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Fun Things to do in San Antonio
Texas
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city guide
San Antonio is as comfortable as an old pair of jeans. It offers big-city amenities and world-renowned attractions coupled with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Most famously known as the home of the Alamo, the spirit of the region expands beyond its tourist labels, offering a community rich in Spanish and Old West heritage.
The pace of life in San Antonio can be as active or as quiet as one chooses. Living in a destination city has its benefits. Families appreciate having year-round access to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio. Foodies enjoy every genre of cuisine from food trucks in Southtown to the beloved Tex-Mex and barbecue fare. Theater, music and art aficionados can attend productions at the Majestic Theatre and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts or exhibitions at the McNay Art Museum. Sports fans cheer on their NBA team, the San Antonio Spurs.
Best time to go
The best time to visit San Antonio is from November to April, when the weather is comfortable and the hotel rates are lower. Summer sees the largest influx of tourists from in- and out-of-state.
Fun city facts and activities
- A relatively tiny city by Texan standards, San Antonio was traditionally a short day trip from Austin or Houston. The city has bulked up over the years, however, and the list of best things to do in San Antonio has grown in tandem; today, you cant get away with exploring the city in a single afternoon because San An is a bonafide weekend getaway.
Long before San Antonio earned its place on national travel lists, visitors flocked to this culturally-explosive city to float down the charming River Walk, to experience Tejano culture, and of course, to Remember the Alamo! As years passed, San Antonio grew (adding about 100,000 new residents over the past decade) and its attractions expanded to include buzzy new neighborhoods, cultural experiences, and a thriving culinary scene to boot.
Whats the best way to fill up your weekend escape? Proving its status as one of Texas premier travel destinations, the best things to do in San Antonio range from historic excursions to exciting bars and restaurantsheres everything worth checking off your list.
Neighborhoods to explore
- Downtown
Terrell Hills
Alamo Heights
Northeast Inner Loop
New Braunfels
Boerne
Converse
Helotes
Restaurants
Food Specialties
- Hungry travelers will find plenty to excite them amongst the best restaurants in San Antonio. The Alamo City is Texas at its diverse best, a city where various communities come together to create delicious food that will have you coming back for more, time and time again. Dont bother trying to fight it, youll just anger your appetite; give in and let the flavors wash over you.
Barbecue and Tex-Mex are every bit as popular in San Antonio as they always have been but the international atmosphere has diversified the culinary options, much to the delight of tastebuds and rumbly stomachs alike. Here you can chow down with your fingers, poke around with a pair of chopsticks or attack with a good old-fashioned knife and fork, there are no bad options; just delicious food. The best things to do in San Antonio cover a lot of ground and a fantastically colorful nightlife will have you dancing the night away, but the citys best restaurants make a compelling argument for top billing.
San Antonio Offbeat activities
Free or cheap things to do
1. Explore the San Antonio River Walk: Take a stroll along San Antonios famous River Walk, a 2.5-mile path along the San Antonio River. This area is home to numerous attractions, restaurants, and shops, making it the perfect place to spend an afternoon.
2. Take a Segway Tour: Get a unique view of the city with a Segway tour. Glide through the streets and take in the sights, from iconic landmarks to charming neighborhoods.
3. Visit the Natural Bridge Caverns: Descend into a massive underground cavern system to explore its incredible rock formations. With its underground pools and hidden passageways, this is an experience you wont soon forget.
4. Visit the Witte Museum: Explore the natural history of the San Antonio area with exhibits on the regions flora and fauna, as well as interactive displays on the regions Native American cultures.
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Fun things to do in with kids
Free or cheap things to do
1. DoSeum
Think of the DoSeum as San Antonios extra-active childrens museum for kids from infants to 10 years old. Its landmark teaching exhibits focus on science, tech, engineering, art, and math. Check out this list of highlights and just try not to find something your kid would adore: a puppet parade, a musical staircase, Baxter the interactive robot, an ADA-accessible treehouse, a 39,000-square-foot outdoor play area, and a spy academy that encourages problem-solving with math.
2. River Walk
With atmospheric stone bridges, restaurant patios, bright umbrellas, and floating mariachi bands, the 15-some miles of San Antonios iconic River Walk make for a unique, happy memory that will stand out in your kids minds. The River Walk is stroller-friendly, but for ambulatory toddlers and up, be aware that the one thing the entire River Walk doesnt necessarily have is guardrails between path and water. Make it relaxing, cooling, and fun to cover a longer distance with kids by taking a boat cruise.
3. Burgerteca
In this big, bright, festive space, Chef Johnny Hernandez makes custom-made burgers with traditional Mexican ingredients like mole negro and pickled red onions. Burgertecas also got a kids menu and fun snacks like Mexican ice cream, frozen popsicles (paletas), and shaved ice (raspas). Kids will love the giant Day of the Dead folk-art figure outside the door, too!
4. Witte Museum
Founded by a teacher and botanist, the Witte is a little museum jewel for families that focuses on science, natural history, and Texas heritage. With live tarantulas, tortoises, and other creatures to watch in the EcoLab, and hands-on activities in the health-and-wellness-inspiring H-E-B Body Lab, the Witte is a nice, cool place to while away a hot afternoon.
5. Pearl District
This restored brewery complex along the river now hosts a regular farmers market, fun retail shops, a Culinary Institute of America campus (with all the cheffy restaurants youd expect!), and a public green space that welcomes families and dogs. Kids can play in the Parkito and splash in Gustavs Geysers at Pearl Park. Adults can enjoy outdoor yoga or live music at the Amphitheatre, or kick back with a family picnic at the plaza.
6. San Antonio Botanical Garden
Being warm so much of the year, San Antonio offers hospitable growing conditions for tropical plants and beyond, and this lush 38-acre garden capitalizes on it. The gardens recent expansion includes the Family Adventure Garden, a 2.5-acre play and learning space that includes play-around hits like Tumble Hill, Muhly Maze, and No Name Creek.
7. Six Flags Fiesta Texas
San Antonios outpost of the national amusement park chain is Mexican fiesta-themed, with more than 50 rides that start with the Kiddee Coaster and ratchet up to Fireball, Pandemonium, and Spinsanity. Get a nowhere-else thrill: the new Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster is the worlds first single-rail roller coaster.
8. Bowl & Barrel
If youve got a family of bowlers, San Antonio offers a couple fun alleys that (youre welcome, grown-ups) also serve from stellar menus. The boutique, upscale Bowl & Barrel has 15 lanes, giant pretzels, hot fried quail, and housemade cotton candy. Now thats how you roll. Theres also Bowlero, featuring 48 lanes, a ropes course, and bites like hot turkey sliders and sweet potato tots.
9. Morgans Wonderland and Morgans Inspiration Island
Morgans Wonderland, which calls itself the worlds first ultra-accessible theme park, recently added a special splash park as well. Morgans Inspiration Island features a jungly riverboat adventure ride and five wheelchair-accessible water play areas, complete with all the fun stuff: pools, geysers, jets, rain trees, waterfalls, water cannons, and tipping buckets. This theme park is ideal if you have kids with special needs, or if you want yours to be comfortable and compassionate with those who do, or if you yourself like to watch dreams come true.
City data and FAQ
What is San Antonio most know for?
History, the Alamo and the missions. Shopping, The River Walk and the market square. Then there is Sea World, Fiesta Texas for amusement. There are two lakes within an hours drive. Lots of area antique shops and curio shops.
I like visiting the small towns in and around the area. Boerne, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Seguin, New Braunsfels just to name a few.
Randal Langston Lived in San Antonio
Its probably most known for the Alamo, but keep that visit short and go south to the other river missions. Its like a magical time machine to the 18th century frontier of Spanish Mexico.
Paul Riggs - Lives in Dallas, TX (1979 Present)
Is San Antonio worth visiting?
Millions do. Tourism is one of the top economic drivers there. Strolling the Riverwalk and finding a nice patio for a meal or just a vespers highball is a unique setting under ancient live oak trees. The Tex-Mex and German food options are plentiful, varied and cheap, along with some nice local brews to cool down. The history is like background music there: the Alamo, the other (even better) Missions along the river, the Menger Hotel bar where Teddy Roosevelt raised the Rough Riders for the Spanish-American War and features like La Villita, the Spanish Governors Mansion and San Fernando Cathedral speak of the rise and fall of different powers just since Europeans arrived.
Paul Riggs - Lives in Dallas, TX (1979 Present)
Do you need a car to visit San Antonio?
Not if you rent one or take Uber everywhere.
Carol Lloyd - Lives in Houston, TX (1999 Present)
Are two days enough to visit San Antonio?
Even if you had unlimited money, you couldnt see/do everything in San Antonio in just 2 days. But you can plan a trip around what you really want to see in 2 days. For 2 days in downtown SA, you dont even need a car. The Alamo-smack in the middle of downtown. Plan for 24 hrs. River Center mall-downtown 2 hrs River Center Mall IMAX Theater 2 hrs. The River Walk-downtown, walk or hop a river boat for some history thrown in. 28 hrs. Shops and restaurants galore. Pearl Brewery, Market Square, SA Missions, ghost tours, Tower of the Americas, museums, sports, zoo. So youve probably killed a couple days with this list and you havent even left downtown.
Paula Darling Tanner Lives in San Antonio
