Not too far from downtown San Antonio and right beside the San Antonio River lies a whole host of kid friendly fun activities. When you are ready for a day with the kids, you want to choose something fun and something that is easy to not only arrive at, but move easily from place to place. When you plan a day trip to the San Antonio Zoo, you have the benefit of visiting other attractions within walking or riding a train distance. Save time and avoid getting in and out of the car and finding various parking spots. Simply use the free parking at the San Antonio Zoo and you’re all set.
Parents magazine ranked the San Antonio Zoo as one of the Top 10 Best Zoos for kids. It is also the third largest zoo in the United States so there is always plenty to see and experience.
Hippo at SA Zoo — Photo courtesy of Kelly DeCicco
One of the most colorful exhibits at the Zoo is the Butterflies! Caterpillar Flight School exhibit. Children can experience a beautiful butterfly garden where they are surrounded by hundreds of butterflies flitting from one leaf to the next. There are up to 20 different species and the vivid, colorful creatures are fascinating to observe. The San Antonio Zoo describes their butterflies as ‘curious and approachable.’ They are sure to delight kids of all ages!
Butterfly in SA Zoo exhibit — Photo courtesy of Scott Miller
Visit the Zoo in the morning hours when it’s cool. When it is afternoon, walk out of the zoo and right up to the Brackenridge Eagle Train Depot. You can ride the train to the Witte Museum where it will let you off and remind you to be back at the pickup point before the last train goes home for the night. Walk on over to the Witte Museum where you and the kids will be greeted by a variety of engaging exhibits and hands on activities. Built on the banks of the San Antonio River, the Witte is considered San Antonio’s foremost museum. With a four story tree house and dinosaur bones, kids are hooked as soon as they arrive. The tree house itself features endless hands on science related activities and a ride on a ‘Sky-cycle’ 15 feet in the air! Adults appreciate the Texas art and enjoy wandering through the extraordinary South Texas Heritage Center opens. Long term exhibits include dinosaurs and mummies among other fascinating collections.
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Tips for saving money and having a pleasant day include bringing a bottle of sunscreen and some wet wipes to wipe sticky hands with. Children always enjoy cold drinks and cotton candy at the Zoo or right before they get on the train so tucking something to wipe their hands with in your purse or backpack is a good idea. San Antonio gets really hot in the summer, so the sunscreen is a given! When it comes to saving money, start at the San Antonio Zoo’s website. They have a coupon you can print out or simply bring it up on your iPhone or other smartphone for the ticket sellers to view. You can get $1.00 off each ticket you buy with these coupons.
The biggest tip? Smile frequently, hug your kids and don’t forget to take lots of great photos of their smiles too!
