Admiral Nimitz Museum of the Pacific War
This museum honors the eight million Americans who served in the war against Japan and the more than 100,000 who gave their lives. The museum opened in 1967 with the establishment of the Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Museum in the restored Nimitz “Steamboat” Hotel. Since 1967, the museum has expanded to occupy a six-acre campus and gained a reputation as one of the premier military museums in the nation. Two blocks east of the main campus is the Pacific Combat Zone with macro-artifacts and regularly scheduled combat re-enactments.
The Alamo
Centrally located on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, the Alamo features interactive tours and exhibits and hosts reenactments of the Texas Revolution. Founded in 1718 as the first mission in San Antonio, the Alamo served as a way station between east Texas and Mexico. In 1836, decades after the mission had closed, the Alamo became an inspiration and a motivation for liberty during the Texas Revolution. For 13 days in 1836, close to 200 Texas defenders held the Alamo from approximately 2,500 of General Santa Anna’s troops from Mexico. The most famous of the defenders, William Travis, James Bowie, and David Crockett, died fighting overwhelming odds for freedom.
Buckhorn Museum and Saloon
Just two blocks from the Alamo, the attraction features one-of-a-kind animal exhibits, a historic saloon, café, gift shop and the Texas Ranger Museum. Kick off the fun by practicing your sharp shooting skills at the Toepperwein Shooting Gallery. Or explore hundreds of unique animal species from around the world. Then, browse The Texas Ranger Museum which houses hundreds of Texas Ranger artifacts including revolvers, automatic handguns, sawed off shotguns, badges, photographs and much more.
Day Trip to Fredericksburg, TX
Fredericksburg was founded on May 8, 1846 by German immigrants under the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. John O. Meusebach chose the location for the second of the Society’s colonies four miles north of the Pedernales River between two creeks. He named the settlement Friedrichsburg (later changed to Fredericksburg) to honor Prince Frederick of Prussia. Settlers received lots in town with an additional 10 acre lot outside of town. The colonists planted corn, built storehouses to protect their provisions and trade goods, and prepared for the arrival of more immigrants, who came throughout the summer.
Visitors can visit museums, eat lunch, taste local wine, shop, taste local beer, try the local whiskey, or just sit and take in the beautiful surroundings.
Go Rio: Narrated River Cruise
Colorful, new barges ride the river through downtown, while drivers provide narrated tours and point out unique San Antonio landmarks. Also, river taxi service is currently being renovated to offer guests pick-ups and drop-offs at several downtown dock locations every 15 to 20 minutes.
Natural Bridge Caverns
Everything is bigger in Texas. Including our caves. Explore the Natural Bridge Caverns, one of the premier show caves in the world, and discover incredible underground chambers with spectacular formations. Travel through a half-mile of the largest and most spectacular show cavern in Texas. You’ll walk 180 feet below the ground, while listening to our knowledgeable tour guide. See awe-inspiring, ancient formations centuries in the making and still growing today, such as amazing stalagmites, stalactites, flowstones, chandeliers and soda straws. Take pictures along the way because this is one walk through time that you will never want to forget.
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch has taken to heart the care of animals from all over the world for over 30 years. With over 450-acres of natural, scenic, protected environment where animal populations thrive, we take pride in showcasing and sharing amazing creatures from all over the world. The safari trek covers miles of the scenic Texas Hill Country, and it takes visitors about an hour to an hour and a half to drive through once, multiple treks are encouraged as every trip through the ranch is a different adventure. One part education, one part preservation; mixing it up for a day full of fun and adventure.
Spanish Governor’s Palace
A National Historic Landmark. In the heart of downtown. Visit the Spanish Governor’s Palace, the last visible trace of the Presidio San Antonio de Bexar and the only remaining example in Texas of an aristocratic 18th-century Spanish Colonial town house. Upon its completion in 1749, the house served as the Commandancia, or residence and working office, of the Captain of the Presidio. Later, it became the home of the Spanish governors who lived in San Antonio. Today, the only building that still stands of the Presidio San Antonio Bexar is the Spanish Governor’s Palace. It is one of the oldest residential buildings still standing in Texas. The building is a long one-story, U-shaped stone structure covered in stucco that surrounds a traditional Spanish patio and courtyard. Come visit us and take a step back in time, while appreciating the legacy of San Antonio’s early days that still lives on today.
The World Heritage Site
Along with the Alamo, the park was named the first World Heritage Site in Texas by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), and includes the city’s four southernmost Spanish colonial missions – Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada. In the 18th century, Spanish priests established these five Catholic missions along the San Antonio River to serve as the center of an ethnically diverse society. Today, the missions – walled compounds encompassing a church and buildings where the priests and local Native Americans lived – represent the largest concentration of Spanish colonial missions in North America.
