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San Antonio is a popular Texan city renowned for its fun theme parks, interesting historical sites, and bustling downtown region. If you’re planning a sightseeing itinerary for an upcoming visit to the city, be sure to consider adding some of these 25 must-see attractions to your schedule.
1. The San Antonio River Walk
The River Walk is considered the beating heart of Downtown San Antonio. Locals and visitors flock here to eat, drink, and admire the calm waters and scenic views of the San Antonio River. This walkway is the perfect place to take a relaxing stroll beneath the shade of the trees that line the riverbank.
2. The Alamo
- Website: thealamo.org
- Address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 5.30 pm daily
The Alamo is San Antonio’s most important historic site because it’s here that the famed Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836. The former mission, which was established in 1718, has become a symbol of Texan independence. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Monument.
3. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
- Website: nps.gov/saan/index.htm
- Address: 6701 San Jose Drive, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily
The Mission Trail connects the five historic missions of San Antonio — the Alamo, Mission San José, Mission Concepción, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. Rent a bike to travel between the sites and learn more about the Spanish Franciscan Order which strived to colonize and evangelize this region of Texas.
4. La Villita Historic Village
- Website: lavillitasanantonio.com
- Address: 418 Villita St, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 6 pm Monday to Saturday / 11 am – 4 pm Sunday
La Villita is considered the original neighborhood of San Antonio, and its rich 300-year-old history has made it the city’s cultural hub. There are many galleries, studios, boutiques, and performance spaces here. Plus, there’s a great mix of Adobe and Victorian architecture to admire.
5. San Fernando Cathedral
- Website: sfcathedral.org
- Address: 115 Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 5 pm Monday to Friday / 9 am – 6 pm Saturday / 8 am – 6 pm Sunday
San Fernando Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church originally built in 1750 by Canary Islanders. It is one of the USA’s oldest cathedrals and an imposing sight in the city’s Main Plaza.
6. Pearl District Weekend Market
- Website: atpearl.com/weekend-market
- Address: 312 Pearl Pkwy, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 1 pm Saturday & Sunday
Pearl is a cool historic district that was once the home of an enormous brewery. Now, its industrial buildings house a grand hotel and many restaurants and bars. On weekends the area is home to two popular markets.
Saturdays are for the Farmers Market, where you can find delicious fresh produce and hot dishes, and Sundays are for the Makers Market, where local artists and crafters sell their wares.
7. The Historic Market Square
- Website: marketsquaresa.com
- Address: 514 W Commerce St, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 7 pm Monday to Saturday / 10 am – 6 pm Sunday
Market Square, also known as El Mercado, is the largest Mexican Market in the USA. You’ll find a huge variety of products on offer in this three-block strip of stores and eateries, including paintings, pottery, jewelry, clothing, shoes, homewares, and musical instruments.
8. San Antonio Botanical Garden
- Website: sabot.org
- Address: 555 Funston Pl, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 8 am – 6 pm Monday to Saturday / 8 am – 8 pm Sunday
The San Antonio Botanical Garden is a lush oasis of native and exotic plants. Highlights include the interactive Family Adventure Garden and the 90,000-square-foot Lucille Halsell Conservatory, which houses plants from several tropical climates.
9. New Braunfels
New Braunfels lies in the scenic Texas Hill Country and will take you back in time to get a taste of Western history. Be sure to visit Greune Hall, America’s oldest dance hall, where the likes of Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks have performed.
10. Natural Bridge Caverns
- Website: naturalbridgecaverns.com
- Address: 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 6 pm Monday to Friday / 9 am –7 pm Saturday / 9 am – 6 pm Sunday
The huge caves of the Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest of their kind in Texas and make a fascinating attraction for all ages. Take a guided tour then try your hand at gem-mining and panning for gold.
11. San Antonio Museum of Art
- Website: samuseum.org
- Address: 200 W Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 7 pm Tuesday & Friday / 10 am – 5 pm Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
San Antonio Museum of Art holds treasures from all over the world, including Asian, European, and Latin American artworks. You’ll also get the chance to see Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities.
12. McNay Art Museum
- Website: mcnayart.org
- Address: 6000 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 6 pm Wednesday & Friday / 10 am – 9 pm Thursday / 10 am – 5 pm Saturday / 12 pm – 5 pm Sunday
The McNay Art Museum, which is housed within a beautiful Spanish colonial revival property, mainly focuses on modern art. There are several fascinating exhibitions to explore, including a large collection of Native American and New Mexican folk art.
13. Witte Museum
- Website: wittemuseum.org
- Address: 3801 Broadway, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 5 pm Monday & Wednesday to Saturday / 10 am – 6 pm Tuesday / 12 pm – 5 pm Sunday
The Witte Museum covers natural history and science, and many displays boast interactive elements that help children learn. Highlights include the dinosaur gallery with its enormous Acrocanthosaurus skeleton and the H-E-B Body Adventure, which shows how human health works. There’s also much to be discovered about Texas history at the South Texas Heritage Center.
14. Six Flags Fiesta Texas
- Website: sixflags.com/fiestatexas
- Address: 17000 IH-10 West, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 11 am – 7 pm daily
Six Flags Fiesta Texas is a popular amusement park packed with thrilling rides and roller coasters. There’s also a water park with lots of fun chutes and rapids to ride. This is a must-visit attraction for families.
15. Buckhorn Saloon and Museum
- Website: buckhornmuseum.com
- Address: 318 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 5 pm Sunday to Thursday / 10 am – 6 pm Friday & Saturday
This quirky attraction was first established in 1881 when a local bellhop opened a saloon that accepted objects as payment from customers who were short on cash. Over the years the saloon’s collection of objects and oddities grew until it became a museum as much as a saloon. Visit for drinks and a bite to eat before checking out the collection of taxidermied critters and other peculiarities.
16. The DoSeum
- Website: thedoseum.org
- Address: 2800 Broadway, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 6 pm Monday to Saturday / 12 am – 5 pm Sunday
The DoSeum is a fun interactive museum for children designed to help them learn by doing. Exhibits rotate regularly so that there’s always something new to see and plenty to inspire young minds.
17. Seaworld San Antonio
- Website: seaworld.com/san-antonio
- Address: 10500 SeaWorld Dr, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10.30 am – 9 pm Sunday to Friday / 8 am – 9 pm Saturday
Seaworld San Antonio is the largest of the three Seaworld parks in the USA and is home to a large variety of marine life including orcas and sea lions. Many people combine their visit with a few hours in Aquatica, an adjacent water park considered to be one of the best in Texas.
18. Brackenridge Park
- Website: brackenridgepark.org
- Address: 3700 N St Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 5 am – 11 pm daily
Brackenbridge Park is a sprawling green oasis that’s home to many of San Antonio’s best attractions, including the San Antonio Zoo, the Botanical Garden, and the Japanese Tea Garden. There are paths, picnic facilities, playgrounds, and plenty of opportunities to wade, swim, or fish in the San Antonio River.
19. San Antonio Zoo
- Website: sazoo.org
- Address: 3903 N St Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 5 pm Sunday to Friday / 9 am – 7 pm Saturday
This 35-acre site is home to around 3,500 animals, with 750 species represented, including hippos, big cats, and monkeys. There’s also a drive-through safari experience, a fun carousel for the kids to ride, and a narrow gauge railroad that serves the entire Brackenridge Park.
20. The Tower of the Americas
- Website: toweroftheamericas.com
- Address: 739 E César E. Chávez Blvd, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 10 pm Sunday to Thursday / 10 am – 11 pm Friday & Saturday
The Tower of the Americas is an iconic 750-foot tower that was built for the 1968 World’s Fair. Its observation deck, which is 579 feet above ground, offers incredible views over the city. If you want dinner with epic vistas, book a table at the award-winning evolving Chart House Restaurant.
21. The Spanish Governor’s Palace
- Website: spanishgovernorspalace.org
- Address: 105 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 9 am – 5 pm Tuesday to Saturday / 10 am – 5 pm Sunday
The Spanish Governer’s Palace is the last remaining example of an 18th-century Spanish colonial townhouse in Texas. This is a great spot for history buffs and fans of colonial architecture.
22. Hemisfair Park
- Website: hemisfair.org
- Address: 434 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 5 am – 12 pm daily
The land that is now known as Hemisfair Park was once occupied by Native Americans, and later used as farmland after the Alamo Mission was established. It then became home to a melting pot of immigrants in the 1800s. In the 1960s it was developed to host the World’s Fair, known as the HemisFair. Today, it’s home to various eateries, entertainment venues, playgrounds, and events.
23. Fort Sam Houston Museum
- Website: history.army.mil/museums/fieldmuseums/fshmuseum/index.html
- Address: 1405 E Grayson St, Fort Sam Houston, TX
- Opening hours: 10 am – 4 pm Monday to Friday
Fort Sam Houston Museum examines the military history of San Antonio from its Spanish presidio roots of 1718 through to its current position as one of America’s largest military installations. You can expect to see images, artifacts, and stories that bring Fort Sam Houston’s history to life.
24. Morgan’s Wonderland
- Website: morganswonderland.org
- Address: 5223 David Edwards Dr, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 10.30 am – 5 pm daily
Morgan’s Wonderland is a family-operated inclusive amusement park with rides and play areas that are suitable for all kids, no matter their age, ability, or special need. There’s also an inclusive water park on site called Morgan’s Inspiration Island.
25. King William Historic District
- Website: ourkwa.org/historic-districts
- Address: 122 Madison St, San Antonio, TX
- Opening hours: 24/7
King William Historic District was once home to successful German merchants who built opulent mansions along the San Antonio Riverbank. Take a guided tour to learn more about the neighborhood’s luxurious 19th-century architecture.
Explore San Antonio’s Best Tourist Attractions
These are some of San Antonio’s most popular sights, but you’re bound to discover even more fun things to do when you explore this historic city. Which attractions are you excited to visit on your San Antonio getaway?
