3 Best Sights in San Antonio, Texas

Beloved Brackenridge Park has been a big part of San Antonians' lives since 1899. The 343-acre riverside park makes an excellent setting for a picnic or a stroll, with about 3 miles of walking trails, public art, softball fields, a municipal golf course, concessions, and sights like the Japanese Tea Garden and the San Antonio Zoo. Take a 2-mile ride around the park on a miniature train that runs daily; buy tickets at the Train Depot. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Free parking. 

The mission of the Brackenridge Park Conservancy is to work as a steward of and an advocate for the park, enhancing and protecting its natural, historic, recreational, and educational resources. One of its numerous projects is the renovation of the Sunken Garden Theater, including the preservation of the historic amphitheater and its backstage facilities, redesigned landscaping, and more. The park is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Texas State Antiquities Landmark.

The site of the 1968 World's Fair, Hemisfair is in the process of being transformed into a 40-acre public space for the city and residential developments for a diverse population. The site currently houses some of San Antonio's best-known attractions: the Tower of the Americas, the Mexican Cultural Institute, and the Yanaguana Playground and Splash Pad for children, which was recognized by the Urban Land Institute as an outstanding example of a vibrant, open urban space.

Plans for the park remain ongoing. The Mays Family Foundation donated $1 million to build a garden in their matriarch Peggy's honor, a 25,000-square-foot space near the remaining historic homes on the site. The park is open every day from 5 am to midnight, and almost any time of day or night you will see people on the walking paths, dog walkers (dogs must be on a leash), and residents and visitors enjoying community programming like free concerts and outdoor workouts. Hemisfair is also home to various annual festivals and city celebrations, including Jazz's Alive, and the largest Day of the Dead festival, Dia de los Muertos, in the fall. Check their website for upcoming events.

Since 1870, the award-winning Travis Park has welcomed the community for gatherings, celebrations, concerts, holidays, Movies by Moonlight, and other special events. As one of the oldest municipal parks in the United States, this 2.6-acre green space is a destination all its own, especially for such popular events as the H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving. Other activities throughout the year include an ice rink, free movies, food trucks, fitness classes, and live music.