Must-see places and attractions in San Antonio, Texas?

Question

My father and my sister are coming over here in South Texas on March and also my friend from Canada. My mom and I are planning to take them to San Antonio because thats like the nearest big city from our place. And also, my friend from canada wants to go to the beach but I don't like to take her to South padre island on spring break because the island will be surely full, so is there like a beach or a water theme park in san antonio, tx? and what are the other must see places?

Answer 1

When visiting San Antonio, there are several places to visit and which you select would depend on your individual tastes. San Antonio is a city with a rich heritage and history, strongly influenced by the Spanish, Mexicans, the Texian settlers, German and Czech immigrants. There is also a lot of development of new entertainment venues. Some of the key points of interest are:
The Alamo
The Mission Trail (The 4 Missions other than the Mission San Antonio de Valero [known as the Alamo] built by Spanish missionaries.
The Spanish Governor's Palace
The King William Historic DIstric
La Villita (the original settlement of houses of the Canary Island Immigrants) now an area of Art Galleries and Shops.
The Paseo del Rio (the Riverwalk) this is one of the major attractions to the city and a can't miss area for visitors.
El Mercado (the Farmer's Market or Market Square) this is an area of shops with curios, gifts etc. While there you must consider dropping in Mi Tierra a favorite San Antonio restaurant (especially for late-nite)
The Military Bases - San Antonio is known as military city USA, until recently there were 5 military bases within the city, now 2 have closed, but these are key areas in America's defense. They also have museums and exhibits available.
Natural Bridge Caverns and Wildlife Park
Witte Museum
The McNay Museum
San Antonio Museum of Art
Sea World
Six Flags - Fiesta Texas

Don't forget world class Shopping at:
The Shops at La Canterra
The Quarry Market
Northstar Mall
Rivercenter Mall
and around the city.

For more ideas about what to do in SA and events during your trip. See http://www.sanantoniocvb.com


Unfortunately, Schlitterbahn Water Park and Splashtown do not traditionally open until April, the schedules for 2008 are not online at this time. Also the water park areas of Fiesta Texas are not open until usually after Memorial Day, so none of these will be of use in March.

However, in Galveston, there is a Schlitterbahn Resort which has indoor/outdoor all-season all-weather water rides. This is not too distant, and Galveston is a wonderful place to spend a weekend. The beach is not quite as nice as South Padre, but they do have one. It also won't have quite as big a crowd as South P.

For more about what to see and do in Galveston see: http://www.galvestoncvb.com

Enjoy having your family & friends visit.

And enjoy San Antonio.

Answer 2

Here in San Antonio, there is a Sea World and Fiesta Texas. Both theme Parks have a water park area. We also have the River Walk, which is must see. There are barge tours you can take for just a few dollars. The riverwalk is lined with restaurants, clubs and even Rivercenter mall.Everyone that comes here also requests to see the Alamo which is about a half block from the riverwalk. Schlitterbahn waterpark and Resort is in New Braunfels which is only about a half hour away. Schlitterbahn is awesome. It was built on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Have fun when get here!!

Answer 3

I would recommend the Alamo. Watch out for the "Guard Cat",lol. She'll tell you if you've stepped into an unauthorized area.
Across the street,you'll find the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse built in 1936 at a cost of approximately $15 million. Once you get past the metal detector,you'll see the post office boxes and chandeliers made of glass and copper. You don't find workmanship like that anymore. You'll also see the frescoes painted back in the thirties depicting the history of Texas from its discovery by French nobleman Robert La Salle to the present day.
The entire second floor is the headquarters to the San Antonio branch of the F.B.I.
You may photograph the frescoes,but you're prohibited from taking photos of the hallway where the P.O. boxes are at.
Down the street from that is the Scottish Rite Temple. It's a library open to the public. And no,that's not the rooftop where they filmed," The Ghostbusters".
I would also like to recommend you come to Hemisphere Plaza and check out the Institute of Texan Cultures which is a museum run by the University of Texas@ San Antonio. It has artifacts dating more than 15,000 years of all the different peoples who have come to live in the area we now call Texas.
You can also visit the Tower of the Americas which was built in 1968 for the Worlds Fair and at 720 feet is the tallest free standing building in North America.

Answer 4

I skimmed the other answers, but there is a water theme park in San Antonio: Splashtown. Of course, it's pretty small and nothing compared to Schlitterbahn in New Braunsfels (which is like 30 minutes away-ish).

Anyway, the other answers covered much of what there is to see in San Antonio.

The tallest tower in san antonio is the Tower of the Americas, but the highest point is the Trinity Tower (my Alma Mater, hehe), which stands on a hill. Random useless fact

Answer 5

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RE:
Must-see places and attractions in San Antonio, Texas?
My father and my sister are coming over here in South Texas on March and also my friend from Canada. My mom and I are planning to take them to San Antonio because thats like the nearest big city from our place. And also, my friend from canada wants to go to the beach but I don't like to take...

Answer 6

The Alamo is a place tourist must see, the Riverwalk, The Japanese Tea Garden
the San Antonio Zoo and there are some caverns outside the city that can interest all tourists.

Answer 7

I have been there a few times and of course you would want to take the family to the riverwalk area. I would recommend the Irish restaurant there.
Also a great Mexican restaurant not too far from Riverwalk is Aldaco's and I think the website is www.aldacos.net. The owner is originally from Mexico and I took a cooking class from her there. The margaritas there are supposed to be best around.

Answer 8

Depends on your interests but for me it was

1. The Alamo- if you are into history.
2. The Arneson River Theater- It is an outdoor amphitheater.
3. Buckhorn Salon - Great food and great history.
4. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch- All kinds of exotic animals.

Of course they have the usual Guinness records museum, a zoo, an Imax theater, six flags, seaworld, planetarium, etc.

Boat tours are fun, too.
Have fun!

Answer 9

The Alamo and be sure to ask if it was really gold under the long house that made the defenders stay. Also (this got me kicked out) When you get to the gift shop and you see the diorama of the battle, say; I know why they lost. All they had was cotton for their cannons. The old ladies conducting the tour didnt appreciate it. Also the river walk is good and it wont stink in March.

Answer 10

The things to see above are great.

As far as waterparks - Schlitterbahn - New Braunfels, Splashtown, and the waterpark area of Six Flags and Sea World are closed in March. There are Schlitterbahn Resorts in South Padre and Galveston