San Antonio Texas

River walk canal tours 35 minutes $6.00 senior rate (patient said it was nice to see another view). Operates 9am-9pm. May purchase tickets on line http://riosanantonio.com/  also on river walk route.   Depart every 10-15 min

· Clearwater: 849 E Commerce 78205 River Level

· Historia: 706 River Walk 78205

· Aztec Theater:  201 E. Commerce Street, 78205, River Level

River Bike and Hike- Miles of trails along river 4.5 miles on the North side and 15 on the south side of the city. The Zoo is the starting point on the 4.5 mile side.

South side

Downtown

The San Antonio River symbolizes the heart and soul of the city. Hundreds of years ago, the river was a gathering place for Native Americans. The first civilian Spanish settlers built their homes here in the 1700s. In the late 1920s, the San Antonio Conservation Society, local government officials and business leaders realized what an asset the river could be to the growing city. Architect Robert H. H. Hugman developed River Walk plans that eventually led to construction of a 21-block section from Nueva to Lexington, completed in March of 1941, just in time for Fiesta. The project transformed downtown through beautification, preservation and flood control.

Further revitalization took place in advance of Hemisfair ‘68, the world’s fair held in San Antonio to celebrate the city’s 250^th anniversary. New hotels were built and older buildings were renovated. The River Walk was extended from South Alamo Street to the convention center. Passenger river barges began operating for sightseeing tours and dining. The River Walk received national attention and set the stage for what has become one of the state’s top visitor destinations.

The Museum Reach

In the mid 2000s, city leaders dreamed of expanding the River Walk to ultimately span 15 miles. The Museum Reach section was completed north of downtown in 2009. This 1.33-mile extension features visual and aural works of art, terraces landscaped with native plants and pedestrian access to the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the historic Pearl Brewery complex. River taxis pass through a lock and dam system to transport visitors to and from the original River Walk area.

The Mission Reach

To the south, the one-mile Eagleland section from Guenther Street to Lone Star Boulevard incorporates ecosystem restoration, a walking path and hike and bike trails. The Mission Reach section extends eight miles from Lone Star Boulevard to Mission Espada. Key to this segment is restoration of the river and its banks for aquatic life and wildlife, along with 15 miles of recreational trails, picnic and seating areas, pedestrian bridges, pavilions and portals to four Spanish colonial missions—Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada.

Today, the River Walk exemplifies San Antonio’s passion for historic preservation and adaptive reuse of centuries-old buildings. As you tour the River Walk, look for these and other notable buildings:
  Most of the caliche block and stucco structures in La Villita Historic Arts Village, a collection of boutiques, art galleries and restaurants, date to the mid-1800s when European immigrants lived and worked there. The area was first restored in 1939 by the National Youth Administration.

The city’s Carnegie Library, built along the river on Market Street in 1930, became the Hertzberg Circus Museum in 1968. Today, it’s being renovated for the Dolph and Janey Briscoe Western Art Museum.

Robert H. H. Hugman, architect and visionary of the River Walk, maintained a river level office in the Clifford Building, constructed on Commerce Street in 1893 and designed by Bexar County Courthouse architect James Riely Gordon. The white brick and masonry structure with the round tower now houses a coin shop and The Republic of Texas restaurant.

The Drury Plaza Hotel on South St. Mary’s Street is in the former Alamo National Bank Building, an art-deco skyscraper built in 1929. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as is the nearby San Antonio Drug Company office building, which dates to 1919 and is now the Homewood Suites by Hilton.

Overlooking the San Antonio River in the King William Historic District, the private residence of Carl H. Guenther, founder of the Pioneer Flour Mill, was built in 1860 and remodeled in 1917. The Guenther House restaurant, a popular destination for breakfast and lunch, opened at the location in 1988. The restaurant, museum and store are owned by C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc., the oldest continuously operating milling company in the U.S.

Omni La Mansión del Rio Hotel on College Street is a transformation of St. Mary’s School, designed in 1857 by architect Francois P. Giraud.

In the 1860s, Giraud also designed many of the buildings for the Ursuline Academy and Convent on Augusta Street, which now houses the Southwest School of Art. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

Two former breweries built along the San Antonio River—Pearl and Lone Star—are now accessible on the Museum Reach section of the River Walk.

The Pearl Brewery complex on E. Grayson is a mixed-use commercial and residential development that is also home to the Culinary Institute of America—San Antonio, along with acclaimed restaurants and specialty stores. The brewery was founded in 1881 as the J. B. Behloradsky Brewery and the City Brewery. The first Pearl Beer was bottled there in 1886. 

The Lone Star Brewery on Jones Street was completed in 1904 and remained in operation until 1918, when Prohibition was enacted and the buildings were then used for storage and warehouses until 1957. The site was acquired by the San Antonio Museum Association in the 1970s. The San Antonio Museum of Art opened in 1981, renowned for its collections of Latin American Folk Art and Asian Art.

THE ALAMO

Hours 9-5:30

More than 2.5 million people a year visit the 4.2 acre complex known worldwide as "The Alamo." For over 300 years, the Alamo has been a crossroads for Texas history.  Here the Spanish colonization first took hold, Mexico armed its independence and even the Confederacy stood its ground.  Yet most come to see the place where a small band of Texans held out for thirteen days against General Antonio López de Santa Anna.

Although the Alamo fell in the early morning hours of March 6, 1836, the death of the Alamo defenders has come to symbolize courage and sacrifice for the cause of Liberty. The memories of James Bowie, David Crockett, and William B. Travis are as powerful today as when the Texan Army under Sam Houston shouted "Remember the Alamo!" as it routed Santa Anna at the battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.

Located on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, Texas, the Alamo houses exhibits on the Texas Revolution and Texas History. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the beautiful Alamo Gardens. Just a short distance from the River Walk, the Alamo is a "must see" for all who come to San Antonio.    Hours 9-5:30