Things to do in San Antonio, TX

Fiesta started over 120 years ago with a horse drawn carriage decorated with flowers. Honoring the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, the procession became known as the Battle of Flowers parade.   It is considered the most famous part of Fiesta and is the only parade in the U.S. coordinated by women, all of whom are volunteers.  These days, there are eleven parades and eleven days of scheduled celebrations.  Fiesta hosts over 100 official events all hosted by non-profit organizations or military units.  Guests choose from festivals, concerts, parades, contests and more.

‘America’s greatest vacation destination’ is just one description of the San Antonio River Walk.   Like San Antonio itself, the River Walk is a multi-cultural buffet of experiences.  Visitors can stroll along the river banks or take a river taxi. Tex-Mex, Italian, Irish and other fine restaurants line the watersides.  Locals and tourists alike sip cold margaritas in the sunshine.  Visitors enjoy outdoor musical performances at historic Arneson Theatre.  During San Antonio’s eleven day Fiesta celebration, the annual floating Fiesta Flambeau Parade is a magical event.  The Alamo and the Tower of Americas attract...  

Read the full list of five »

Fiesta started over 120 years ago with a horse drawn carriage decorated with flowers. Honoring the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, the procession became known as the Battle of Flowers parade.   It is considered the most famous part of Fiesta and is the only parade in the U.S. coordinated by women, all of whom are volunteers.  These days, there are eleven parades and eleven days of scheduled celebrations.  Fiesta hosts over 100 official events all hosted by non-profit organizations or military units.  Guests choose from festivals, concerts, parades, contests and more.

‘America’s greatest vacation destination’ is just one description of the San Antonio River Walk.   Like San Antonio itself, the River Walk is a multi-cultural buffet of experiences.  Visitors can stroll along the river banks or take a river taxi. Tex-Mex, Italian, Irish and other fine restaurants line the watersides.  Locals and tourists alike sip cold margaritas in the sunshine.  Visitors enjoy outdoor musical performances at historic Arneson Theatre.  During San Antonio’s eleven day Fiesta celebration, the annual floating Fiesta Flambeau Parade is a magical event.  The Alamo and the Tower of Americas attract millions of visitors each year and are within walking distance.

Considered a cultural crossroads, San Antonio is most directly influenced by its Spanish and Mexican roots.  Here, Tex-Mex is a dietary mainstay.  Jalapeños accompany many dishes (even hamburgers!) and reflect San Antonio’s love for spicy cuisine.  Melted cheese and tortillas are the heart of many Tex-Mex meals.  Fajitas, a traditional meal made with flank steak or chicken and served in tortillas is a Tex-Mex invention.   Diners like to enjoy margaritas, beers, iced tea and wines made in the wineries surrounding the city.  With over a million people, San Antonio offers an endless choice of restaurants for all budgets and occasions.

San Antonio boasts eight different theme parks.  The world’s largest marine life park, Sea World San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas are the two largest.  In addition to modern day attractions, the city is home to Kiddie Park, the nation’s oldest amusement park.  Locals rent tubes and float down the Guadalupe River.   Experience an important part of San Antonio’s history and see the Alamo.  Visit the River Walk, see the San Antonio Zoo, play miniature golf, enjoy local museums or take in an outdoor concert.  The city also offers a wide range of free or inexpensive options.

San Antonio is home to spectacular food, beautiful sights and exciting destinations.  Still, it can be argued that locals are the most proud and have the most passion about their professional basketball team, the San Antonio Spurs.  Spurs’ fans are enthusiastic and dedicated to their team.   One family recently named their twin babies after point guard, Tony Parker and power forward, Tim Duncan.  The Spurs have won four NBA championships and home court is at the AT&T Center.  Many visitors to San Antonio time their vacation to coincide with a Spurs’ game.

Built on the banks of its age-old river, San Antonio gains present-day fame from both the water and from the Alamo, that symbol of freedom that is now the city's landmark. A brash, confident representative of the Lone Star State, San Antonio was actually one of the major cities founded before Texas broke from Mexican control. Spanish missionaries arrived there in 1691, discovering and naming the river; in 1718, the Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo's official name) was established, along with a settlement to protect it and to shield subsequent missions from attack.

The city's history is jam-packed with multiple cultural influences, given life by the original Native Americans, the first Spanish explorers, Mexican residents, German immigrants, and Southern transplants. They've all added immeasurably to the melting pot that is today's San Antonio and that has given rise to everything from barbecue to Tejano, architecture to dialect.

There is, perhaps, no more visible emblem of contemporary San Antonio than the River Walk, that 3-mile stretch of picturesque waterside terrain that gives the city a focus and a soul. Richly populated with restaurants, shops, clubs, and sights, it's a model of urban renewal for...  Read more »

Built on the banks of its age-old river, San Antonio gains present-day fame from both the water and from the Alamo, that symbol of freedom that is now the city's landmark. A brash, confident representative of the Lone Star State, San Antonio was actually one of the major cities founded before Texas broke from Mexican control. Spanish missionaries arrived there in 1691, discovering and naming the river; in 1718, the Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo's official name) was established, along with a settlement to protect it and to shield subsequent missions from attack.

The city's history is jam-packed with multiple cultural influences, given life by the original Native Americans, the first Spanish explorers, Mexican residents, German immigrants, and Southern transplants. They've all added immeasurably to the melting pot that is today's San Antonio and that has given rise to everything from barbecue to Tejano, architecture to dialect.

There is, perhaps, no more visible emblem of contemporary San Antonio than the River Walk, that 3-mile stretch of picturesque waterside terrain that gives the city a focus and a soul. Richly populated with restaurants, shops, clubs, and sights, it's a model of urban renewal for other cities and a cautionary advisement to make the most of natural resources and beauty. A huge draw and a showpiece of the city, the river was, curiously enough, once cursed for overflowing its banks and was slated to be paved over.

Other attractions are also impressive, whether you browse the vendors at Market Square, marvel at the striking Victorian mansions in the King William District, take in magnificent works at the San Antonio Museum of Art, or delight in wildlife displays at SeaWorld San Antonio. There's certainly no shortage of pursuits in the city, and if you hit the town at the appropriate time, you can revel along with residents in springtime's Fiesta San Antonio! or Remember the Alamo Weekend, which commemorates and relives the hard-fought 1836 battle.

Food, drink, and merriment are easily obtained throughout San Antonio but most especially along the River Walk artery. The well-populated district promises innovative New American fare at Biga on the Banks, fusion cuisine (regional and international) at Boudro's, and more casual Southwestern dishes at Zuni Grill. And of course, views and ambience are part and parcel of the whole downtown experience. If you're in the market for drinks, indulge in a cocktail at Vbar and toss in a few tapas for added flavor; if live music's on the agenda, you'll do no better than catching evening jazz at Jim Cullum's Landing, a mainstay that also provides cold, dizzying margaritas.

While San Antonio has changed drastically from its early days — witness the diminutive Alamo surrounded by a burgeoning downtown for visual proof — it's still an incredibly hospitable town and one that boasts a healthy economy. Major military bases call the area home, providing an interesting counterpoint to the bustling tourism industry. Even so, the juxtaposition is hardly surprising in a town that, from its inception, accepted diversity and incorporated it into everyday life. As Texas's second-most-populated metropolis, the southern city has evidently gotten the mix right, as any visitor or resident would attest.

"Remember the Alamo"? Certainly.

Love San Antonio? Without a doubt.