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San Antonio is a beautiful
city in Central Texas. There's a lot to do in this city: fine
art museums, historical missions and plenty of amusement parks
in addition to great dining and drinking. The culture and
people are vibrant and interesting. Overall, San Antonio feels
like a small town; however, the population is over one million.
Get in
By plane
San Antonio International Airport.
By train
Amtrak, SAS, 350 Hoefgen St.
By bus
Greyhound, 500 N St Marys St, Downtown.
By boat
It's in the middle of Texas unless you want to tube
down the river
Get around
San Antonio's bus system is known as the Via Metropolitan
Transit. It also runs the downtown streetcar service for
a small fare. Bus fares range from about $0.80 to $1.60
depending on the serivce. Discount fares are available
to children between the ages of 5-11, senior citizens
62 and older, medicare recipents, persons with disablities
and students. A reduced fee ID is required for reduced
fares and can be aquired from Via Information Centers
(Students may get the nessasary forms from thier campus
admistration). Bus schedules and route information can
be found at Via's webpage (http://www.viainfo.net/) or by
calling the Via information line (210)362-2020 or for
the hearing impared at (210)362-2019.
See
San Antonio Visitor Information Center, 317
Alamo Plaza, 800-447-3372. For vistors coming to San
Antonio a good starting place to see is the downtown
Visitor Information Center and Official City Store
is located right across the street from Alamo. It
is a wealth of information about San Antonio. Representives
there can assist you in getting a map of the city,
help you to get around, or anything else you may need
in San Antonio.
Riverwalk. The Riverwalk area of San Antonio
is an excellent place to explore by day and party
by night. Riverwalk has guided ferry tours departing
regularly. Numerous restaurants line the river on
both sides.
The Alamo. Considered to be hallowed ground
and the Shrine of Texas Liberty, the Alamo is a former
mission which was also the site of the Battle of the
Alamo. Admission is free, although donations are encouraged.
Revenues from an adjacent gift shop fund the historic
preservation efforts.
San Antonio Missions National Park. Four
Spanish frontier missions, part of a colonization
system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest
in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries, are preserved here.
They include Missions San Jose, San Juan, Espada,
and Concepcion. The national park, containing many
cultural sites along with some natural areas, was
established in 1978 and covers about 819 acres.
Casa Navarro State Historical Park. Home
site of Jose Antonio Navarro, a 19th-century Texas
legislator under Mexico, the Republic of Texas and
the U.S. The park is the site of Navarro’s furnished
house, first residence, and store.
King William Historic Area. A 25-block area
near downtown on the south bank of the San Antonio
River. In the late 1800's the King William District
was the most elegant residential area in the city.
Prominent German merchants originally settled the
area. It was zoned as the state's first historic district,
and has once again become a fashionable neighborhood.
Market Square - El Mercado. Visitors can
browse through the 32 shops at "El Mercado," and 80
specialty shops in Farmers Market Plaza. Market Square
is also the scene of many Hispanic festivals where
food and beverage booths spring up alongside the Guadalajara
lamps and the strains of mariachi music blend with
the excitement of Mexican dances. Free admission.
San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium.
The Zoo is home to over 3,500 animals representing
750 species of animals on 56 acres. Open 365 days
a year. Hours: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. from Labor Day to Memorial
Day; 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., Memorial Day to Labor Day. Admission:
adults $8; seniors (62+) and children (3-11) $6; military
$7; under 2 free. Group rates available.
Museums and Galleries
Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway, 210 357-1900,
[1]. Tu 10am-9pm, Wed-Sat, 10am-5pm, Sun Noon-5pm.
$7 Ad/$6 Sen/ $5 kids to 4-11, Free Tuesdays 3pm-8pm.
Dinosaurs, textiles, history, big museum with lots
going on - fun with kids!
Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, 6000 N New
Braunfels, 210 824-5368. Tu-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun
Noon-5pm. Free admission except during select exhibitions
and special events. Fine arts exhibits, library. museum
store.
San Antonio Children's Museum, 305 Houston
St, 210 212-4453, fax 210 242-1313,
[2]. Adm. $5.95 per person. M-F 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-6pm,
Sun Noon-4pm. Winter (School Year) hours: M 9am-Noon,
T-Fri 9am-3:30pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun Noon-4pm. Groups,
parties, events, hands-on learning play.
Instituto de México, 600 HemisFair Park,
210 227-0123. Thur-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun Noon-5pm.
Free. Contemporary Art from Mexico.
San Antonio Museum of Art 200 W. Jones, 210
978-8100. Tu 10am-8pm, W-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun Noon-6pm.
$6 adult, $5 sen. $4 Student, $1.75 age 4-11. Free
Tuesdays 4pm-11pm. Fabulous collections and changing
exhibits. If you can do only one museum visit, this
is the one to explore. Bring your sketchpad.
Southwest School of Art & Craft. 1201
Navarro and 300 Augusta, 210 224-1848. Art/museum
gift shop in the Ursuline Campus as well as student
work in the hallways and cafe. Free. On buslines,
and the Ursuline Campus backs up to an older, parklike
section of the Riverwalk.
Do
Events
Fiesta, Fiesta is a yearly event held in
San Antonio. Fiesta is a 10-day, city-wide, fun-filled,
multi-cultural, family-oriented celebration. With
over 100 different events, it's the biggest party
and greatest community benefit in the state of Texas
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, The San
Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is an annual agricultural
fair and entertainment event. It provides world class
rodeo action and entertainment to people of all ages.
Texas Folklife Festival, The Texas Folklife
Festival is an annual four-day celebration of the
diverse ethnic and cultural groups that settled our
state. Some 45 groups bring their stories, crafts,
music, dances, and foods to share with visitors in
a vibrant blend of education and entertainment.
Amusement Parks
Seaworld, [3]. A theme park which has several rides, dolphin
shows etc.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, [4]. Home to several thrill rides and exciting
shows Fiesta Texas is an entertaining theme park geared
to people of all ages.
Sports
San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio is home to
the San Antonio Spurs that currently play at the SBC
center.
Learn
San Antonio is home to several colleges and universities:
San Antonio College.
University of Texas at San Antonio.
Trinity University.
University of the Incarnate Word.
St. Mary's University.
Our Lady of the Lake University.
Buy
San Antonio is home to a variety of shopping venues
with a wide selection of shops and stores. With ten
major shopping malls within an hours drive of downtown
and La Villita and Market Square right in the heart
of downtown San Antonio.
La Villita, 418 Villita, 210 207-8611,
fax 210 207-4390. Shops open daily 10 a.m.-6
p.m. Free admission. Closed holidays.
Market Square - El Mercado, 514 W. Commerce,
210 207-8600, fax 210 207-4287. Free
admission. Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., summer; 10 a.m.-6
p.m., winter. Stores closed Thanksgiving, Christmas,
New Year’s Day and Easter.
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Sleep
Riverwalk Vista, 262 Losoya, 210 223-3200,
[5]. The Riverwalk Vista is centered to all activities in downtown
San Antonio, Texas. The ambience of this B&B is
incomparable to any other hotel, inn or bed and breakfast
in the Riverwalk area.
San Antonio Lodging, 500 North Santa Rosa,
866-999-8300, [6]. San Antonio Lodging features three bed and
breakfast inns in Downtown San Antonio, Texas.
Budget
Hampton Inn - Downtown, 414 Bowie St, 210
225-8500, [7]. Just eight miles from the San Antonio International Airport
and 1.5 blocks from the famous San Antonio Riverwalk.
Beauregard House Bed and Breakfast Inn, 215
Beauregard St, 888-667-0555, 210 222-9338,
[9]. The Beauregard House is located in the quiet
elegance of the King William District in downtown
San Antonio, Texas. Private baths, free breakfast
each day.
Embassy Suites Hotel - Airport, 10110 US
Hwy 281 North, 210 525-9999, [10]. Just seven miles from downtown San Antonio,
and half a mile from San Antonio Airport. Hotels in
this location are close to fine shopping outlets,
including North Star Mall, and the many attractions
around San Antonio.
Embassy Suites Hotel - Northwest, 7750 Briaridge,
210 340-5421, [11]. An
all-suite hotel five miles from San Antonio Airport
and nine miles from downtown San Antonio. Hotels at
this location, at the intersection of I-10 and Loop
410, are just half a mile from shopping, theaters
and restaurants.
Hawthorn, 6900 I-H 35 North, 210 798-3900,
800-210-4255, [12]. Offering complimentary hot breakfast buffets
and social hour in the evening. Also offers in-room
business services, an oversized work area complete
with dual phone lines, personal voice mail and daily
complimentary newspaper.
Hawthorn Suites - Riverwalk, 830 N. St. Mary's
Street at Richmond Ave, 210 527-1900, [13]. Features oversized studio suites with all
the amenities.
Holiday Inn - Downtown, 318 W Durango Blvd,
210 225-3211, [14]. A short stroll from the magnificent San Antonio
Riverwalk and the colorful Market Square. San Antonio
Airport is just ten miles from the hotel.
Holiday Inn Select - Airport, 77 NE Loop
410, 210 349-9900, [15]. Only one mile from San Antonio Airport, while
downtown San Antonio is seven miles away.
The St. Anthony, 300 East Travis, [16]. Built in 1909 and now run by Wyndham, this
beautiful hotel was frequently awarded AAA's Four
Diamond Award for excellence 14 years in a row.