49 Best Sights in San Antonio, Texas

Part of an entertainment complex across from the Alamo, these two spots are filled with Instagram-friendly selfie opportunities. More than 200 wax figures at Waxworks depict the famous and infamous along with superheroes, television and movie stars, sports figures, musicians, and more. Many wax figures are displayed against elaborate sets and backdrops. Ripley's Believe it or Not! has 18,000 square feet in its "Odditorium" that features unusual worldwide collections in 18 themed galleries, some including hands-on interactive exhibits. There is also a Ripley's Believe it or Not! 4D Motion Theatre attraction that features 3D short adventure films with moving seats.

Downtown's Main Plaza welcomes all from far and near, whether they're looking to gather with others, attend a performance, or enjoy the space in solitude. Also known as Plaza de Las Islas Canarias, a nod to the Canary Island settlers in San Antonio, the area in front of San Fernando Cathedral has been around since the early 18th century. After ups and downs due to growth and other factors, the plaza is now alive with performers and visitors thanks to the efforts of the Main Plaza Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to creating and developing a family-friendly plaza for all ages, promoting arts and culture in an open-air setting they have dubbed The Heart of the City. Enjoy free musical concerts, dance performances, yoga, movies, seasonal and holiday events, and more. Check the online calendar to see upcoming and recurring events.

You don't have to stay here to enjoy the ambience of San Antonio's most historic lodging. After you visit the Alamo, stop by this stunning 1859 property next door that offers a history book full of "who's who" have slept here. Famous guests include Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and William Sherman, Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum (who had a studio at the hotel), playwright Oscar Wilde, and author O. Henry, who mentioned the hotel in several of his short stories. As legend has it, William Menger built the Victorian hotel to accommodate the many carousers who frequented his brewery, which stood on the same site. Step inside the very cool Menger Bar to see its mahogany bar, a precise replica of one from a pub in London's House of Lords. Here cattlemen closed deals with a handshake over three fingers of rye, and Teddy Roosevelt supposedly recruited his Rough Riders—hard-living cowboys fresh from the Chisholm Trail. Note that the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum also makes the same claim; either someone's been playing too much poker and can't stop bluffing, or Teddy had to go recruiting more than once. Throughout the spacious lobby, hallways, and public areas, check out the fascinating historical mini-exhibits. The on-site Colonial Restaurant is also open to the public.

As the oldest unrestored stone church in the United States, Mission Concepción looks much like it did when it was dedicated in 1755. It is a fine example of Spanish Colonial architecture, and was known for its colorful frescoes, most of which are long gone. The most striking remaining fresco is the "Eye of God" on the ceiling of the library, a face from which rays of light emanate.

The southernmost mission, Acequia was named for St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the monastic order of Franciscans. The mission's full name is Mission San Francisco de la Espada. It includes an Arab-inspired aqueduct that was part of the missions' famous acequia water management system.

On a visit to Mission San Juan, you'll find a white exterior and Romanesque arches on on the outside while the inside has a serene chapel and a small museum. This mission once supplied all its own needs, from cloth to crops. The shaded Yanaguana Trail behind the mission winds along the low river-bottom land and provides a look at many indigenous plants along with wildlife like turtles, owls, and snakes. The San Antonio Food Bank has a partnership with the Farm at Mission San Juan to create a living demonstration farm fed by a historic acequia (community-operated water canal).

Thirty minutes north of downtown San Antonio, you can trek down 180 feet below the earth's surface for a half-mile walk through this beautiful, historic cavern system. Take the original Discovery Tour to explore the largest show cavern in Texas with its stalagmites, stalactites, flowstones, chandeliers, and soda-straw formations. The more adventurous (and physically fit) can take the Adventure Tour to get down and dirty (read: muddy) like a real spelunker. The Hidden Wonders tour explores new chambers discovered completely hidden underground including a natural ballroom (available for events), involving the biggest investment in the caverns' history. Listen to knowledgeable guides as they tell the story of this cavern's beauty accompanied by a sound and light show. The tour ends with the B.A.T. (Belt Assisted Transport), the only conveyor system ride out of a cavern in the world that transports visitors back up to the surface.  Caverns are cool with high humidity. Wear comfortable shoes with good traction. Trails can be wet, and climbing and descending stairs are involved. Tour prices can vary by date. Surface attractions include a four-level ropes course, seven zip rails, and climbing towers. Booking and buying ahead is recommended for cavern tours.

Consisting of some of the oldest roads in Texas, the Old Spanish Trail (OST) links cities of Spanish-conquest settlement from St. Augustine, Florida, to San Diego, California, and is commemorated by the 0-mile marker stone on the lawn of San Antonio's city hall. As the trail meanders through the city, a decorative stone bench recognizing the trail is at 3400 Fredericksburg Road. The Old Spanish Trail Centennial Celebration Association (OST100) was organized to promote and preserve the sights along the OST. They plan to end their decade-long celebration with a motorcade grand finale from St. Augustine to San Diego in 2029. 

Stroll through 38 acres of formal gardens, wildflower-spangled meadows, native Texas vegetation, fascinating historical structures, and diverse sections designed to educate and delight nature lovers at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. You can walk the Texas Native Trail, which represents three distinct regions of Texas. The garden's stunning centerpiece is the 90,000-square-foot Lucile Halsell Conservatory, with five futuristic glass structures exhibiting plants and flowers found in worldwide environments from the desert to the tropics.

Other highlights include the Zachry Foundation Culinary Garden and Chef Teaching Kitchen, which promotes healthy food choices and encourages visitors to participate in planting, harvesting, and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables. The Kumamoto En, a gift from San Antonio sister-city Kumamoto, is a serene, authentic Japanese garden with stone walks and water features. The Family Adventure Garden encourages kids to run, climb, and splash in 2½ acres of nature space.

A fun and educational adventure for all ages, this aquarium boasts more than 250 species and 3,000 sea creatures in 160,000 gallons of water. It also has the city's only walk-through underwater ocean tunnel, where you can safely get up close and personal with about 500 sea creatures. Stingray Bay has five different species of stingrays, while in the freshwater habitat, you'll see native-to-Texas creatures. One of the best features of Sea Life is the way the exhibits are constructed low enough to the ground so that even small kids can get a good look (and it saves family members from having to hoist them up). The interactive rock-pool is a kid-friendly favorite, with a Sea Life expert giving fun facts about the touchable creatures. The aquarium holds educational talks and feeding demonstrations throughout the day; be sure to ask about them as their timing may vary.

The only independent college of art in Texas, Southwest School of Art offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) as well as classes and studio programs for thousands of adults and children. The school is housed in the former Ursuline Academy, which in 1851 became the first girls' school in the city. The long halls of the once busy dormitory are now filled with photography, jewelry, fibers, paper making, painting, and the like. The very popular annual Fiesta Arts Fair is held on the grounds each year during Fiesta Week. The Gallery Shop sells handcrafted items, including silver Southwestern jewelry, hand-painted plates, and wooden Christmas ornaments. Grab a sandwich, homemade soup, a salad, or homemade dessert at the school's Copper Kitchen Café, which was once the dining room for the old Ursuline Academy and is now a favorite of staff, students, and the public. 

Notice the expertly carved wooden doors at the entrance here: they tell the story of Spanish explorers in the New World, with the "baby face" representing America. San Antonio, then known as Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, was under Spanish rule from 1722 to 1821. This National Historic Landmark started as a one-room house built for the captain of the garrison in 1722. Walk through the self-guided tour with a map available at the entrance to see how and when the residence grew to 10 rooms, with period furnishings throughout and plaques that describe additions, such as the captain's office, an education room, dining room, kitchen, children's bedroom, and more. Relax on the cobblestone patio, enjoy the lovely courtyard, and make a wish at the wishing well.

This 1876 Victorian home is one of the few in the King William Historic District open for touring. Not only was its eclectic architecture—a blend of French Second Empire and Italian Villa styles—copied by other well-to-do San Antonians, but the estate was the city's first to have a telephone (1881) and among the first to install electric lights (1894). Completed in 1876, the house, occupied by lumber magnate Edward Steves, also has a slate mansard roof and delicate floral stenciling on the ceilings. The home is set up as it would have looked at the time it was occupied, with the same fixtures. Admission includes a self-guided tour.

At 750 feet tall, here you can take a glass-elevator ride traveling at 800 feet per minute, straight up, a very intense 43 seconds. Once the symbol of HemisFair '68, the 1968 World's Fair in San Antonio, locals now just call it "The Tower." Three elevators can carry almost 2,000 passengers an hour. There are two observation decks, a café, a gift shop, a 4D movie theater, and the revolving Chart House, a steak-and-seafood restaurant at the top. One admission ticket covers the elevator ride, admission to the on-site 4D theater (a multisensory movie experience), and access to the Flags Over Texas Observation Deck.

Since 1870, the award-winning Travis Park has welcomed the community for gatherings, celebrations, concerts, holidays, Movies by Moonlight, and other special events. As one of the oldest municipal parks in the United States, this 2.6-acre green space is a destination all its own, especially for such popular events as the H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving. Other activities throughout the year include an ice rink, free movies, food trucks, fitness classes, and live music.

West of Brackenridge Park, this nationally recognized private institution of higher education is known for its lush campus dotted with redbrick buildings and sparkling fountains, along with sweeping views of downtown. Trinity's curriculum is rooted in the liberal arts and sciences, with more than 110 majors and minors, more than 115 clubs and organizations, and 18 varsity athletic teams. If the timing is right, attend a show at the Ruth Taylor Theater (Stieran Theater) or attend the Distinguished Lecture Series at Laurie Auditorium.

Located between the Alamodome and the Tower of the Americas, this fascinating museum features 65,000 square feet of exhibits that focus on the major cultural groups who made Texas what it is today. Exhibits explore the customs, traditions, food, music, and ways of life of the many people who came to define the Texan identity. Highlights include a re-created sharecropper's house, a cowboys and cattle drives exhibit, large-scale murals depicting Native American cultures, and an in-depth Tejano exhibit on the intersection of Spanish and Indigenous peoples that birthed a new culture.

Combat artist Austin Deuel created Hill-881 South, the sculpture in front of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts that graces Veterans Memorial Plaza, dedicated to the memory of those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The plaza was dedicated in 1986.

This former home of San Antonio preservationist and collector Walter Mathis (who is widely recognized as the catalyst for the King William neighborhood revitalization in the late 1960s) is not only a National Trust for Historic Preservation site but also a San Antonio treasure. Villa Finale is home to more than 13,000 pieces of fine and decorative art, including what is believed to be one of the most complete collections of Napoleonic materials. Museum admission includes a self-guided tour, and staff are available to answer questions. There is no fee to see the gardens.