Free & Affordable Ideas in San Antonio

1. The Alamo

The Alamo is San Antonio's most famous preserved Roman Catholic mission, open to the public today as a living history site and museum. The mission was originally established as Mission San Antonio de Valero in 1744 and operated for over seven decades until its conversion into a Spanish military fortress in 1793. It is best known as the location of the famed Battle of the Alamo, which led to the deaths of as many as 600 Texas revolutionaries and eventually precipitated the state's successful secession. Since 1895, the site has been open to the public as one of Texas' top tourist destinations, attracting more than four million visitors each year.

Visitors can explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site living history complex for free, including its preserved iconic chapel and its Long Barracks building, which holds a museum showcasing artifacts from the Texas Revolution. Daily historical programming include question-and-answer history talks, living history demonstrations, and audio and docent-led tours.

300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas 78205, Phone: 210-225-1391

2. River Walk

River Walk is a scenic pedestrian walkway system that connects San Antonio's biggest tourist attractions, including the San Antonio Zoo, Hemisfair Park, and the city's historic preserved Spanish missions. The walk, which is also known as the Paseo del Río, was developed in 1939 and spans the length of the San Antonio River within city limits, located one level below automobile traffic. It begins at the city's expansive Brackenridge Park and meanders through its downtown and museum districts, providing convenient access to attractions such as the Pearl District, the Witte Museum, La Villita Historic Arts Village, and the Shops at Rivercenter shopping mall. Many restaurants and bars within the city's downtown district offer riverfront seating along the walk, which is maintained as a public park and accessible 24 hours a day. Many annual special events take place along the walk, including the Fiesta de las Luminarias, which lights the walk's pathways with holiday lanterns and lights.

849 E. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205, Phone: 210-227-4262

3. The Saga

The Saga is one of San Antonio's newest and most unique attractions, located within the city's Main Plaza. The one-of-a-kind video art installation projects a visual journey of the city's history and evolution onto the face of San Fernando Cathedral, North America's oldest currently-operating sanctuary. Designed by renowned international artist Xavier de Richemont, the Grand Pinnacle Award-winning presentation lasts 24 minutes and can be viewed for free on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings three times throughout the evening hours. Custom-choreographed lighting, sound, and music elements elevate the spectacle and chronicle the city's place in American history and its development into the nation's seventh-largest city today.

115 N. Main Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78205, Phone: 210-225-9800

4. The McNay Art Museum

The McNay Art Museum is Texas' first and only modern art museum, originally opened to the public in 1954 following art collection donations by Marion Koogler McNay. The museum's exhibits are housed within McNay's former Spanish Colonial Revival mansion, which sits on over 23 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and botanical gardens. Collections focus on 19th and 20th-century modern art from Europe and North America, showcasing renowned works by artists such as Diego Rivera, Georgia O'Keeffe, Henri Matisse, Edward Hopper, and Pablo Picasso. In all, over 20,000 works of art are held by the museum, including the Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts, considered to be one of the nation's finest collection of theater arts and artifacts.

6000 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX 78209, Phone: 210-824-5368

5. The Witte Museum

The Witte Museum is San Antonio's premiere Texas history museum, located within the city's sprawling Brackenridge Park. The museum was originally founded in 1926 and is named in honor of city businessman Alfred G. Witte, a philanthropist and arts and history enthusiast. Today, it houses exhibits detailing the history of the state from prehistoric times through the present day, incorporating elements of science, art, and history and civics education. Its permanent collection showcases dinosaur fossils found within the region and expansive dioramas of Texas wildlife and ecosystems, along with historic artifacts and photographs related to the state's mission history, the Texas Revolution, and modern-day economic and civic topics. Significant collections of Texas art are also held, along with artifacts related to the state's pioneer heritage.

3801 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX 78209, Phone: 210-357-1900

6. The DoSeum

The DoSeum is San Antonio's premiere children's museum, originally opened to the public in 2015. The museum encourages San Antonio-area children and visitors to use their minds and bodies to foster creativity, innovation, and lifelong learning principles. Hands-on exhibits strive to provide a unique experience unlike any other children's museum in the nation, with exhibits featured such as an interactive robot, a children's river area, a spy-academy-themed math center, and a fully ADA-compliant treehouse playplace. Visitors should note that parking for Free Family Nights is limited and should plan to arrive early to secure lot parking.

2800 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX 78209, Phone: 210-212-4453

7. Brackenridge Park

Brackenridge Park is San Antonio's most popular public park, spanning 343 acres just north of the city's downtown district along the beautiful San Antonio River. The park was originally established in 1899 and is named in honor of its land donor, George Washington Brackenridge. Today, the park is home to the world-famous San Antonio Zoo and the Witte Museum, which offers unique exhibits detailing Texas natural and civic history. Landscaped gardens within the park include a Japanese-style tea garden and the outdoor Sunken Garden Theater, a free-admission amphitheater that presents free and paid admission concerts and special events throughout the year. Visitors can also enjoy the park's Lambert Beach and Lions Field Senior Center, along with a number of baseball fields, children's playgrounds, and walking trails located throughout the park.

3700 N St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78212, Phone: 210-207-7275

8. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area has been voted as Texas' best outdoor campground and natural area by MSN.com, located approximately 17 miles north of Fredericksburg. The natural area is centered around its namesake Enchanted Rock, which rises 425 feet above the Texas landscape and is the United States' largest pink granite monadnock. Over 1,600 acres of outdoor activities and wildlife areas are offered at the national area, which is home to large populations of bats, foxes, Texas horned lizards, and the endangered invertebrate fairy shrimp. Popular visitor activities at the site include rock climbing, caving, hiking, and birdwatching for a variety of native and migratory species. Primitive backcountry camping is allowed with permits. Visitors can also embark on Summit Trail tours each third Saturday of the month, led by Friends of Enchanted Rock volunteer rangers.

16710 Ranch Rd 965, Fredericksburg, TX 78624, Phone: 830-685-3636

9. Hemisfair Park

Hemisfair Park preserves many of the buildings and structures constructed for the 1968 San Antonio World's Fair, held in conjunction with the city's 250th anniversary celebration. Following the fair, the park's lands were transferred to the ownership of the State of Texas, with 50 acres granted to the City of San Antonio in 1988 for public park development and preservation. Today, visitors can ride the 750-foot Tower of the Americas observation tower to its summit, which offers a lounge, a revolving restaurant, and unparalleled views of the San Antonio skyline. Other structures preserved from the Fair that are open to the public include the park's Convention Center Theater, Eastman Kodak Pavilion, and Women's Pavilion, which is in the process of being renovated and remodeled into a public museum.

434 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205, Phone: 210-709-4750