Come to this colorful, historic, joyful city and see for yourself why it's so unique. Bring your family and your sense of adventure. The city was founded in 1718 as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost. San Antonio became the first chartered civil settlement in present-day Texas in 1731. Today the City of San Antonio, is the 24th largest metropolitan area in the United States, 7th most populous city in the United States, and the 2nd most populous city in both Texas and the Southern United States, with more than 1.5 million residents. The city is home to one of the largest concentrations of military bases in the U.S., and has been nicknamed Military City, USA. San Antonio it is also the state's oldest municipality, having celebrated its 300th anniversary on May 1, 2018.
San Antonio is a popular tourist destination, with over twenty million tourists visiting the city and its attractions every year. July and August are the average warmest months, with an average high of 95 °F (35 °C). The average coolest month is January.
Soak up the color, the culture, and the soul of its multicultural heritage; you'll find it reflected in the city's cuisines, year round fiestas and festivals, and very special events.
Things to do:
- Explore famous Alamo Mission, located in Downtown. Alamo is Texas' top tourist attraction. Because of the mission, San Antonio is often called "Alamo City".
- Stroll or cruise along the River Walk, which meanders through the Downtown area. River Walk is the city's second-most-visited attraction, giving it the additional nickname of "River City".
- Discover rare and stately 18th century Spanish Colonial missions. The city contains five Spanish frontier missions.
- Enjoy world class theme parks like SeaWorld San Antonio, Fiesta Texas and Aquatica San Antonio.
- Explore the latest exhibits at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.
- Ride the river with GO RIO San Antonio Cruises! Experience colorful, new barges rides through downtown, while drivers provide narrated tours and point out uniquely San Antonio landmarks.
- Stroll and shop through El Mercado, an authentic Mexican marketplace in the heart of downtown.
- Visit museums that encompass the worlds of art, science, natural history and much more.
- Catch a live show at Aztec Theatre and enjoy the unique, art and culture-filled experience!
- Enjoy the Sunken Garden Theater, The Woodlawn Theatre and the Majik Theatre.
- Visit Majestic Theatre and enjoy some of great performances. Majestic is one of San Antonio’s premier live performing arts spaces with more than 200 live events a year, including the Broadway in San Antonio series and a wide variety of concerts and performing arts attractions.
- Visit Alamo Beer Company in San Antonio and taste Alamo, the legendary Texas beer. This welcoming, family-friendly space, with seven beer offerings brings people together for beer, food and fun.
- Celebrate the broad spectrum of South Texas music, including Jazz, Blues, Texas Swing, and Salsa, at San Antonio’s music venue Jazz, TX.
- Visit Brackenridge Park, a 343-acre public park located on the city's Broadway Corridor just north of downtown San Antonio. It was created in 1899 from land donated to the city by George Washington Brackenridge. Attractions within the park include the San Antonio Zoo, the Witte Museum, the Japanese Tea Gardens, the Sunken Garden Theater, the Tuesday Musical Club and more.
San Antonio contains five 18th-century Spanish frontier missions, including The Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which together were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015. The City of San Antonio was also designated a UNESCO "City of Creativity for Gastronomy" in 2017, one of only 26 gastronomy creative cities in the world.
