We are Ryan and Monica Hoffmann, proud parents of special needs children. It took a long time to get here, but we have been to 33 US states in the past 4 years and we are just warming up.
Truly, our hearts were left in San Antonio. Nowhere in the USA have we lived or visited with such a wonderful culture; a blend of Mexican, American, and military culture that marry in such a way it brings out the best of everything. In this article we will discuss our favorite fun and family things to do in San Antonio, Texas.
Downtown San Antonio is safe and clean. There is the basic tourist-y area near the Alamo and Riverwalk that collects most of the visitors. The Historic Market Square, Tower of the America’s, San Antonio Missions, and King William district are all within walking distance from downtown as well.
There are also great things to do outside of the city. San Antonio is surrounded by small towns like Fredricksburg, Bandera, Gruene, Helotes, Boerne, Luling, and many more that are all worth exploring. The hill country region is rich in history.
In this article we have blended our favorite places with the traditional San Antonio tourist attractions to create a well-rounded list of fun, family things to do in San Antonio, Texas. We understand that many folks will stick to the downtown area and get the usual San Antonio experience, and there is nothing wrong with that! However, if you have the time, consider taking a drive to some nearby areas.
Must-Do attractions are typically the reason we’ve decided to visit.
The River Walk is a collection of stores and restaurants that line a meandering river amidst the downtown buildings. Tour boats run beneath colorfully lit trees, where operators tell the history of the city and its landmarks.
Restaurant seating intimately lines the walking paths. Footbridges whimsically cross the river. Horse drawn carriages straight out of Cinderella make fairytale dreams come true. The ambiance is magical, especially at night.
This is a tourist destination that rivals any in the country. It is the absolute best thing to do in San Antonio, Texas, and one of our favorite things we’ve ever done.
Our Best Advice: The food isn’t that great at most of the restaurants. Try Acenar if you like Mexican, and Biga on the Banks for fine dining.
With 2.5 million visitors yearly, The Alamo is the top San Antonio attraction, as well as the top Texas attraction. Most everyone who travels to San Antonio will take at least a moment to check out the ultimate symbol of American bravery. So revered is the Alamo that no building can ever be constructed that will cast a shadow on it.
According to historians, the Texian army defeated Santa Anna’s army in the battle of San Jacinto in 18 minutes. You can tour the facility in less than that, or take some snapshots from outside the building. Frankly, it’s an old building with little inside, but the history is priceless and it’s a worthy tour.
The Alamo is the first of five Spanish Frontier Missions that stretch southward over eight miles. The missions were small towns that operated as schools, churches, farms, and fortresses. The early missionaries brought locals in to provide basic education and religion. The Mission San Jose is probably the best preserved and provides a great representation of what life was like here hundreds of years ago.
Have you ever walked into a place and the energy felt great? Of course you have. Well, that was our impression of the Historic Market Square. This is the Mexican cultural hotspot in downtown San Antonio. The Market is like a party for the senses, with over three blocks of stores, restaurants, food carts, colorful décor and live music.
If you’re looking to bring home some souvenirs, the HMS has over 100 shops that sell clothing, handcrafts, and decorations.
The most famous restaurant, Mi Tierre Café, is tourist central. It has a beautiful bakery and the food is just OK. If you’re hankering for good Mexican food, try Rosario’s Mexican Café Y Cantina. It’s a 20-minute walk from here, in the historic King William neighborhood.
The King William neighborhood has some grand, historic manors and hip hangouts. It makes for a fun-filled date-night all by itself.
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Between San Antonio and Austin is a small town called Dripping Springs. There isn’t much to do here except visit the swimming-hole oasis known as Hamilton Pool. Here’s a MAP.
Hamilton Pool was created when the dome of an underground river collapsed. Picture a river cascading thirty feet into a perfect blue/green lagoon that is backdropped by an above ground cavern. Now imagine there’s a sandy beach in the sunlight, and the whole place is surrounded by trees. It’s is utterly paradisiacal and one of the most amazing settings we’ve ever found.
The downside is that you’ll need to reserve your tickets far in advance, as it books out for the season very fast. Also, the timeslots allow for only 3.5 hours at the park. Choose the AM or PM slot, either one is great. Bring food and water, as none will be available.
Floating the river is a splendid way to spend the day and a must-do for fun, family things to do in San Antonio. While the Frio River is not the only floatable river in the city, it is a popular place to float, home to a bevy of outfitters to help you get on the water.
Garner State Park is a gorgeous setting with river access along the Frio’s most popular stretch. You will find the river is slow and clear and shallow enough for children to play.
Cypress trees line both shores of the river and it seems like there’s a rope swing in every one. Bomb from the trees, or drop anchor and read a book. For a little exercise, hike to the top of Mt. Baldy, the quintessential backdrop for the scene. Everyone is having a good time here.
If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!
Should-Do attractions receive a strong recommend.
Port Aransas is the nearest coastal town (besides Corpus Christi). The drive is over two hours and totally worth it. You can drive through Corpus to get there, or turn north through Aransas Pass and take the free ferry over to the island. Here’s a MAP.
The beach on Mustang Island runs over twenty miles. The water is warm and soothing (never mind that it’s brown; you’ll get over it).
The fishing is terrific from shore, off the pier, or on the jetty that stretches far into the sea. At night you can catch Atlantic ghost crabs.
Folks navigate the beach in golf carts. Waves and smiles from strangers are in abundant supply.
The town of Port Aransas is friendly with lots to offer. The houses are colorful and the restaurants are good! We strongly recommend Irie’s Island Food (amazing), or Padre Island Burger Company (must-do every time we visit the coast).
“Churro and a cupcake” is how we’ve heard the Tower of the America’s described. It’s hard to see it any other way now. A 15-minute walk from the Alamo, the tower resides in a pretty park with fountains and giftshops. This is one of the top San Antonio attractions.
The elevator ride is fast and fun. Earth looks good from 600 feet up wherever you are, even if San Antonio isn’t very attractive.
This is our go-to place for fancy dinners. The service is fantastic, the food is delicious, the prices are reasonable, and the view changes as the restaurant revolves.
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Fiesta is San Antonio’s signature event. Also known as The Battle of the Flowers, the festival commemorates the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. More than 3 million people take part in over 100 events around the city for ten days in mid-April.
The list of events is staggering, a menu of good times that cannot be consumed in a single year. Some of the most popular events are the River Walk boat parade, NIOSA, A Taste of New Orleans, Oyster Bake, and Fiesta in Blue. The Battle of the Flowers parade, the oldest event, is hosted entirely by women and draws 350,000 people on the second day of the festival.
NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio), is a four-night block party in downtown. Mention it to most anyone and you’ll get a head shake or chuckle – it is notoriously crowded. Incredible food items from different countries are served from specialty booths for good prices. Enjoy beignets, baklava, fried ravioli, gyros, frog legs, sopapillas, bratwurst, and cowboy klopse. While it becomes quite the slosh-fest at night, the vibe is awesome, live music is everywhere, and the people are friendly despite the crowds. Bring cash, patience, and an appetite for a one-of-a-kind experience.
Could-Do attractions are worthwhile, but we don’t strongly recommend them for one reason or another.
Normally we wouldn’t put a chain business as a top ten San Antonio attraction. It would be easy to include Sea World or Topgolf because they are great things to do, as well. All that aside, we spent more time at Six Flags than anywhere except home, work, school, or church. It would be disingenuous to not include it.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas is one of the better Six Flags rollercoaster parks. It has the added benefit of being undercrowded and clean. If you visit early in the year (Feb-April), the weather is temperate and the crowds are light. The waterpark opens in summer and it’s a pretty good one.
Be sure to ride the Iron Rattler — which boasts a 171’ drop at 81 degrees and a top speed of 70 mph — and the Superman, our personal favorites.
One last thing: Fiesta Texas does Fright Fest better than anyone. With a half-dozen haunted houses, multiple “scare zones”, and a devilish assortment of zombies, clowns, and mutants dedicated to emptying your bladders on site, Fright Fest delivers the goods. When you hear the creepy sounds blast through the speakers at 7 PM, its time to hide your children.
As sure as the sun will rise, San Antonians are gonna eat BBQ. In this town you’re going to hear a lot of conflicting information about BBQ.
In our opinion, the best BBQ is in Austin. However, if you’re in San Antonio and want to eat some mouth-watering, tell your grandkids about it BBQ, don’t just go to Rudy’s and pretend it was amazing (its good, not great). We recommend you drive an hour east to Luling, Texas.
The Original City Market BBQ is the best BBQ we had in San Antonio.
It’s on the humble side – imagine convenience store meets cafeteria in 1978. You might think you’re in the wrong place when you enter.
In the back of the “restaurant” is the smokehouse. Enter through the door on the right – there will probably be a line. Once inside everything will come into focus and you’ll understand.
The hot sausage is divine. The brisket and ribs are first rate. See the ladies at the kiosk for an assortment of scrumptious sides. They’ll hand you a bottle of homemade BBQ sauce if you like. Use it all and ask for another. Drink that #$%@ like soda pop.
Best for Children: River Walk, Garner State Park, Six Flags
Best Time to Visit: March/April and November.
The weather is unpredictable in San Antonio. Daily swings in temperature are common. Storms are unpredictable. June through September is hot.
Best Family Adventure: Hamilton Pool, Garner State Park
Most Romantic: Tower of the Americas, Fiesta
Best for Photos: San Antonio Missions, Hamilton Pool
Best for Hiking: Garner State Park, Enchanted Rock
Map of San Antonio: Click Here
If you’re visiting San Antonio you are most likely to stay in the downtown area. Here you can easily visit the Alamo, Tower of the Americas, Historic Market Square, and the Riverwalk — all the primary San Antonio attractions. The downtown is clean, safe, and pleasant. We recommend you do all of these things, as well as check out the nearby Missions (map at bottom of article).
If you’re looking for something less typical of a San Antonio visit, the trifecta of Garner State Park, Hamilton Pool, and Port Aransas are our favorite three places. Enchanted Rock is another good one.
What makes San Antonio a truly great city goes beyond the tourist experience. The people and the culture of San Antonio are one-of-a-kind. We haven’t found more lively and friendly place and consider San Antonio among our nation’s greatest cities.
Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!
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