San Antonio Attractions

Fort Sam Houston

Fort Sam Houston ["Fort Sam"] is a major military installation in the northeast section of San Antonio. Fort Sam Houston was built in 1845 and named after General Sam Houston, hero of the battle of San Jacinto and first president of the Republic of Texas. In late 1800s, the US Army decided to consolidate many of its small posts. In 1882 the Post at San Antonio (Fort Sam Houston now) was selected to be one of the larger garrison sites. The Post at San Antonio was renamed Fort Sam Houston in 1890. It is accessible via Interstate-Loop 410, Interstate-35 and US 281. Fort Sam Houston is surrounded by San Antonio, the 10th largest city in the United States. Some interesting places to visit are the Alamo, the Riverwalk, the Missions, the Alamodome, Seaworld of San Antonio and Fiesta Texas Theme Park.

Market Square

Enter a world of year-round festivities, where the lively music of the mariachis serenade and the beautiful folkloric dancers mesmerize you with their spirited swirls. If you ever wanted to visit Mexico, this may be good chance to get a glimpse of Mexico in San Antonio. Stalls in the indoor El Mercado sell everything from onyx paperweights and manufactured serapes to high-quality crafts from the interior of Mexico. Across the street, the Farmer's Market, which formerly housed the produce market, has carts with more modern goods. Every weekend you will find food stalls selling specialty food such as gorditas or funnel cakes. The building complex that houses the Market Square was built in the 1800s.

The Alamo

Alamo is the Texas most famous and visited site. Alamo is located in the heart of San Antonio, inside beautifully landscaped grounds. Step inside The Alamo and see where brave defenders fought and died. Walk through the Long Barracks Museum, home to exhibits that tell the story of Texas, its settlement, revolution, and later efforts to save the Alamo from disuse and disrepair. Visit the Gift Museum to see more Alamo artifacts and to purchase souvenirs. Little remains of the large original mission today; only the Long Barrack and the mission church are still here. It houses a museum detailing the history of Texas in general and the battle in particular; the latter includes artifacts of the Alamo fighters, along with an information desk and small gift shop.

Tower of the Americas

You can enjoy the observation deck of the Tower of Americas overlooking San Antonio. Enjoy the breathtaking view from the revolving dining room and the observation deck, 550 feet above ground, while savoring heavy aged prime rib, steaks, and southwestern specialties. No trip to San Antonio is complete without dining at the "all new" Tower Restaurant. The deck sits at the equivalent of 59 stories and is lit for spectacular night viewing.

Yanaguana Cruises

Come ride the "Rio" San Antonio! You can take a 35 to 40 minute informative boat tour of the San Antonio downtown and enjoy the sights while the boat cruises at 3 mph. The boats are open flat-bottom barges and will take you more than 2 miles down the most built-up sections of the Paseo del Río, with interesting sights pointed out along the way.

Plaza Wax Museum & Ripley's Believe It or Not

Your kids and the kid in you will love the Land of Make Believe. Visit Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rumplestilskin, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter Pan and many, many more. Ripley's Believe It or Not! features over 500 one-of-a-kind oddities, curiosities, and illusions collected by famous cartoonist Robert Ripley from all over 198 countries around the world.

San Antonio River Walk (Paseo del Rio)

San Antonio downtown has a special attraction with winding riverbanks, shaded with cypresses and oaks right in the heart of its downtown. Just a few steps below the streets of downtown San Antonio you will find soothing and exhilarating 2 1/2 paved miles of winding riverbank. The section between River Square and South Bank has many sidewalk cafes, bustling bars, high-rise hotels, and even a huge shopping mall. You can enjoy Tour boats, water taxis, and floating picnic barges regularly ply the river, and local parades and festivals fill its banks with revelers.