12 Best Things to do in San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is the second biggest city in Texas, which is known for Spurs, delicious Tex-Mex food, San Antonio River Walk, Heavy metal music and Cornerstone Church. It is also the seventh most populous city in the United States.

In 2018, it celebrated 300 anniversary of being the state’s oldest municipality. The city has been known for having a great history in terms of growth and development in a short period.

If you want to spend time in San Antonio and want to know about the best places to visit in San Antonio, we made the list of best things to do in San Antonio. Here are 12 things that you should not miss doing in San Antonio.

Things to do in San Antonio texas

Here is the list of best places and the best things to do in San Antonio:

1. San Antonio Riverwalk

Also known as Paseo del Rio, it is one of the most popular places in the city. The reason being the amazing combination it provides to its visitors. It is a place where you can stroll, dine and spend some quality time with your loved ones.

The place is lined with fancy restaurants, wine shops, and unique hotels. The place also offers you some very challenging escape room games to elevate your thrill. No wonder, 13 million people visit the San Antonio Riverwalk annually.

2. Ranger Creek Distillery

Ever thought of making a tour inside a distillery, but couldn’t execute it? Well, here’s your chance. At Ranger Creek Distillery, you can experience the amazement of a real-life distillery. They even let you taste some of their drinks. The tour lasts for about 1.5 hours.

In the normal package, you get 3 samples but, if you are an avid beer lover, you can add a VIP whiskey sampling experience to your bucket list too.

3. Shopping @ El Mercado

Returning from foreign land without exploring the markets is something no one would love to do. El Mercado, also known as the Market Square, is the largest market(Mexican) in the whole United States. Liked by tourists as well as locals alike, the place is lined up with more than 100 locally-owned shops and shopping establishments. From food to clothing, the place has it all. You can also attend some very unique and amazing local events that happen here.  

4. Praising art at McNay Art Museum

Its the beauty of the art that it is omnipresent. It might be a simple drawing or a beautiful art museum. McNay Art Museum is also one such place that should be in your bucket list. Named after artist and art collector Marion McNay, the museum is a Spanish piece of architecture. The museum houses more than 22000 works of art by famous artists like Picasso, Van Gogh, Diego Rivera, etc.  

5. Become lively at First Fridays

First Fridays is a free monthly festival that takes place at Southtown on the first Friday of each month. You can expect a great deal of live music, food, art galleries, and other such fun things this day. It was created in 1994 by local artists.  

6. The Annual Fiesta

If by any chance you are to visit San Antonio in April, you should not miss this annual festival at any cost. This festival continues for 10 days. The objective of this festival is to memorize the heroes at the Battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. Over 100 events take place in the town. There is a special parade that is organized and directed completely by women, it is known as the Battle of Flowers Parade.

7. Botanical Garden of San Antonio

As concluded from the name, this place is a 38 acres green land dedicated to nature. This is a family-friendly place. It has also gained popularity because of the rare birds and insects that can be found here. Not only you can spend quality time with your family and friends, but you can also even come along with your partner. It is a perfect place to enjoy the beauty of nature.  

8. Natural Fun at Natural Bridge Caverns

As one can see on its official website, Natural Bridge Caverns offer “Naturally cool things to do- for everyone!” The caverns are the largest known commercial caverns in Texas. They were discovered by four college students in 1960.

This natural attraction draws thousands of tourists annually towards itself. There are multiple tour options for everyone. It is 21 miles from Riverwalk and it takes 45 minutes to have a full tour.  

9. San Antonio Missions National Historic Park

This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It conserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions and tempts people to learn more about the city’s history. These missions were established by Catholic religious orders to preach Christianity among the locals. These are architecturally noticeable buildings. The missions are named as follows: Mission Concepción, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada.

10. The DoSeum

The DoSeum
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It is one of the most innovative children’s museums you would ever see. The museum has a majestic spy academy and inspires children to learn about science with its hands-on science exhibits. The DoSeum also offers adult-only nights for adults too along with other events like family nights and much more. You can even host your own social or corporate events here.

Apart from the activities, they also have an on-site cafe at the DoSeum. You can find healthy snacks here. You can even bring your water bottles and small light snacks also.  

11. Japanese Tea Garden

The site of the garden was a former rock quarry which was made into one of the most peaceful places in the city. The place is lesser popular among tourists but is a must-visit. The garden includes a waterfall area in the lower level of the Japanese garden. The place offers gorgeously photogenic scenes. The place has a brief history of unrest during the wars.

12. Get spooked at Alamo City Ghost Tour

Bored with the natural beauty of the city. San Antonio offers a way for you to levitate your thrills to the next level. Ghost city tours present real-life ghost stories in some of the most haunted cities of America. San Antonio is one of them. There are two types of tours available: Family Tour and Adults only Tour. You get to know about the city’s haunted history and some stories about the ghosts.  

Read More, Best places to visit in the USA

San Antonio is worth visiting for all types of people. Its unique places and amazing recreational facilities ensure that you will not be disappointed with your decision. The best time to visit the city is from November to April when the weather is comfortable. The city has a humid subtropical type of climate, do check weather conditions before going to San Antonio.