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Texas: San Antonio,
Family Vacation Ideas - Parks, music and The Alamo.
 The city is
really a vacation playground for families. From beautiful Brackenridge Park with
the Witte Museum and the San Antonio Zoo to the lively city center with the
energizing River Walk and the historic Alamo, the city is spunky and fun.
Stroll the River Walk.
The best place to feel the spirit of the city is along the banks of the San
Antonio River. The River Walk winds its way for 2 1/2 miles criss-crossing over
bridges, passing cafes, shops, and cart vendors. The atmosphere is festive and
lively. Flowers frame the walk ways and music wafts from shops and restaurants.
Discovery: Tour boats cruise the adorned river way and guides provide
anecdotes about the city, the river and the birth of the River Walk.
Spend a day in the park.
Brackenridge Park, a 343-acre urban park provides a pleasant escape for
families. From time-travel at the Witte Museum and an animal encounter at the
zoo to a mini train ride and poi counting session with the kids, the park offers
families good old-fashioned fun. Discovery: The Japanese Tea Garden is a
place of harmony and beauty where kids are free to climb winding stairways and
walk pebbled walkways. Bonus points: The Brackenridge Eagle Miniature
Train runs a two-mile circuit around the park passing by the zoo and Witte
Museum.
Meet ancient Texans.
The Witte Museum showcases everything that is naturally Texas. From a living
eco-lab of native species to an outdoor butterfly and hummingbird museum, the
nature of Texas is enchanting. See dinosaur bones and 8,000 year-old rock art.
The results of more than 50 years of scientific research convey the essence of
the hunter-gatherer society that once flourished in Southwest Texas. Bonus
points: The new H-E-B Science Treehouse engages visitors in hands-on
activities and provides a two-level tree house complete with binoculars. Their
website has a clever series of “televentures” created for kids. Value added:
Free admission on Tuesdays between 3- 9 p.m. Discovery: The Pioneer,
Trail Drivers & Texas Rangers Memorial Museum is located adjacent to the Witte
Museum. It features 19th and 20th century guns, saddles,
badges and pictures of the prominent men who used them in the American West.
Feed a lory. In a
shaded park like setting not far from downtown, the San Antonio Zoo offers
families an easy way to walk around the world. Home to more than 600 species,
the man-made habits replicate habitats around the world, providing visitors with
a glimpse of the daily life of more than 3400 animal residents. For adults
seeing one of the most varied collections of antelope in the world may be
interesting but for kids, it is the lories that cause excitement. More than 40
colorful lories provide interactive fun as they welcome visitors, some perching
on shoulders and landing on unsuspecting heads. Gregarious by nature the birds
love to sip from nectar cups. Discovery: The Children's Zoo features a
"tropical boat tour" of miniature animal exhibits as well as a playground,
desert building, animal arena Florida Everglades and rain forest exhibits.
Bonus points: Take an after-hours tour and observe how the residents behave
at night. The zoo staff has created “Some Very Enchanted Evenings” filled with
the sounds of hyenas laughing and lions roaring.
It’s a small world.
Discover the heritage of more than 25 ethnic groups that make up the cultural
essence of Texas. University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures engages
visitors. The uniqueness of being Texan is depicted through pioneer heritage
exhibits. Artifacts are available to touch and feel the past. Discovery:
Not-to-be-missed, the Dome Theatre features "Faces and Places of Texas."
Bonus points: The Bluebonnet Puppet Theater presents “Magda’s Tortillas/Las
Tortillas de Magda,” the first bilingual puppet show based on the book by Becky
Chavarría-Cháirez and featuring the voice of Henry Cisneros and music by George
Cisneros.
Play pretend and learn.
At the San Antonio Children's Museum near the heart of downtown, kids can be
kids. The multi-story Vance Building, once a dime store, has a new lease on
life providing space for youngsters to play, pretend and learn. With more than
80 hands-on, activities in one location time melts away as fun takes priority.
Kids can try out their skills on a Holt Front End Loader or use the kid-powered
elevator; open a banking account or go grocery shopping; serve food at a café or
pretend to be a dentist. Bonus points: Each Saturday children can feel
like part of the cast of ZOOM, the PBS show that makes hands-on science
experiments absolutely fun.
Theatre time with the kids.
Educate, entertain and enrich, the Magik Theatre, a professional repertory
theatre does it all. From their base in HemisFair Park near the River Walk, the
energetic actors create spellbinding theatrical experiences for families. From
original plays to seasonal favorites like "Best Christmas Pageant Ever," the
cast demonstrates versatility and provides exceptional theater experiences for
children of all ages. Bonus points: Great fun for first-timers to the
city, "Phantom of the Alamo," an original musical comedy created by Executive
Director, Richard Rosen.
Drive the ”Mission Trail.”
In addition to the famous Alamo the Spanish colonial influence was through a
matrix of missions run by Franciscans. Part of this influence may be seen today
in an
819-acre complex. San Antonio Missions National
Historical Park includes
four missions:
Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion, San Francisco de la
Espada, San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo and San Juan Capistrano. They combine
history and nature along the San Antonio River south of the city. Bonus
points: The
Junior Ranger Program includes activities at all four missions and is ideal for
ages 7 to 11.
Take the blue trail.
Walking through time has its advantages and The Texas Star Trail provides the
opportunity. The 2.6-mile history walk is marked by blue disks in the
sidewalks. A map is available from the San Antonio Conservation Society. It
outlines more than 80 historic sites and landmarks. Advice: Even if your
children are too young for the facts following the blue disks is an adventure in
navigating and a healthy way to enjoy the city.
Remember the Alamo?
 On the not-to-be missed list for families, The Alamo stands as a Texan tribute
to the value of freedom and symbolizes the courage necessary to remain free. On
the grounds of the historic Mission San Antonio de Valero, the events are
explained through displays of personal items belonging to the Alamo heroes. The
chapel and the Long Barrack have been restored and are part of the museum
experience. Audiovisual presentations provide visitors with a perspective that
includes Republic of Texas and the events leading up to the arrival of Mexican
General Santa Anna and his army. There are also audiovisual shows and exhibits
on early Texas history. Bonus points: For families the best benefit is
the storytelling conducted on the grounds by uniformed staff members. Admission
is free.
Park and shop.
Adjacent to the River Walk at the heart of San Antonio, The Rivercenter Mall
offers hours of browsing and some bargains. The first stop is the information
kiosk. Helpful staff will quickly provide a shopping coupon book which is at the
very least a plan for a shopping adventure. Bonus points: San Antonio
IMAX Theatre Rivercenter provides hourly giant film adventures. The 6-story
screen and 6-track surround sound makes the “Alamo...The Price of Freedom,"
truly awesome.
San Antonio
Details
The Brackenridge Eagle Miniature Train.
1(210) 736-9534.
The Japanese Tea Garden.
Brackenridge Park. 1(210)734-0816.
Witte Museum. 3801
Broadway, 3801 Broadway Brackenridge Park, 78209. 1(210) 357-1900 or
www.wittemuseum.org
Trail Drivers & Texas Rangers Memorial Museum.
3805 Broadway, Brackenridge Park, 1(210) 822-9011.
San Antonio Conservation Society.
107 King William Street, 1(210) 224-6163
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
Visitor Center is located at Mission San Jose, 6701 San Jose Drive at Mission
Road. 1(210)
932-1001, (TTY) 922-7152 or
www.nps.gov/saan
The Alamo and Mission San Antonio de Valero.
Alamo Plaza, 78299. 1(210) 225-1391,
www.thealamo.org
San Antonio
Zoo. 3903 North St. Mary's Street,
78212-3199(on the corner of Tuleta and North St. Mary's.). 1(210) 734-7183 or
www.sazoo-aq.org
University of Texas Institute of Texan
Cultures at San Antonio. 801 S. Bowie at Durango,
HemisFair Park, 78205-3296. 1(210 458-2300 or
www.texancultures.utsa.edu
The Bluebonnet Puppet Theater.
Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 S. Bowie at Durango, HemisFair Park,
1(210)458-2282.
Texas Transportation Museum.
 11731 Wetmore Road/McAllister Park, 1 (210) 490-3554.
San Antonio Children's Museum.
305 East Houston Street, 78205. 1(210) 212-4453 or
www.sakids.org
Magik Theatre.
420 South Alamo 78205. 1(210) 227-2751 or
www.magiktheatre.org
Yanaguana Cruise.
River Walk. 1(210) 244-5700 or 1-800-417-4139.
San Antonio IMAX.
Located in Rivercenter Mall, 803 Commerce Street. 1(210) 247-4629 or
www.IMAX-SA.com
More Texas Vacation Ideas
Texas: Houston, Family Vacation Ideas.
Imagine cowboy stories and world-class theatre; train and trolley rides;
thrilling coasters and awesome shows; butterflies and koalas all in one fabulous
family vacation. Read on.
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