdown and Rio Loco water rides; Texas Walk; and the world-famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale horses. Exhibits include: Sharks/The Coral Reef, with thousands of tropical fishes, hammerhead sharks and eels; Penguins habitat with more than 200 polar birds; Marine Mammal Pool, where guests may feed and touch dolphins; Seal and Sea Lion Community; and flamingo habitat.
Fiesta Texas
A 200-acre theme park, celebrates Texas cultures and music through four themed areas - German, 50s Rock 'n Roll, 1920s Southwest, and Hispanic. The Park is the home of the world famous "Rattler" roller coaster, one of the world's tallest and fastest wooden coasters. For additional thrills, there is the "Screamin' Skycoaster" which lets you free-fall at 60 mph from a height of 180 feet (separate admission required) and a steel roller-coaster, where guests will defy the law of gravity as they find themselves upside down a total of three times during the 2000 foot trip. Also included in your park admission is a waterpark filled with 15 rides and attractions with plenty of sun and shade areas. The Park has a pet kennel, lockers, strollers, wheel-chair rental, foreign currency exchange and is one of the most ADA (Americans with Disabilities)accessible theme parks.
Splashtown
With 18 landscaped acres of cool, clean water excitement, Splashtown is a family waterpark that has something fun for every age - from Kids Kove to the Siesta del Rio a relaxing ride down a lazy river, to major water rides. StarFlight is designed for space age thrills, and new rides and attractions are added throughout the park each year.
San Antonio Sites of Interest
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