2 Best Sights in San Antonio, Texas

Background Illustration for Sights

Much of downtown San Antonio can be explored on foot or by way of the trolley system that runs frequently between points of interest .

Depending on whom you ask, the number of neighborhoods in San Antonio varies. The San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau breaks the city into quadrants—Northside, Eastside, Southside, and Westside, with museums in the north, heritage sites on the east and west, and missions in the south.

Hemisfair

Downtown

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.

Travis Park

Downtown

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.