San Antonio with Kids

1. Learn about Texas heritage at the Witte Museum

Located adjacent to Brackenridge Park in Midtown Brackenridge, the Witte Museum is dedicated to natural history, science, and South Texas heritage.

Established in 1926, the museum features a permanent collection of historical artifacts and items, textiles and Texan art, photographs, and prints. The Witte Museum is also home to the famed Harry Hertzberg Circus Collection, which features cave drawings, dinosaur bones, Texas wildlife dioramas, and a unique H-E-B Science Treehouse. The museum also boasts an array of traveling exhibits and sculptures by San Antonio-born artists Bonnie MacLeary, and the 20,000-square-foot, Robert J., and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center, which uses the latest museum technology combined with traditional artworks to showcase the legendary history of South Texas.

Find it at this Address: 3801 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX 78209, Phone: 210-357-1900

2. Stroll along the San Antonio River Walk

Comprised of a network of cypress-lined paved paths, lush landscapes and quaint stone bridges that gently wind through the city, the San Antonio River Walk provides a chance to take in the stunning natural scenery and soak up the city views.

Running along the banks of the San Antonio River, the San Antonio River Walk symbolizes the heart and soul of the city and winds past several of the city’s upscale hotels, award-winning restaurants, top attractions, and other forms of entertainment.

Families with kids shouldn’t miss the Museum Reach, which hosts a range of visual and audiovisual works of art, and diverse terraced landscapes with native plants and the quirky San Antonio Museum of Art.

3. Cruise on the river in one of the colorful barges

GO RIO offers a new and exciting way of exploring San Antonio with narrated tours of the city held on colorful barges that cruise along the river.

These unique one-of-a-kind San Antonio cruises explore the city from the water with expert guides sharing their knowledge and passion about the city and all of its attractions. GO RIO also offers special tours like shuttle services, chartered tours, and private cruises for up to 40 people, including dinner parties on the river.

Tours are held on brand new barges which feature quiet, electric, eco-friendly engines in five bright colors, with comfortable seating, modern restrooms, and large windows that boast beautiful views of the river. There are also unique themed barges for special occasions.

Find it at this Address: 809 River Walk St, San Antonio, TX 78205, Phone: 210-227-GRIO(4746)

4. Take the kids on a guided tour of The Alamo

The Alamo is a famous complex on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, which is the site of a renowned ‘crossroads’ in Texan history, such as the first Spanish colonization, the independence of Mexico, and the place where the Confederacy stood its ground. One of the most popular attractions, particularly with kids, is the hallowed ground where a small band of Texans, including David Crockett, James Bowie, and William B. Travis, who held out for just under two weeks against General Antonio López de Santa Anna during the siege. The three men came to symbolize courage and sacrifice for the cause of liberty. Guided tours of the Alamo can be enjoyed where visitors can relive the dramatic 1836 Battle where the Texan Army under Sam Houston shouted "Remember the Alamo!" as it routed Santa Anna at the battle of San Jacinto.

Find it at this Address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205, Phone: 210-225-1391

5. Head to The DoSeum

The DoSeum is a fun-filled educational museum for the whole family that provides children with a place to learn through inventing, building, creating, making, thinking, and playing with a range of interactive exhibits and hands-on displays.

The 65,000-square-foot building features an array of state-of-the-art shows that include a spy academy filled with math challenges, an interactive puppet parade, an interactive robot named Baxter, an ADA-accessible treehouse, and a Children’s River. The museum also boasts a large outdoor exhibit with a shaded play area and tinkling water features.

Find it at this Address: 2800 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209, Phone: 210-212-4453

6. Explore the Institute of Texan Cultures

Located on the UTSA-HemisFair Park Campus, the Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) is a cultural heritage museum that is dedicated to celebrating the many diverse ethnicities that reside in Texas.

Established in 1965 by the Texas Legislature, the 182,000-square-foot complex is the primary center for multicultural education in the state and features 65,000 square feet of space that boast a variety of exhibits, displays, educational programs and events.

The center also has a research library that focuses on ethnic and cultural history with more than three historical photos, manuscripts, rare books, and over 700 oral histories.

Find it at this Address: 801 E César E. Chávez Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78205, Phone: 210-458-2300

7. Enjoy the beautify of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens

Kids can get up close and personal with nature at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, which is a 38-acre botanical garden that features several collections and exhibit areas, including formal and seasonal display gardens that include a rose garden, a sensory garden, a water-saving garden and a Kumamoto En Japanese Garden.

The gardens feature unusual things to see and do, such as the futuristic Lucile Halsell Conservatory features an underground through a tunnel of soil into the Palm House, which is cut deep into the earth, and the 11-acre Texas Native Trail.

Visitors to the gardens can enjoy guided tours, as well as special bird-watching walks and a range of lectures, talks, and other garden-related events.

Find it at this Address: 555 Funston, San Antonio, TX 78209, Phone: 210-207-3250

8. Visit the San Antonio Zoo

The San Antonio Zoo is a must for kids and their families with more than 9,000 animals of 779 species calling the zoo home.

Nestled in an old limestone quarry on St Mary’s Street, the San Antonio Zoo is spread over 56 acres and was one of the first zoos in the country to be ‘cageless.’

The best way to enjoy the Zoo is by taking a ride to the historic San Antonio Zoo Eagle, a miniature train that travels around the Zoo, around Brackenridge Park and along the San Antonio River. The train makes short stops at the Kiddie Park, the Witte Museum, and the Japanese Tea Gardens, and lunch can be enjoyed at the train depot café located next to the train depot gift shop.

Find it at this Address: 3903 N. St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX 78212, Phone: 210-734-7184

9. Explore HemisFair Park

Built to host the 1968 World's Fair, which aimed to celebrate the civilizations in the Americas and the cultural diversity of San Antonio, Hemisfair Park is a local historic district of the city of San Antonio.

Built on the site of a historic neighborhood, Hemisfair Park features numerous beautifully preserved and renovated buildings and structures in various architectural styles, from simple adobe homes of the Mexican era and exquisite haciendas from the Spanish Colonial Era to elegant mansions from the late nineteenth century.

Many of the charming buildings have been designated as State Archeological Landmarks, and visitors to the district can also see structures that were built specifically for the World’s Fair, including the Tower of the Americas, an iconic feature of the San Antonio skyline.

Find it at this Address: 434 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX 78205, Phone: 210-709-4750