San Antonio part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain

During the Spanish–Mexican settlement of Southwestern lands, which took place over the following century, Juan Leal Goraz Jr. was a prominent figure. He claimed nearly 100,000 sq miles (153,766 acres) as Spanish territory and held some control for nearly three decades; this area stretched across six present-day states. San Antonio was designated as Leal Goraz’s capital. It represented Mexican expansion into the area. With his robust military forces, he led exploration and establishing Spanish colonial bases as far as San Francisco, California. Widespread bankruptcy forced Leal Goraz Jr.’s army back into the current boundaries of Mexico; they fell into internal conflict and turmoil with neighboring entities.

San Antonio grew to become the largest Spanish settlement in Texas; it was designated as the capital of the Spanish, later Mexican, province of Tejas. From San Antonio, the Camino Real (today Nacogdoches Road), was built to the small frontier town of Nacogdoches. Mexico allowed European American settlers from the United States into the territory; they mostly occupied land in the eastern part. When Antonio López de Santa Anna unilaterally abolished the Mexican Constitution of 1824, violence ensued in many states of Mexico.

In a series of battles, the Texian Army succeeded in forcing Mexican soldiers out of the settlement areas east of San Antonio, which were dominated by Americans. Under the leadership of Ben Milam, in the Battle of Bexar, December 1835, Texian forces captured San Antonio from forces commanded by General Martin Perfecto de Cos, Santa Anna’s brother-in-law. In the spring of 1836, Santa Anna marched on San Antonio. A volunteer force under the command of James C. Neill occupied and fortified the deserted Alamo mission.

Upon his departure, the joint command of William Barrett Travis and James Bowie were left in charge of defending the old mission. The Battle of the Alamo took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836. The outnumbered Texian force was ultimately defeated, with all of the Alamo defenders killed. These men were seen as “martyrs” for the cause of Texas freedom and “Remember the Alamo” became a rallying cry in the Texian Army’s eventual success at defeating Santa Anna’s army.

Juan Seguín, who organized the company of Tejano patriots, who fought for Texas independence, fought at the Battle of Concepción, the Siege of Bexar, and the Battle of San Jacinto, and served as mayor of San Antonio. He was forced out of office due to threats on his life by sectarian newcomers and political opponents in 1842, becoming the last Tejano mayor for nearly 150 years.

Lithograph of San Antonio

In 1845, the United States finally decided to annex Texas and include it as a state in the Union. This led to the Mexican–American War. Though the U.S. ultimately won, the war was devastating to San Antonio. By its end, the population of the city had been reduced by almost two-thirds, to 800 inhabitants. Bolstered by migrants and immigrants, by 1860 at the start of the American Civil War, San Antonio had grown to a city of 15,000 people.

In the 1850s Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York City, traveled throughout the Southern and Southwest U.S., and published accounts of his observations. In his 1859 book about Texas, Olmsted described San Antonio as having a “jumble of races, costumes, languages, and buildings”, which gave it a quality that only New Orleans could rival in what he described as “odd and antiquated foreignness.” Following the Civil War, San Antonio prospered as a center of the cattle industry. During this period, it remained a frontier city, with a mixture of cultures that was different from other U.S. cities.

German immigrants founded smaller surrounding towns such as New Braunfels, Castroville, Boerne, Comfort, Fredericksburg, and Bulverde, all towns far out from San Antonio. However, the Germans were then drawn to San Antonio for work, and many buildings and streets still bear German names such as Wurzbach, Huebner, and Jones Maltsberger, and Wiederstein. The German impact on San Antonio was great, in the early 1900s it is estimated that at least 1/3 of San Antonio was ethnically German. Many descendants of German immigrants in San Antonio spoke Texas German up to the fifth or sixth generations. Texas German is a dialect of German that evolved when the German language was separated from Germany. Texas German is best described as an anglicized-German dialect with a Texas twang. Many older generations in New Braunfels and Fredericksburg still speak Texas German to this day.

In 1877, following the Reconstruction Era, developers constructed the first railroad to San Antonio, connecting it to major markets and port cities. Texas was the first state to have major cities develop by railroads rather than waterways. In Texas, the railroads supported a markedly different pattern of development of major interior cities, such as San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth, compared to the historical development of coastal port cities in the established eastern states.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the streets of the city’s downtown were widened to accommodate street cars and modern traffic. At that time, many of the older historic buildings were demolished in the process of this modernization.

Since the late twentieth century, San Antonio has had steady population growth. The city’s population has nearly doubled in 35 years, from just over 650,000 in the 1970 census to an estimated 1.2 million in 2005, through both population growth and land annexation (the latter has considerably enlarged the physical area of the city). In 1990, the United States Census Bureau reported San Antonio’s population as 55.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Black or African American, and 36.2% non-Hispanic white.

The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and The Alamo became UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015 and the city was designated a UNESCO “City of Creativity for Gastronomy” in 2017, one of only 26 gastronomy creative cities in the world.

With the increase in professional jobs, San Antonio has become a destination for many college-educated persons, most recently including African Americans in a reverse Great Migration from northern and western areas.

Geography

San Antonio is approximately 75 miles (121 km) to the southwest of its neighboring city, Austin, the state capital, about 190 miles (310 km) west of Houston, and about 250 miles (400 km) south of the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The city has a total area of 465.4 square miles (1,205.4 km2); 460.93 square miles (1,193.8 km2) of San Antonio’s total area is land and 4.5 square miles (11.7 km2) of it is water. The city’s gently rolling terrain is dotted with oak trees, forested land, mesquite, and cacti. The Texas Hill Country reaches into the far northern portions of the city. San Antonio sits on the Balcones Escarpment. Its altitude is approximately 662 feet (202 m) above sea level.

The city’s primary source of drinking water is the Edwards Aquifer. Impounded in 1962 and 1969, respectively, Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake were among the first reservoirs in the United States built to use recycled treated wastewater for power plant cooling, reducing the amount of groundwater needed for electrical generation.

Neighborhoods

Downtown

Downtown San Antonio, the city and metro area’s urban core, encompasses many of the city’s famous structures, attractions, and businesses. The central business district is generally understood to cover the northern half of the “Downtown Loop”—the area bordered by Cesar Chavez to the south. Due to the size of the city and its horizontal development, downtown accounts for less than one half of one percent of San Antonio’s geographic area.

North Central

North Central is home to several enclaves and upscale neighborhoods including Castle Hills, Hollywood Park, Elm Creek, Inwood, Stone Oak, and Rogers Ranch. The area is also the location of upper-middle-class neighborhoods (Deerfield, Churchill Estates, Hunter’s Creek, Oak Meadow, and Summerfield).

Northwest Side

Northwest Side is the location of the main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and the Northwest Campus of the University of the Incarnate Word, which includes the Rosenberg School of Optometry. The Medical Center District is also located in Northwest Side. Companies with headquarters in the area include Valero and NuStar Energy.

South Side

The South Side area of San Antonio is characterized for its predominantly Latino and Hispanic neighborhoods, an average above 81 percent. Large growth came to South Side when Toyota constructed a manufacturing plant. Palo Alto College and the Texas A&M University-San Antonio are located in the area.

East Side

The East Side of San Antonio is home to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the AT&T Center, and the Freeman Coliseum. This area has the largest concentration of Black and African American residents.

West Side

The West Side is predominantly Hispanic/Latin American and working class, with pockets of wealth in the northwest and far west. The West Side has undergone gentrification as of 2019. It includes the diverse neighborhoods of Avenida Guadalupe, Collins Garden, Las Palmas, Prospect Hill, San Juan Gardens, Loma Park, Loma Vista, Memorial Heights, and Westwood. It is also home to the historic Our Lady of the Lake University and St. Mary’s University.

 Vegetation

San Antonio has a transitional humid subtropical climate that borders a semi-arid climate towards the west of the city featuring very hot, long, and humid summers and mild to cool winters. The area is subject to descending northern cold fronts in the winter with cool to cold nights, typically seeing night lows at or near freezing and is warm and rainy in the spring and fall. San Antonio falls in USDA hardiness zones 8b (15 °F to 20 °F) and 9a (20 °F to 25 °F.

San Antonio receives about a dozen subfreezing nights each year, typically seeing snow, sleet, or freezing rain about once every two or three winters, but accumulation and snow itself are very rare. Winters may pass without any frozen precipitation at all, and up to a decade has passed between snowfalls. According to the National Weather Service, there have been 32 instances of snowfall (a trace or more) in the city in the past 122 years, about once every four years. Prior to 2021 snow was most recently seen on December 7, 2017, when 1.9 inches (5 cm) of snow coated the city.[On January 13, 1985, San Antonio received a record snowfall of 16 inches (41 cm). During the February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm, San Antonio was blanketed with 4 to 6 inches of snow. The cold air which accompanied this storm caused massive rolling blackouts throughout the city until the 18th. The February 15–20, 2021 North American winter storm dropped another 1–2″ on the city on the 16th.

San Antonio and New Braunfels, 40 miles (64 km) to the northeast, are some of the most flood-prone regions in North America. The October 1998 Central Texas floods were among the costliest floods in United States history, resulting in $750 million in damage and 32 deaths. In 2002, from June 30 to July 7, 35 in (890 mm) of rain fell in the San Antonio area, resulting in widespread flooding and 12 fatalities.

Tornadoes within the city limits have been reported as recently as February 2017, although they seldom occur.  An F2 tornado lands within 50 mi (80 km) of the city on average once every five years. San Antonio has experienced two F4 tornadoes, one in 1953 and another in 1973. The 1953 tornado resulted in two deaths and 15 injuries.

In San Antonio, July and August tie for the average warmest months, with an average high of 95 °F (35 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded was 111 °F (44 °C) on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0 °F (−18 °C) on January 31, 1949. May, June, and October have quite a bit of precipitation. Since recording began in 1871, the average annual precipitation has been 29.03 inches (737 mm), with a maximum of 52.28 inches (1,328 mm) and a minimum of 10.11 inches (256.8 mm) in one year.

Demographics

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 census determined San Antonio had a population of 1,434,625 residents in 2020. In 2019, the American Community Survey estimated San Antonio had a racial makeup of 88.4% White, 6.6% Black and African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.2% some other race and 1.7% two or more races. Ethnically, 64.5% were Hispanic or Latin American of any race. In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 23.4% non-Hispanic white, 63.9% Hispanic or Latin American of any race, 6.5% Black and African American, 3.2% Asian, and 2.3% multiracial or some other race.

According to the 2010 U.S. census, 1,327,407 people resided in San Antonio city proper, an increase of 16.0% since 2000. The racial composition of the city based on the 2010 U.S. census is as follows: 72.6% White (non-Hispanic whites: 26.6%), 6.9% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 3.4% two or more races, and 13.7% other races. In addition, 63.2% of the city’s population was of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the city proper had a population of 1,144,646, ranking it the ninth-most populated city in the country. However, due to San Antonio’s low density and relatively small suburban population, the metropolitan area ranked just 30th in the United States, with a population of 1,592,383 in 2000. San Antonio has a large Hispanic population with a significant African American population.

The 2011 U.S. census estimate for the eight-county San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area placed its population at 2,194,927. The 2017 estimate for Greater San Antonio was 2,473,974, making it the third-most populous metro area in Texas (after the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and Greater Houston) and the 24th-most populous metro area in the U.S.

About 405,474 households and 280,993 families resided in San Antonio. The population density as of 2010 was 2,808.5 people per square mile (1,084.4 people/km2). There were 433,122 housing units at an average density of 1,062.7 per square mile (410.3/km2). The age of the city’s population was distributed as 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the populations were males, and 52% of the populations were females. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

At the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 512,273 households and 319,673 families. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.83. Of the local population, 201,960 were married-couple households and 172,741 were female households with no spouse or partner present. An estimated 85,462 households were single-person. Roughly 218,249 residents in San Antonio were foreign-born residents. For every 100 females, San Antonio had 97.1 males.

At the 2010 U.S. census, San Antonio’s median income for a household was $36,214, and the median income for a family was $53,100. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. About 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. In 2019, households had a median income of $53,571 and a mean income of $72,587. An estimated 16.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line. The city of San Antonio and its metropolis was rated the poorest in 2019.

A Gallup study in 2015 determined 4% of the city and Greater San Antonio identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. In 2016, San Antonio scored 90 out of 100 in its treatment of the LGBT community.

 Religion

San Fernando Cathedral is the see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.

The population of Greater San Antonio is predominantly Christian. Owing in part to San Antonio’s Spanish and Mexican heritage, Roman Catholicism is the largest religious group in the region. In addition, American missionary work and immigration into Texas have also resulted in a substantial Protestant population.

The Catholic population forms the largest Christian group in the city and Greater San Antonio. San Antonian Catholics are primarily served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio. The Latin Church’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio was established on August 27, 1784, under the then Diocese of Galveston. It was elevated to archdiocese status in 1926.

According to Sperling’s BestPlaces in 2020, the second largest Christian group were Baptists. The largest Baptist Christian denominations within San Antonio and its metro area were the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Methodists formed the second largest Protestant group and the third largest Christian group for the area. The United Methodist Church was the most prominent Methodist denomination. From 2017 to 2020, Pentecostalism outgrew Lutheranism and tied with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as the fourth largest Christian group. A major predominantly African American-led church is Denver Heights, affiliated with the Church of God in Christ.

After Lutherans, Presbyterians were the next largest Christian denomination, followed by Episcopalian or Anglicans, and Christians of other traditions including the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodoxy. The Eastern Orthodox communities are divided between the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, the Orthodox Church in America, and the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia. Episcopalians and Anglicans primarily are served by the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church in North America. Churches affiliated with the Episcopal Church form the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. Overall, the Protestant demographic was predominantly Evangelical as of 2020.

Islam is the second largest religion in the Greater San Antonio area. Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism also have a significant presence in San Antonio. An estimated 0.3% of the area’s population identified with Judaism according to Sperling’s BestPlaces and at least 10,000 Jews live in the city. The San Antonio Jewish community began not long after the independence of the Republic of Texas. The oldest synagogue in South Texas (Temple Beth-El) is located in the city limits and located near San Antonio College.

 Crime

San Antonio police officers

Crime in San Antonio began to rise in the early 1980s. In 1983 San Antonio had the tenth highest homicide rate in Texas with 18.5 homicides per 100,000 residents. The number of juveniles arrested in San Antonio for violent crimes tripled between 1987 and 1994, according to the Texas Law Enforcement Management and Administration Statistics Program. The number of youths arrested for unlawfully carrying firearms doubled over the same period.

In 1993, San Antonio earned the nickname the “Drive-By City” after the San Antonio Police Department recorded over 1,200 drive-by shootings, or an average of about 3.5 per day, which overshadowed the number in other Texas cities. A majority of the violence occurred on the east and west sides of the city, especially in areas with high poverty rates. Gang violence led to the deaths of their members and sometimes innocent bystanders, and housing projects such as the Alazán-Apache Courts served as hubs for various groups, which sometimes included rival gangs. By the end of 1993 the city hit a peak in homicides with 230 killings, the highest since 1991 when 211 were killed.

In 2016, the number of murders hit 151, the highest toll in 20 years. A majority of the San Antonio homicide victims were Hispanic and African American men between ages 18 and 29. According to a study, 40% of the killings were either drug-related or domestic incidents. In 2020, San Antonio ranked the fourth U.S. city with the biggest increase in homicides. From January–June 2020, there were 71 homicides according to the San Antonio Police Department. In 2019, there were 53 reported homicides in contrast. A total of 105 homicides occurred in 2019 in the city. According to The Wall Street Journal, homicide rates were relatively low compared to previous decades.

 Economy

San Antonio has a diversified economy with a gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $121 billion in 2018. San Antonio’s economy focuses primarily on military, health care, government–civil service, professional and business services, oil and gas, and tourism. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the city has become a significant location for American-based call centers and has added a sizable manufacturing sector centered around automobiles. The city also has a growing technology sector. Located about 10 miles northwest of Downtown is the South Texas Medical Center, a conglomerate of various hospitals, clinics, and research (see Southwest Research Institute and Texas Biomedical Research Institute) and higher educational institutions.

Over twenty million tourists visit the city and its attractions every year, contributing substantially to its economy, primarily due to The Alamo and the River Walk. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center alone hosts over 300 events annually with more than 750,000 convention delegates from around the world. Tourism provided over 130,000 jobs, and it had an economic impact of $13.6 billion in the local economy according to information gathered in 2017. The city of San Antonio received $195 million in the same year from the hospitality industry, with revenues from hotel occupancy tax, sales taxes and others.

Headquarters of Valero Energy Corporation

San Antonio is the headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies: Valero Energy, USAA, iHeartMedia, and NuStar Energy. H-E-B, the 13th-largest private company in the U.S. is also headquartered in San Antonio.

Other companies headquartered in the city include Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises, Carenet Health, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Visionworks of America, Frost Bank, Harte-Hanks, Kinetic Concepts, SWBC, NewTek, Rackspace, Pabst Brewing Company, Taco Cabana, Broadway Bank, Zachry Holdings/Zachry Construction Company, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, SAS, Globalscape, and Whataburger. The North American Development Bank, a development finance institution jointly held by the governments of the U.S. and Mexico, is headquartered in San Antonio as well. Other notable companies that maintain sizable presences in the city include Hulu, OCI, Capital Group, CGI, Kaco New Energy, Marathon Petroleum, Silver Spring Networks, Toyota, Argo Group, EOG Resources, Microsoft, Cogeco Peer1, Wells Fargo, Citi Bank, and Boeing. In December 2020, Amazon announced plans to for three new facilities in San Antonio.

San Antonio has lost several major company headquarters, the largest being the 2008 move of AT&T Inc. to Dallas “to better serve customers and expand business in the future.” In 2019, Andeavor (Formerly Tesoro) was acquired by Marathon Petroleum; this merger eliminated the company and the headquarters was moved to Findlay, Ohio. In 1997, Titan Holdings and USLD Communications had sold their operations to larger companies. After a Los Angeles buyout specialist purchased Builders Square, the company’s operations were moved out of San Antonio.

The city is home to one of the largest concentrations of military bases in the U.S., and has been nicknamed “Military City, USA”. The city is home to several active military installations: Lackland Air Force Base, Brooke Army Medical Center, Randolph Air Force Base, and Fort Sam Houston.

The Formosan Termite (Formosan subterranean termite, FST, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) causes economic devastation here due to the structural damage it causes. It is an invasive pest originally from the Far East. First found in the state in 1957, it has spread extensively including into the greater SA area.

Pecan orchards are common here.

FST is also a major agricultural pest here. For decades it has especially been a problem for pecan growers in the area.

 Government

San Antonio City Hall

The city of San Antonio is operated under the council-manager system of government. The city is divided into 10 council districts designed to be of equal population. Each district elects one person to the city council, with the mayor elected on a citywide basis. All members of the San Antonio City Council, including the mayor, are elected to two-year terms and are limited to four terms (except for those who were in office in November 2008 and are limited to a total of two terms). Houston and Laredo have similar term limits to San Antonio. All positions are elected on nonpartisan ballots, as required by Texas law. Council members are paid $45,722 and the mayor earns $61,725 a year. The current mayor is Ron Nirenberg, who was elected in 2017 with 54.59% of the vote Nirenberg was narrowly reelected in 2019 against conservative challenger Greg Brockhouse.

The council hires a city manager to handle day-to-day operations. The council effectively functions as the city’s legislative body with the city manager acting as its chief executive, responsible for the management of day-to-day operations and execution of council legislation. The current city manager is Erik Walsh.

The city operates its own electric and gas utility, CPS Energy. The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) is the city’s municipal body of law enforcement. The San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) provides the city with fire protection and EMS service.

 Growth policy

Unlike most large cities in the U.S., San Antonio is not completely surrounded by independent suburban cities, and under Texas state law it exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over much of the surrounding unincorporated land, including planning major thoroughfares and enforcing rules for platting and subdivision. It pursues an aggressive annexation policy and opposes the creation of other municipalities within its ETJ. Nearly three-fourths of its land area has been annexed since 1960.

In the 2000s the city annexed several long narrow corridors along major thoroughfares in outlying areas to facilitate eventual annexation of growth developing along the routes. The city planned to annex nearly 40 additional square miles by 2009.

In May 2010, the City of San Antonio agreed to release thousands of acres of land in its extraterritorial jurisdiction along Interstate 10 to Schertz. The agreement releases a total of 3,486 acres (14.11 km2) of San Antonio’s ETJ lands north of I-10 to Schertz. The ETJ lands are in an area bordered by FM 1518 to the west, Lower Seguin Road to the north, Cibolo Creek to the east and I-10 to the south.

Involuntary annexation is a controversial issue in those parts of unincorporated Bexar County affected by it. Residents attracted to the outlying areas by lower taxes and affordable real estate values often see annexation as a mechanism to increase property tax rates (which are primarily driven by school district taxes, not city taxes) without a corresponding improvement in services such as police and fire protection, while the city regards its annexation policy as essential to its overall prosperity.

Since the city has annexed areas over time, San Antonio surrounds several independent enclave cities, including Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights, Castle Hills, Hill Country Village, Hollywood Park, Kirby, Leon Valley, Olmos Park, Shavano Park, and Terrell Hills.

 REAL CHARM. TRUE HEART & SOUL.

For an authentic Texas experience, stroll, shop, and eat along the San Antonio River Walk twisting walk. Discover new sights, genuine shops, and outstanding restaurants while visiting vintage and historical sites and learning about their histories. Finding the top things to do in San Antonio is simple with the help of our Official Visitor’s Guide Official Visitor’s Guide.

River Walk

Shopping, eating, and having fun. On a 15-mile urban waterway that is well-known around the world. The Paseo del Rio, often known as the River Walk, is a San Antonio treasure and the most prominent urban habitat in the country. It offers a calm and peaceful way to travel across the city because it is tucked below street level and just a few steps from the Alamo. Embark on a river barge for a trip and guided tour or explore on foot along the river’s walking trail. Explore the Alamo, the King William Historic District, and other adjacent sites in the center of downtown. Or visit the Museum Reach at the historic Pearl to shop for regional specialties or eat and drink al fresco at The Food Hall at Bottling Department. Visit our San Antonio Missions National Historical Park along the Mission Reach, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to further your historical immersion. Along the river is a wealth of things to do, see, and discover.

 REAL HEROES. TRUE LEGACY.

The Alamo

The Alamo is a landmark building on Alamo Plaza in the heart of San Antonio. The Alamo is the sole UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas, along with San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, and was formerly known as Misión San Antonio de Valero. Visit the Alamo and get your hands on history. It offers interactive tours, exhibitions, and a Living History encampment where you can experience and learn more about frontier life in early Texas. The Alamo mission was established in 1718 and was a transit point between East Texas and Mexico. Approximately 200 Texan defenders held the Alamo against more than 2,500 of General Santa Anna’s Mexican troops in 1836, decades after the mission had been abandoned. About 200 Texans held the Alamo for 13 days in 1836 against 2,500 Mexican troops under General Santa Anna. William B. Travis, James Bowie, and David Crockett, the most well-known defenders, perished while battling for freedom against insurmountable odds. During the Texas Revolution, the phrase “Remember the Alamo!” was used as a rallying cry by Texans fighting for their independence.

Today tourists can explore the 4.2-acre complex and Alamo Gardens before returning to the River Walk for authentic Texas dining, shopping, and entertainment.

Check out the Alamo Plaza Live Cam for a real-time view of Alamo Plaza visit the official website

 FACTUAL HISTORY. ACTUAL HERITAGE.

UNESCO designated the Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park as World Heritage Sites.

In San Antonio, we honor our authentic legacy and respect the city’s original past. One of the many beautiful aspects of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is not only a place steeped in history but also a thriving and bustling town. Enjoy learning about the new while exploring the old. Besides the Alamo and Mission Espada’s off-site livestock operation in Floresville, Rancho de las Cabras, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was the first World Heritage Site in Texas by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (UNESCO). The four southernmost Spanish colonial missions of the city—Concepción, San José, San Juan, and Espada—are included in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which UNESCO designated as the first World Heritage Site in Texas. These five Catholic missions were built by Spanish priests along the San Antonio River in the 18th century to act as the hub of a multiethnic community. Today the missions, which are walled compounds with a church and residences for the priests and local Native Americans, represent most Spanish colonial missions in North America.

Make planes to visit
Explore the San Antonio Missions along the River Walk’s Mission Reach, an eight-mile stretch with recreational trails, pedestrian bridges, pavilions, and portals to four Spanish colonial missions—Concepción, San José, San Juan, and Espada. Download our Drive, Bike, Bus guide here. Or, visit the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitors Center at Mission San José to catch a rotating film, “Gente de Razon,” to brush up on the mission’s rich history. Even more, all four mission churches still boast active Catholic parishes that hold regular services. All churches are open to visitors during regular park hours.

Mission San José
“Queen of the Missions.” Established in 1720, San José y San Miguel de Aguayo is the largest mission in San Antonio. Spanish designers built the mission using Texas limestone and brightly colored stucco. At its height, it provided sanctuary and a social and cultural community for more than 300 Indians. In 2011, it underwent a $2.2 million renovation to refinish interior domes, walls, and the altar backdrop. When visiting the church, be sure to look for flying buttresses, carvings, quatrefoil patterns, polychromatic plaster, and the famed “Rose Window,” a superb example of Spanish Colonial ornamentation.

Mission Concepción
Dedicated in 1755, the church at Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña remains true to its original design, look and feel. In fact, the church stands as the oldest unrestored stone church in the United States. Exterior paintings have faded, but if you peek inside, you can still see original frescos in some of the church rooms.

Mission San Juan Capistrano
Established in 1731, Mission San Juan’s fertile farmlands used to allow for a self-sustainable community, and its surplus helped supply the region with produce. Today, the chapel and bell tower are still in use. When visiting, don’t miss the typical Romanesque archway at the entrance gate. For outdoor fun, take a self-guided tour on the nature trail that begins at this mission and leads to the river.

Mission Espada
The southernmost mission in San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Mission Espada was established in 1731 and boasts the best-preserved segment of the area’s original irrigation system that was used to bring water to the fields. In 1826, a fire destroyed most of the mission buildings at Espada, with only the chapel, granary, and two of the compound walls remaining. Today, part of the original irrigation system still operates the Espada aqueduct and dam. Guided tours of the property are available every first Saturday of the month. Self-guided walking tours are available during park hours. Be sure to explore the installation near Espada, the massive Arbol de Vida, or Tree of Life that displays the personal stories and tales of San Antonio locals. And, visitors should note the unusual door and stone archway – they make for great photos!

Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo)
The Alamo, founded in 1718, was the first mission in San Antonio, serving as a way station between east Texas and Mexico. In 1836, decades after the mission had closed, the Alamo became an inspiration and a motivation for liberty during the Texas Revolution. Today, located on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, the Alamo houses exhibits on the Texas Revolution and Texas History. Visitors are invited to experience interactive history lessons, guided tours, and stroll through the beautiful Alamo Gardens. Just a short distance from the River Walk, the Alamo is a “must-see” for all who visit the Alamo City.

REAL BREATHTAKING SIGHTS. TRUE IMMEASURABLE BEAUTY.

Just a quick drive from the bustling heart of the city, the wide open spaces of the Texas Hill Country are calling for you. Explore the area’s rolling hills, big Texas skies, and endless opportunities to experience wonder. Tour the area’s restaurants, shops, and art galleries and create unexpected memories that will last a lifetime. Fill your heart. Feed your soul. And experience Texas-sized beauty in the Hill Country.

San Antonio

Discover Real & True San Antonio. Boasting a unique mix of classic and new attractions, the Alamo City offers visitors adventures in historic missions and landmarks, world-class theme parks, arts and culture venues, local shopping destinations, and culinary excellence.

San Marcos

Shop around. Explore the great outdoors. Then, spend some time by water. San Marcos has everything you need for a quick and fun-filled escape from the city. Located just 50 miles north of downtown San Antonio and 30 miles south of Austin, San Marcos is in the middle of all the action. But, don’t worry. The city is filled with beautiful green space to wind down, relax and enjoy before your next planned adventure.

Fredericksburg

Food. Wine. Stargazing. And, fun. Find it all in Fredericksburg. This quintessential German town sits just over an hour northwest of both San Antonio and San Marcos. Famous for its food, 60+ wineries, Dark Sky Parks, and annual Oktoberfest celebration, Fredericksburg is ideal for a three-night stay as part of your San Antonio and Texas Hill Country adventure.

 REAL WORLD-CLASS OFFERINGS. TRUE EXQUISITE TASTE.

Wine and culinary enthusiasts are discovering the 9-million acre Texas Hill Country wine region, the largest viticultural area in Texas and the second-largest in the U.S. The region begins just north of San Antonio, where wineries are tucked amid the historic towns, rustic farms and rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country.

The main grape varieties grown in the Texas Hill Country are Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.

More than 30 wineries participate in Texas Wine Trail events, hosting tastings and receptions at their wineries. The wineries span an area from 30 to 140 miles north of San Antonio, making for easy day trips from the Alamo City. Four times a year, you can purchase tickets to take a self-guided driving tour to visit the 30 wineries and winemakers, where you’ll find samples of new releases, ideas for pairing food with wine, tours of the vineyards, live music and more.

Wine Lover’s Trail: February
Wine & Wildflower Trail: April
Texas Wine Month Trail: October
Christmas Wine Affair: December

You can visit most of the wineries any time of year. Events on their calendars include wine dinners, celebrations for new releases, musical performances, grape stomps and cook-offs.

 REAL CULTURAL ROOTS.
TRUE UNIQUE CELEBRATIONS.

Shopping in the small but thriving Hill Country towns brings a sense of discovery—you never know what treasures you’ll find among its boutiques, antiques shops and galleries. Jewelry, quilts, ceramics, paintings and even handmade furniture by local artists can be especially tempting, along with homemade jams, jellies, bread and other edibles. Keep an eye out for home-grown lavender from Blanco, Stonewall peaches in June, locally-made goat cheese, and mohair sweaters and shawls from the region’s angora goats.

Many towns also have monthly markets where you can buy everything from earrings to stained glass: Gruene Market Days (Gruene is at the edge of New Braunfels), Trade Days near Fredericksburg, Boerne Market Days and Wimberley Market Days. Wildseed Farms is a haven for gardening accessories, seeds and local specialty foods.

Listening and dancing to live music is part of the Hill Country tradition. Stop by Luckenbach on the weekend, buy a brew in the Luckenbach General Store, and find a spot under the spreading oak trees for listening to whoever drops in to sing and play their guitar. The Boerne Village Band, founded by German settlers in the 1860s, plays traditional oompah music and may be the oldest continuous band in Texas. Well-known Texas musicians play at wood-floored Gruene Hall, said to be the oldest, still-operating dance hall in Texas. And on weekend evenings at the Hilltop Café near Fredericksburg, lucky folks catch Johnny Nicholas on guitar or Floyd Domino banging out hot boogies on the piano. Both are original members of the Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel.

Festivals celebrate Hill Country traditions throughout the year; many offer food and music, beer and wine, arts and crafts and activities for the family. Here’s a small sampling of Hill Country events:

January: Black-eyed Pea and Cornbread Cook-off in Fredericksburg
February: Fest Nacht in Fredericksburg
March: Texas Star Trail Ride
April: Frühlingsfest Spring Celebration in Comfort
May: Kerrville Folk Festival, Fredericksburg Crawfish Festival, Texas State Arts and Crafts Festival in Kerrville

July: Night in Old Fredericksburg
September: Kerrville Wine & Music Festival
October: Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival, Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg
November: Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Christmas in Comfort
December: St. Nikolausmarkt in Fredericksburg

 REAL SCENIC SURROUNDINGS. TRUE EXHILARATING EXPERIENCES.

One of the prettiest places nearby is the 8,622-acre Government Canyon State Natural Area, where 40 miles of hiking and biking trails lead to rugged canyons, scenic overlooks, spring-fed creeks and rolling prairies. Guided hikes focusing on birdwatching, wildflowers, cultural history, family fun and other themes are available by reservation on weekends.

Other Hill Country favorites for hiking include Lost Maples State Natural Area (especially in autumn), Pedernales Falls State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. North of Fredericksburg, Enchanted Rock—a massive pink granite dome—is also popular with rock climbers. The easy hike to the dome’s top provides a panoramic view of the surrounding Hill Country.

Tubing may be Texans’ favorite summer sport on this region’s clear rivers. It’s easy to rent inner tubes, as well as canoes and river rafts, for floating down the Guadalupe, San Marcos, Comal and Frio rivers, and most vendors have shuttles to pick you up at the end of your float. It’s not unusual to see a whole flotilla of friends drifting along, complete with a round ice chest in the middle of a special tube. You’ll also find picture-perfect places for swimming, such as Blanco State Park, Guadalupe River State Park and Blue Hole Regional Park. For dedicated anglers, the Guadalupe River is the place for fly-fishing.

Just a little north of San Antonio, Canyon Lake offers a recreational playground. Nestled among steep and wooded hills, this 8,230-acre lake is one of the deepest and most scenic lakes in Texas and features eight public parks with camping, fishing, swimming, scuba diving, picnicking, wildlife viewing, boating and other water sports.

Combine the Hill Country’s limestone foundation with rainwater percolating down through it over eons, and the result is breathtaking underground wonders. Caves abound here, and among the most beautiful are Natural Bridge Caverns near New Braunfels and Cave Without a Name outside of Boerne.

 REAL EXPERIENCES. TRUE ADVENTURES.

With over 300 years of history, we welcome you to explore the millions of reasons why we are so proud of our city. From the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas to one of only two Creative Cities of Gastronomy in the entire United States, there is so much to appreciate in San Antonio. We are a confluence of cultures filled with stories waiting to be told. We invite you to take in our authentic historic locations, savor our unique culinary fusions, experience thrills at our fantastic attractions, and everything in-between. Welcome to Real Experiences and True Adventures in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO STOCK SHOW & RODEO
FEBRUARY 8-25, 2024

San Antonio knows how to rodeo. Every February, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo gives visitors an opportunity to experience a world-class rodeo, concert entertainment and livestock exposition each February.

In December 2017, our rodeo was voted the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year for the 13th consecutive year, an unprecedented achievement. Find live music from some of the top performers across many genres of music, competitive events, traditional rodeo experiences, and so much more at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo!

BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM

Located along the San Antonio River Walk in the former San Antonio Public Library building with nine galleries on three levels, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is home to Pancho Villa’s saddle, an authentic chuck wagon and endless art, history, and culture of the American West. Founded in 2013, the Briscoe Western Art Museum strives to preserve the history and culture of the true American West with engaging exhibits, educational programs and incredible special events highlighting our region’s rich heritage and traditions of the West.

Insider Tip: Head over to the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Event Calendar. Regardless of when you visit San Antonio, there is sure to be a special event for you to catch!

BUCKHORN SALOON MUSEUM AND TEXAS RANGER MUSEUM

At the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum and Texas Ranger Museum, hundreds of Texas Ranger artifacts await to be discovered along with unique Alamo displays, a historic saloon, café, and more. Be sure to check out the one-of-a-kind animal exhibits. And if you’re looking for Texan souvenirs, the onsite gift shop is the place to be!

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURE

The UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures highlights the cultures and stories of the people who call Texas home. Check out periodic exhibits and events that bring cowboy culture to life with hands-on, interactive exhibits.

THE WITTE MUSEUM

Take your learnings even further at The Witte Museum‘s South Texas Heritage Center, home to the Witte Museum’s incredible collection of South Texas historical artifacts

 REAL STORIES. TRUE CULTURE.

German Heritage

San Antonio’s culture is diverse. And yes, we have German heritage, too. In the 1840’s, a group of German noblemen formed a group called the Adelsverein to protect German immigrants coming to Texas and to secure land for them in the Texas Hill Country. Today, that land includes visitor favorites like the towns of Fredericksburg, Comfort, Boerne and New Braunfels. German immigrants also moved to San Antonio. One such immigrant was Carl Hilmar Guenther, founder of Pioneer Flour Mills. In 1860, he built an elegant home nestled between his mill and the San Antonio River, now known as the Guenther House — a favorite for brunch along the RIver Walk.

Also, in the late 1800’s, the King William neighborhood was settled by other prominent German merchants. Today, it is the state’s first zoned historic district and one of the most stylish residential areas in the city.

Our city’s rich heritage is evident in our celebratory culture. We are incredibly proud of where we came from. We are confident in who we are. And, we celebrate our ability to adapt and change with the times. We are San Antonio. And we are rich in Hispanic culture.

From our events to our cuisine, boutiques, art, architecture, and more, the influence of our Hispanic heritage touches every part of the Alamo city. Over 300 years ago, Spain staked its claim in the New World and sent missionaries to colonize the native peoples. Then, it was a Coahuiltecan Indian village. Today, it is San Antonio. The early Spanish settlements in Texas, including San Antonio, were a series of missions and military outposts (presidios). They founded Mission San Antonio de Valero (Alamo) and a presidio to protect it at the headwaters of the San Antonio River in 1718, followed by four other missions. In 1731, the town of San Fernando de Bexar was founded when Spain sent settlers from the Canary Islands to establish a civilian presence. By 1780, San Antonio was the capital of the Spanish province of Texas and had a population of about 2,000, a mixture of Spanish Mexicans, Native Americans from the missions, African Americans and Canary Islanders. In 1821, Mexico, including San Antonio, achieved independence from Spain. And in 1836, Texas fought for and won independence from Mexico.

Today, people of Mexican origin make up 91.3 percent of San Antonio’s Hispanic Tejano population, which totals more than 54 percent of the total metro area population.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month shines the spotlight on the culture, achievements, contributions and more of the Hispanic community. In true San Antonio fashion, we celebrate this as well. Check out the link below for upcoming Hispanic Heritage events celebrated right here in the Alamo City.

At its core, our city is dynamic. Our roots run deep, our heritage is rich and our confluence of cultures is celebrated. Our population and cultural influences are diverse – Mexican, Tejano, German, Irish, Czechoslovakian and more – and our appreciation of that diversity makes our city shine. We !Viva! for Fiesta, we wear silver and black for our Spurs, and we beam with pride in our distinction of Military City USA®. Really, we can turn any occasion into a celebration. And, we are incredibly proud of that, too. Come explore what is old and discover what is new in our diverse communities, offerings and celebrations – book your next trip today and see what we mean.

 REAL ENHANCEMENTS. TRUE INNOVATION.

San Antonio is bursting with fresh new attractions for visitors of all ages, a dynamic art scene and one-of-a-kind chef-driven culinary experiences coupled with history and heritage around every corner. Come and experience the new energy and excitement that awaits you in San Antonio.

Family Racing Coaster Arrives at Six Flags This Summer

Are you ready for the all-new KID FLASH™ Cosmic Coaster, Texas’ only racing roller coaster? Opening this summer at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, it will run two trains, on two parallel dueling tracks, simultaneously allowing guests to compete and race to the finish.

KID FLASH™ Cosmic Coaster joins the world-record-setting Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger – the world’s steepest dive coaster, which opened in 2022!

Bring your game face and get ready for thrilling rides at Six Flags Fiesta Texas!

Catapult Falls Coming to SeaWorld San Antonio Summer 2023

This year, SeaWorld & Aquatica San Antonio welcome Catapult Falls, the first launched flume coaster in the world complete with  world’s steepest drop in a flume ride! Feel the thrill as you are launched at speeds of 30 feet per second as you make your way high above the park before free falling into the steepest drop!

Mission Adventure Tours Adds History Through Art Walking Tour

Adding yet another incredible walking tour option to their already impressive line-up, Mission Adventure Tours now offers a “History Through Art” walking tour that offers locals and visitors alike the opportunity to see and learn more about some of San Antonio’s greatest public art installations and historic sites, including San Pedro Culture Creek.

The Espee Outdoor Performance Venue Now Open at St. Paul Square

Looking for a new place to hear your favorite band under Texas stars at night? Head over to the new outdoor performance venue, the Espee, in the historic Sunset Station – the former train station at St. Paul Square which served as a central connection to multiple states such as California, Missouri or Louisiana!

San Antonio Zoo Opens Discovery PLAYce

Discovery PLAYce is a whimsical and immersive interpretation of some of South Texas’ favorite play spaces for 0-5 years olds, including Polywog’s Pond, Hawk’s Rock, Possums Passage, Beetle’s Courtyard, and more! Crawlers, wobblers, and walkers will explore spaces designed with love and intention that foster nature fluency, support risky play, test boundaries, and build confidence in interacting with elements of nature that all contribute to vital learning skills.

Entry to Discovery PLAYce is included with admission and free for San Antonio Zoo Members!

Rosario’s Mexican Restaurant Now Open in New Location

Rosario’s Comida Mex has opened its new location on St. Mary’s Street. Stop by to enjoy the new rooftop terrace and bar, and a much larger restaurant space. Rosario’s food style combines traditional south-of-the-border dishes with authentic house specialties, all prepared with a contemporary twist.

The Alamo Debuts New Archaeology and Historical Exhibitions and Alamo Collections Center

Visitors to the Alamo can now get an in-depth look into an excavation unit and the history of how the Long Barrack has been used since 1724. Open now, the Alamo Archaeology exhibit is the third exhibit added to The Alamo grounds in the last 11 months, joining the outdoor Palisade and 18-Pounder exhibits as major additions to the visitor experience. These exhibits are free and do not require a timed-entry ticket.

Additionally, the brand-new Alamo Collections Center now welcomes visitors to explore it’s new facilities which houses the Phil Collins collection among the pieces available to view.

Hemisfair Food & Drink Updates

Hemisfair is becoming quite the scene for incredible restaurant options. Check out what new restaurants are joining an already robust lineup of culinary options.

Künstler Tap and Braut-haus 
Künstler Brewing will soon have a second location at Hemisfair, in the historic 1883 Pereida House! This is the place to be for Künstler’s award-winning beers along with bratwurst and other German favorite dishes that include quick bites and to-go foods packaged for picnicking in the adjacent Yanaguana Garden.

Bombay Bicycle Club
Bombay Bicycle Club will also welcome second location later in the year with a menu that features globally inspired empanadas and  famous burgers. Known for its laid-back atmosphere, margaritas and classic American menu, the restaurant and bar will open in the historic Espinoza House at Hemisfair’s Yanaguana Garden.

The Jerk Shack 
Caribbean-inspired restaurant the Jerk Shack will open its third brick-and-mortar location in late 2023. Popular items from the original Jerk Shack, including Jamaican favorites braised oxtail and jerk chicken, will feature in the menu of the new spot. New to the mix will be an array of elevated, steakhouse-style items. The downtown location will also be the first Jerk Shack to include a full bar and cocktail program.

Kusch Faire
Coming in 2024, Kusch Faire, will bring bold Asian flavors to Hemisfair in the 19th century Kusch house.

New Concert Hall Coming to Historic Stables at Pearl

Pearl will transform a nearly 130-year-old building that once housed brewery draft horses into a new live music venue. Stable Hall will seat about 1,000 concertgoers. The facility will showcase national touring artists as well as regional talent from Texas, Mexico and the Americana Music Triangle – encompassing the area between Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans – with an emphasis on local talent. The venue will feature a draped jewel-box stage, with floor and curved balcony seating, wooden floors, hand-painted murals and a restored wood ceiling, as well as state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting. Bars and pre-function areas will surround the performance hall. Be sure to check this out coming Spring 2023.

Civic Park Coming to Hemisfair

Hemisfair is excited to open Phase I of Civic Park in the fall of 2023. Looking to be San Antonio’s take on Central Park, Phase I of Civic Park will include five acres of public parkland, shaded areas perfect for San Antonio’s brilliant, sunny weather, a five-pooled water feature, and a great lawn area accommodating of San Antonio’s larger events!

San Antonio Zoo Introduces Pantera Walk and NEOTROPICA

San Antonio Zoo is expanding the jaguar habitat with a connected overhead catwalk called Pantera Walk. The new habitat’s Pantera Walk will not only go over guests as they stroll by the current jaguar habitat, but it will lead the jaguars into the Amazonia habitat where they can walk along the riverbed before making their way into the secondary habitat. Once complete, San Antonio Zoo will be the only zoo in the United States to offer this unique catwalk for jaguars. Pantera Walk will reinforce two important natural behaviors – it lets jaguars hang high in a canopy type setting and it allows them to explore the river’s edge. The new jaguar habitat is part of a renovated area of the zoo also debuting in the fall, to be named NEOTROPICA. The new realm’s theme will focus on the Neotropical regions of the Americas and include enhancements that stretch from the current Outpost Amazonia through the new jaguar habitat and other regional habitats in that area. NEOTROPICA will create the feel of a remote fishing village with motifs characteristic of the Americas and nods to pre-Hispanic cultures.

Pearl Food & Drink Updates

Allora
A stylish, full-service coastal Italian restaurant designed to take diners on a journey through the romantic Amalfi Coast, this restaurant creates Italian reverie with colorfully transportive gathering spaces, one of the city’s largest alfresco dining loggias, and a modern Italian menu crafted by Chef Robbie Nowlin. The menu features small and large plates, including fresh seafood, housemade pasta, plus savory vegetables and meats. A full-service bar offers craft cocktails, spritzers, and Italian wines.

Arrosta
Arrosta is a fast-casual cafe, or tavola, bringing the flavors of Italian street markets to Pearl in San Antonio. The restaurant delivers a bohemian cafe experience, featuring elevated counter service and glass cases filled with baked goods and casual takeaway meals. Patrons can linger over work projects in cozy banquettes or retreat to the lush patio garden for relaxing breaks. Chef Christopher Carlson of Maverick Texas Brasserie delivers a menu of rotisserie meats sold by the pound in bowls, salads, and sandwiches, as well as salumi e formaggi, panini and fritti misto. An all-day bar transitions from coffee drinks in the morning to Italian wines and beers at night.

Three Star Bar
Just a short distance from Pearl is Three Star Bar, a craft cocktail and comfort food bar by cocktail enthusiast and Boulevardier Group Owner Jeret Peña, Chef Josh Calderon and General Manager Rob Gourlay. The bar is located just north of downtown San Antonio near the Pearl district and offers a full bar with handcrafted cocktails and selection of beer and wines. The food menu will offer appetizers such as whiskey and maple glazed meatballs, deviled eggs, burrata, and borracho bean hummus, while the main entrees include a variety of fresh sandwiches filled with cured meats, meatballs, fried mortadella and more, as well as a selection of homemade burgers.

Luxury Intercontinental Hotel Checking into River Walk Late 2023

Scarlett Hotel Group and Trailbreak Partners have purchased the former Wyndham San Antonio River Walk and plan a $50 million overhaul will turn the 21-story building into a luxury, full-service, four-star, 390-room InterContinental Hotel. As part of the multimillion-dollar upgrades, the new InterContinental will offer 40,000 square feet of meeting space and nearly 3,000 square feet of dining and restaurant space, as well as luxury rooftop amenities.

Black History River Cruises

The San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum, working with GO Rio River Cruises, has launched twice monthly African American history tours focused on San Antonio’s city center. The tours, on the second Sunday and fourth Saturday of each month, will be limited to 30 people per cruise in observance of social distancing. Private group tours also are available. Tickets are available online or at SAAACAM’s location at La Villita.

Morgan’s Wonderland Sports

Morgan’s Wonderland Sports is a 3-acre ultra-accessible™ sports complex, offering fitness and fun for athletes of all abilities. The new $3 million facility in north-central San Antonio provides a home for adaptive and Paralympic-style sports programs for wounded service members and veterans, alongside youth and adults with different abilities. Morgan’s Wonderland Sports is available for private events and features a covered pavilion, tennis courts, football and softball fields and LED field lights to assist guests with visual impairments.

Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park

The Land Bridge is the first in the world designed for the safe passage of both wildlife and people. At 150-feet long and 150-feet wide, it is the largest wildlife crossing constructed to date in the United States. Built across the busy lanes of Wurzbach Parkway, the Land Bridge unifies the previously divided 330-acre Hardberger Park located in north central San Antonio. Pedestrians and animals traversing the Land Bridge have the experience of climbing a peaceful hill, unaware of the roadway below. Amenities such as wildlife viewing blinds designed by local artists and a Skywalk that gently climbs through the treetops leading to the bridge offer park visitors unique new ways to connect with nature.

Ultra-Accessible™ Morgan’s Wonderland Camp

The team behind Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park, is building a 102-acre recreational oasis in northern San Antonio that will offer year-round summer-camp-type experiences to those with and without special needs. The $28 million project will feature an ultra-accessible, multi-platform zipline, a stable and horses, hiking trails, a nature farm, multiple pools, a splash pad, archery range, enclosed sports pavilion, arts and crafts center, a challenge course for all abilities, a 30,000-square-foot welcome center and a 5,500-square-foot health center for round-the-clock medical assistance. Twenty on-site cabins will be built to accommodate up to 525 campers and staff members.

San Pedro Creek Culture Park

San Pedro Creek improvements have begun to transform the area into a world-class park. Visitors can now see the beautifully landscaped and art-filled first half-mile of the project, featuring Tricentennial Plaza, multiple water features and Rain from the Heavens, an art installation that depicts the night sky in 1718. Each of the murals throughout the park is mixed with colorful tile designs and poetry that tell the story of the rich cultural history that defines San Antonio.

REAL GEMS. TRUE CULTURE.

Visit San Antonio as a local. Experience the city as if you know it better than anyone else. Be curious for adventure – we can show you where to explore. Be hungry for new experiences – we will show you the way to our favorite places to eat, drink and hang out on the weekends. Discover what is old and let us show you what is new with our list of Must-Sees and find some of the most Instagram-worthy locations below.

Solar Eclipses

Where else can you get a fantastic view of not just one, but TWO solar eclipses? Right here in the Alamo City. Learn more about these phenomenal upcoming events and start planning your trip now!

Public Art

In addition to San Antonio’s unique murals, our city’s public art scene is unmatched. Check out public art pieces including Sabor del Mercado (pictured to the left) by local artist David Blancas, the Door of Equality and Star of Texas, both pieces are by Mexican artist Sebastian, and “Bloom” by Leticia Huerta to name a few. Come see why San Antonio’s authentic art scene is revered by so many!

Japanese Tea Garden

This lush garden on the northeast side of the city includes a 60-foot waterfall, unique stone architecture and beautiful florals.

The San Antonio Missions and the Alamo

Most people know about the Alamo, and though it is one of the top Instagram’d spots in the city, we encourage you to step outside of the Downtown Reach to snag your photo at one of the four Spanish colonial missions – Mission San Jose, Mission Espada, Mission San Juan and Mission

The San Antonio River Walk

The 15-mile San Antonio River Walk gives tons of options for places to take ‘gram-worthy photos. Choose from the lush Museum Reach, bustling and colorful Downtown Reach, or the natural Mission Reach for completely different looks.

Pearl

Document your time in San Antonio with shots of this 19th century brewery turned multipurpose district.

Market Square

This traditional mercado harbors a multitude of colorful spots for your next viral image.

Hays St. Bridge

Overlooking the city, snap the perfect skyline shot at sunrise or sunset.

North Star Mall Boots

This San Antonio icon is the record-holder for the largest pair of cowboy boots. Your friends won’t believe it until they see it.

San Fernando Cathedral

Visit the Cathedral during the day for a sunny shot, or at night for a striking image of San Antonio The Saga, our light show that depicts the history of San Antonio and South Texas.

Major Projects Shaping the Future of San Antonio in 2023

With many major projects and developments on the horizon here in San Antonio and throughout Central Texas, it is hard not to be excited about the impact this will have on the local economy. From highway expansions and high rises to parks and theaters, let’s take a look at some of the projects that will soon be coming to life across different parts of San Antonio in 2023.

DOWNTOWN:

The San Pedro Creek Culture Park, which has been in the works since 2018, aims to be the collaboration of culture, art, and nature in the heart of our city. According to the website, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park is expected to spur a $1.5 billion economic impact by creating 2,100 new housing units, 1,428 new downtown employees, 7,300 new downtown residents, a 150 percent increase in new property value, and $227 million in ad valorem tax revenues upon completion. Situated along the San Pedro Creek will be part of the UTSA Downtown Campus expansion that will include the new School of Data Science, National Security Collaboration Center, and the expanded College of Business. This new expansion to the UTSA campus will be a powerful economic driver for downtown, bringing many new people, additional funding, and increased attention to this area. At an adjacent property to the north, Weston Urban plans to redevelop the Continental Hotel and construct a 15-story apartment tower in a partnership with Bexar County. Another Weston Urban apartment tower will also break ground this year just a few blocks further north. The $107 million 32-story high-rise was recently given final approval by the San Antonio Historic Design and Review Commission. Another large-scale development is expected to be coming soon to the same area, another few blocks to the north. A development known as Riverplace is expected to bring a 21-story Dream Hotel, a 20-story multifamily building, a 17-story condo building, and an office building of an undetermined height to a 3.2-acre piece of land at the 500 block of North Main Street with a cost of around $400 million.

Another one of the more notable projects with a high price tag coming to the central business district is the redevelopment of the Lone Star Brewery. According to the San Antonio Report, “Redevelopment plans call for at least 1 million square feet of housing, 186 hotel rooms, nearly 400,000 square feet of office and commercial space, and refurbished streets and new widened sidewalks along Lone Star Boulevard.” The project will be built in three phases over a 10-year period and will have a total cost of around $596 million, but is expected to create an assessed value of around $709 million. Other upcoming downtown projects include Broadway East, updates to Hemisfair Park, the new Federal Courthouse, redevelopment of the Scobey Complex, and the completion of the Jefferson Bank HQ.

San Antonio housing market: Everything you need to know

Each year, San Antonio attracts new residents and businesses looking for affordable housing, mild winters and no individual or corporate income tax. In fact, according to Census data, the Alamo City had the highest population growth in the U.S. (numerically) between 2020 and 2021.

With median home prices below the national and state averages, San Antonio is one of Bank rate’s best places to live in Texas. If you’re interested in buying or selling property in the city, here’s what to know about its real estate market.

San Antonio housing market overview

After years of consistent increases, housing prices in San Antonio hit their peak in June 2022, with the median sale price of a single-family home reaching $340,000, according to the San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR). Prices have fallen since then, but they’re still up year-over-year.

San Antonio housing trends and stats

As of January 2023, the median price of a single-family home in San Antonio is $308,249, according to SABOR. That’s an increase of 3 percent from the same time last year.

SABOR data also shows that the sale-to-list ratio for single-family homes in the city is 93.1 percent. This means that, on average, properties are selling for 93.7 percent of their asking price.

Single-family homes spent 66 days on the market in January, which is nearly double year-over-year.

There were 1,743 home sales in January, a 30 percent decrease year-over-year.

In Texas overall, the average closing costs on a home are $4,548.

Should you buy or sell in the San Antonio housing market?

Deciding when to buy or sell isn’t always easy. Here’s what you should know if you’re thinking about entering the housing market in San Antonio.

If you’re a home seller

If you’re looking to sell your home in the Alamo City, there are a few factors to consider. For starters, according to SABOR, there is an estimated 3.2 months’ worth of housing inventory — this indicates that the city currently has a seller’s market, with demand for homes outweighing available supply, meaning you’re in the driver’s seat.

Also, despite slumping in the second half of 2022, housing prices in the region have increased significantly over time. Specifically, the median sale price in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area has increased by around $100,000 in five years, according to data from Texas A&M’s Texas Real Estate Research Center. Depending on how long you’ve owned your property, you could stand to make a decent amount of profit on the sale.

However, high mortgage rates in Texas (and across the rest of the country) mean that fewer people are looking for a new home, and those who are likely can’t afford to spend as much. Keep this in mind when setting a listing price for your property.

If you’re a homebuyer

Similarly, there are some things to think about before buying a home here. Mortgage rates are still relatively high. If they decrease in 2023, as some predict, you could lock in a lower rate if you wait. But if you act now, you’ll probably score a good price on the home itself, and you can always refinance in the future.

Whenever you choose to buy, getting preapproved for a mortgage is one of the first steps you should take. This lets you know how much house you can afford (based on how much a lender is likely willing to loan you), and lets homeowners know that you’re a serious buyer. You should also make sure that you’ve read up on the cost of living in Texas, especially if you’re coming from a different city or state.

San Antonio housing market predictions

It’s been a hectic year in real estate, which has raised some alarms about whether or not a housing crash is coming. Fortunately, experts don’t anticipate a crash or the enormous decline in home values like we saw in the Great Recession. Instead, they predict a slowdown after the market’s recent hot streak.

Pecan Shellers’ Strike

strike, San Antonio, Texas, United States [1938]

Pecan Shellers’ Strike, a labor dispute that took place in San Antonio, Texas, from January to March 1938, during which tens of thousands of pecan shellers—most of whom were Latina women—left their jobs in protest of low pay and poor working conditions. Even though the strikers eventually obtained a modest pay raise, the majority of them later lost their employment when business owners automated the shelling process.

With hundreds of shelling facilities that handled roughly half of the pecan production in the United States, San Antonio was a leader in the pecan business in the 1930s. The facilities employed numerous members of the city’s sizable Mexican and Mexican American community to shell pecans by hand. The shellers made only a few dollars each week while working long hours without any breaks. They received minimal breaks, and restrooms were either nonexistent or insufficient. Additionally, the plants had poor ventilation, and the dust that was churned up from the shelling damaged the lungs of the workers. Because of this and their cramped working circumstances, the shellers were more likely to get asthma and tuberculosis, a deadly bacterial infection that was widespread at the time.

Pecan Shellers’ Strike

According on whether the shelled pecans were whole or in bits, several of the plants decreased the shellers’ pay in January 1938 from six or seven cents per pound to five or six cents per pound. As a result, on January 31, 12,000 employees went on strike. Emma Tenayuca, a Mexican American labor organizer, became their leader. Tenayuca, also known as La Pasionaria (“The Passionate One”) for her fiery speeches, assisted in founding the Texas employees Alliance a few years prior to fight for underpaid and unemployed employees in San Antonio. The Texas Workers Alliance was a branch of the Workers Alliance of America, which was communist and socialist in orientation. The International Pecan Shellers Union, which later joined and supported the strike, was another organization she was affiliated with.

In the neighborhood newspapers, the San Antonio city government—which supported the pecan companies—tried to minimize the strike. Tenayuca was taken into custody and blamed on communist agitators. Tenayuca’s vehement statements and that arrest made national headlines. As soon as local law officers showed up to the pecan companies where the workers were picketing, they dispersed the calm crowds with tear gas and billy clubs. Numerous strikers were detained by the police and held in overcrowded jails.

Companies and employees agreed to arbitrate in March 1938. The staff returned to work on March 8 while the matter was still being decided at the decreased rates. On April 13, the arbitration panel made its decision public. For a brief period, it authorized the businesses to pay the pecan shellers $5 per pound for pieces and $6 per pound for halves. However, their earnings would rise by 0.5 cents in May.

The Fair Labor Standards Act was signed into law by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 25, 1938, and it became effective on October 24. Its goal was to implement a federal wage and hour rule that would apply nationwide. All sectors of the pecan industry that participated in interstate commerce were subject to the law. The minimum hourly salary for employees was set at 25 cents by the statute, among other adjustments. The proprietors of the pecan company fired thousands of employees in retaliation. The union joined the employers to ask for an exemption for pecan shellers out of fear that the owners would start automating the shelling procedure. When the request was turned down, the businesses, as anticipated, moved to machines, which led to the loss of most of the pecan shellers’ jobs.

Chisholm Trail

Cattle trail, United States

Western United States’ Chisholm Trail, used by cattle drovers in the nineteenth century. Although its exact path is unknown, it began south of San Antonio, Texas, traveled through Oklahoma on its way north, and finished in Abilene, Kansas. The early history of it is not understood. It was most likely named for the trader from the 19th century Jesse Chisholm. Joseph G. McCoy founded a cattle-shipping facility on the Kansas Pacific Railroad in Abilene in 1867. Approximately 1,500,000 head of cattle were transported north along the path between 1867 and 1871 to Abilene, which served as the starting point for the shipment of the livestock to eastern markets. The significance of the trail decreased after 1871 as new railheads were built, but it rose once more in the 1880s with the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in Caldwell, Kansas. As the railways constructed branch lines in the late 19th century, the lengthy cattle journeys gradually decreased.

Battle of the Alamo

San Antonio, Texas, United States [1836]

Battle of the Alamo, which took place in San Antonio, Texas, from February 23 to March 6, 1836, as part of the Texas Revolution. The Texan volunteers were decisively defeated by Mexican forces in the end. During the Mexican-American War, it also served as a rallying cry for the people of Texas and a symbol of tenacious resistance.

A series of Texan successes in October 1835 ushered in the Texas Revolution, which by December had driven the Mexican federal soldiers south of the Rio Grande. However, this success didn’t last long. The rebels were defeated by a Mexican army led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna who marched further north, and the majority of the successful Texas volunteer rebel army returned home. Small garrisons were left in a number of places, including San Antonio de Béxar (San Antonio), where the Texans had taken control of the Alamo, a former Spanish mission. It was made up of three one-story adobe houses, and the open plaza sections were surrounded by wood palisades. The walls were lined with 19 cannon.

The co-commanders, William Travis and James Bowie, paid little attention to laying in food, supplies, or ammunition and disregarded warnings that Santa Anna was approaching. On February 23, Santa Anna and his advance detachment unexpectedly showed up. (Estimates of Santa Anna’s army’s final number range greatly, from approximately 1,800 soldiers to as many as 6,000.) He demanded complete surrender, and a cannon blast was fired in response. A 13-day siege started after he issued orders that no quarter would be offered out of rage. Up until the order to conserve powder was given, the Mexican forces steadily bombarded the Texan defenders from artillery positions opposite the south and east walls. Santa Anna’s men moved closer to the Alamo while taking care to avoid coming into contact with the Texans’ rifled muskets.

San Antonio Spurs

American basketball team

San Antonio Spurs is a San Antonio, Texas-based professional basketball franchise that was founded in 1967. During one of the most successful runs in NBA history, the Spurs won five National Basketball Association (NBA) titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014).

The group’s original name in the American Basketball Association (ABA) was the Dallas Chaparrals. The Chaparrals had a mediocre level of success, but in 1973 the team was sold to a group of businessmen from San Antonio; they moved the franchise and changed the name to the Spurs. The highlight of the early San Antonio squads was George (“the Iceman”) Gervin, a future Hall of Famer who joined the team in the middle of the 1973–74 campaign. As a high-scoring shooting guard, Gervin would help the Spurs become a perennial contender throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The Spurs joined the NBA in 1976 after the league decided to take on the four most prosperous ABA franchises as the younger league started to face financial difficulties. The squad immediately achieved winning records and competed with the NBA’s top teams, defying expectations of mediocrity. The Spurs consistently made the playoffs in their first seven NBA seasons, winning five division titles along the way, but they were unable to clear the championship bar.

Following the 1985 trade that saw Gervin leave the team, the Spurs went on a four-year stretch of losing campaigns. When David Robinson, a great center, was added in 1989, the slump was over. In each of Robinson’s first seven seasons in San Antonio, the Spurs made the postseason and saw a 35-win improvement in their record. However, Robinson was unable to push the team through the conference finals on his own. After a 20-62 season marred by injuries, the Spurs struck gold in 1997 when they won the NBA draft lottery and were able to choose forward Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in that year’s draft. Together, Duncan and Robinson helped the Spurs improve their record by 36 wins in the 1997–98 season. The pair, known as the “Twin Towers,” then led the team to the 1999 NBA title. Robinson’s final year with the squad, 2003, saw them win another championship, allowing him to cap an amazing career on top.

After Robinson’s retirement, the Spurs kept up their dominance by mixing seasoned players with bright young talent and Gregg Popovich’s defensive approach. During the Spurs’ championship efforts in 2005 and 2007, Duncan was joined by young players Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker (who also played complimentary roles in the team’s 2003 victory). The Spurs became the second top-seeded NBA team to be upset by an eighth-seeded (lowest-seeded) team in an opening seven-game playoff series when they were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010–11, tying an NBA record. However, they were met with disappointment in the postseason the following year. In each of the following two seasons, the Spurs reached 50 victories, breaking the previous NBA record. In the 2012–13 season, San Antonio defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in the conference semifinals to advance to the NBA Finals, where the Spurs fell to the Miami Heat in a nail-biting seven-game series. The club went on to win a league-high 62 games the following year and advance through the NBA playoffs to face the Heat again in the championship game. The Spurs won the five-game series and the fifth championship for the club by putting on one of the most effective and prolific scoring performances in finals history.

The Spurs remained one of the NBA’s top teams after winning their sixth title, led by rising star forward Kawhi Leonard. San Antonio tied for the fifth-highest victory total in league history in 2015-16 with 67 victories, a franchise record, although the team was eliminated by Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. The Spurs reached the Western Conference finals in 2016–17 after winning 61 games, second most in the NBA that year. When Leonard suffered a postseason-ending ankle injury, San Antonio unexpectedly jumped out to a 23-point lead over the much favored Golden State Warriors in game one. The Spurs went on to lose that game, along with the following three, without their best player, leading to one of the most disappointing postseason results in team history. In the 2017–18 season, Leonard had a difficult time recovering from his injury and was only able to play in nine games. This marked the first time since the Spurs selected Tim Duncan—a remarkable 20–year run of outstanding play—that the team failed to win at least 50 games (or record the equivalent winning percentage during the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season). The playoff loss to the Warriors in the first round brought that season to an end. Despite losing Leonard in the offseason, a revamped Spurs squad nonetheless made it to the 2019 postseason, losing in the first round once more.