Location: Downtown
Top Things to do in Downtown
What to do and see in Downtown, Texas (TX): The Best Things to do
Step to the beat of wafting flamenco music as you wander the downtown River Walk before sampling as much chili (San Antonio’s signature dish) as your taste buds will allow. A visit to the Alamo is an absolute must, as is taking in a show at the ornate Majestic Theatre. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is dotted with 18th-century buildings and features, making for an enriching excursion.
Restaurants in San Antonio
1. The DoSeum - San Antonio's Museum for Kids
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 586 reviews
The DoSeum, San Antonio's museum for kids, serves as a “charging station” to power up kids’ minds and support the important work of schools and community organizations. Our exhibits and programs promote joyful learning, invite discovery, spark interest, and develop positive attitudes towards learning across critical content areas - including STEM, the arts, and literacy.
Reviewed By hornfan31 - Austin, United States
Wonderful children’s museum. So many activities. Great for kids and adults. Impossible to do everything in one day. Kids really enjoyed spy area. Stayed till closing.
2. San Antonio River Walk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26,381 reviews
The Paseo del Rio is San Antonio's favorite attraction. You can shop, dine, lounge in a cafe, or simply stroll along and let the strumming mariachi soothe your spirit.
Reviewed By M448ZSkathleenw - Mandeville, United States
The Riverwalk in San Antonio is a must for your list if in San Antonio. Even with the construction going on, the lively, colorful, variety offered on the Riverwalk has something for everyone; shops, restaurants, music, delectable treats, foliage, architecture, birds, ???? ducks, and of course- people watching. Every employee along the way was friendly, polite and engaging. The city streets were also safe to walk, and clean in most spots.
3. San Antonio’s Official Visitor Information Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
Informational brochures on everything you ever wanted to know about San Antonio's outdoor activities, from fishing to hiking.
4. San Antonio Central Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
You may not want to read a book, but a visit to the library is worth just to see the Chihuly blown glass sculpture in San Antonio's downtown library. Just walk in the main door and look up. It reminds me of the confetti flying out of a cascarón (a eggshell stuffed with confetti and cracked over someone's head during Fiesta).
5. Hemisfair Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 217 reviews
Built for the 1968 HemisFair in honor of the city's 250th anniversary, this delightful park is a local favorite, particularly the water gardens and the kid-designed wood and sand playground, which includes a castle and space tunnel. The highlight is the looming 750-foot tall Tower of the Americas, offering a terrific view of the city.
Reviewed By MistressMandie - San Antonio, United States
Perfect place to stretch your legs, breathe in the outdoor air, and enjoy the serenity of the water features.
6. San Antonio Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 787 reviews
The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in a historic brewery along the banks of the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk. The Museum offers important permanent collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Asian art, Latin American art, contemporary art and American paintings. The museum offers a variety of programs. Visit our website for admission pricing and more information. Bexar County residents enjoy free general admission every Tuesday 4–7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Reviewed By kzsull01 - Windsor, United States
My husband and I visited the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday afternoon, November 8, 2018 and Friday morning, November 9th. The museum had a very impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, and many other types of artifacts all well curated and documented and housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery. The former Lone Star Brewery building had unique architecture and was very nicely retrofitted to accommodate the artwork of the museum. The museum had much to offer and our visit was quite educational and an excellent lesson in art, history, and culture. Our visit at the museum lasted about five hours in total, due to the amount of time that we had available to us, but it could have easily taken more time to be able to absorb and appreciate all the artwork on display. An added bonus to our visit was there was plenty of free parking conveniently located across the street from the museum. We recommend a visit to this museum if you are in San Antonio, and hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy it as much as we did!! We started our visit on the first floor with the Egyptian, Ancient Mediterranean, Greek and Roman Art. The Egyptian artwork included a comprehensive display of many types of interesting artifacts and objects, including figurines, papyrus, pottery, vessels, statuette funerary, mummy masks, a mummy coffin, ancient glass and even a falcon. Artifacts illustrating Religion in Ancient Egypt included jars, knives, bowls, necklaces, beakers and other offering objects were all beautifully displayed. We then toured the Greek World Gallery. This included information about the natural world and ideal forms and proportions. Greece in the Bronze Ages was depicted. Jugs, jars, flasks, bowls, urns, Greek Coinage, jewelry, gems, and funerary sculptures were included among the many items nicely on display. We then viewed the Roman World. Multiple aspects of this art was depicted, including Roman Funerary Sculptures, Art in the Roman Provinces, Roman Coinage, portraits and a depiction of Roman mythology as well as much more, all quite interesting. We then went to the second floor which had Asian Art, including Japanese, Southeast Asian, Korean, Himalayan and Indian artwork. A variety of artifacts were on display, among them were Scenes of the Life of Buddha, including a Crowned Buddha, as well as objects related to Brahma, the Dance of Divine Love on Pigments of Cotton, Yogini, Plaques with the Mother Goddess, the Wedding of Krishna, Radha - Object of Krishna’s Desire, and a Surya Shrine. Many bottles, bowls and jars were also on display, all worth seeing. The Japanese art illustrated the Magic of Clay and Fire through Contemporary Ceramics, including vessels, jars, vases. A suit of parade armor was also on display as well a shrine and multiple folding silk screen panels, including ‘the Hawk on a Branch with Chattering Monkeys’ in addition to vases bottles, dishes and pitchers, all quite nice. The third floor had a very comprehensive and quite impressive collection of Chinese artwork, including ceramics, imperial China artifacts and early China artifacts. Art from multiple Chinese Dynasties were on display, including Qing, Ming, Song, Northern Song, Tang, Sui, Northern Qi, , Northern Wei, Han, Eastern Han, Western Han, Western Jin and Eastern Jin and many more. The artwork included vases, bowls, dishes, cups, canisters, figurines, flasks, jars, wine pots, bottles, urns, robes, furniture, horses, soldiers, a money tree, earthenware, stoneware, pieces of bronze and much more. We completed our visit at the museum on November 8th very impressed with what we saw, but still had more galleries in the museum to explore on November 9th. We began our visit to the museum on November 9th on the fourth floor with the Art of Oceania. This was a very interesting gallery depicting ceremonial ancestor figures, a basketry figure of a wild pig from New Guinea, a basketry yam mask, and information on the Yam Festivals of the Abelam people of New Guinea as well as well as the Malanggan Festivals of New Ireland. The Oceanic gallery illustrated an interesting history of cultural exchange in the South Pacific. . We then crossed over the Sky Bridge and went through an interesting and unique exhibit by Marilyn Lafear on ‘From Sewing to Soldering’. We went to the Texas Gallery and enjoyed the Texas Furniture and Texas Art with Blue Bonnets, Landscape Paintings and Marble Bronze Sculptures as well as other pieces of contemporary artwork in the next galleries. We walked through multiple galleries with interesting artwork including sculptures, jewelry and more by modern designer Harry Bertoia. We then spent time viewing the Spanish and Colonial Art as well as the very impressive Latin American Art Galleries, including modern, contemporary and folk art. We really enjoyed viewing the various vases, jars, crowns, chalices as well as beautiful religious paintings. We then spent some time viewing the American Art, including Haystack Mountain in Vermont and paintings along Pennsylvania Avenue. In addition, we enjoyed viewing the pieces of European Art that were on display. . . We finally visited the special exhibit ‘Becoming John Marin, Modernist at Work’. We enjoyed his drawings, watercolors, etchings and oil paintings, including early landscapes and architecture. We liked his artwork in Venice, Paris, and in Manhattan, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Telephone Building, the Woolworth Building and his depiction of a city in motion. We also liked his art regarding ‘Exploring America’, ‘Faces and Fantasies’, including portraiture, as well his artwork regarding the circus and his ‘Summers in Maine’. This was definitely a very comprehensive and interesting special exhibit nicely laid out with write-ups having good background information, all illustrating a unique perception of art. It was definitely worth seeing. . As you can tell, this museum has quite a bit to offer, much more than what is mentioned here. Again, we recommend a visit to this museum if you are in San Antonio and hope that you enjoy it as much as we did!!
7. San Antonio River
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,640 reviews
Scenic river winds through the town of San Antonio.
Reviewed By RuthF953 - Portland, United States
San Antonio‘s river walk is quite lovely. Whether it’s cool outside or blazing hot this calming relaxing area is wonderful to take a stroll through. Lots of restaurants to enjoy shops to Peru’s through and a great place for people watching.Take a stroll and be sure to take some time to sit in one of the outside cafés have a cocktail watch people walk by with smiles of enjoyment on their faces.
8. Long Barracks Museum
9. Casa Navarro State Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Come explore the 1830s-1850s renovated adobe homestead and history of Texas hero, José Antonio Navarro. Interact with multi-sensory exhibits and browse through our visitor center and museum store. Schedule your tour group or special event and take a moment to relax in our urban garden oasis.
Reviewed By Kittygal - Los Angeles, United States
This historic site documents the life and home of Jose Antonio Navarro, who was a prominent 19th century political figure in San Antonio. The displays are easy to read, with lots of interesting facts. A history of the house itself is also on view, which documents the changing neighborhood. Worth a visit!
10. Majestic & Empire Theatres
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,283 reviews
Established in 1929 and 1914, the Majestic & Empire Theatres are the historic Crown Jewels of Houston St., entertaining San Antonio in the heart of downtown for over 90 years.
Reviewed By RCTALLEY - San Antonio, United States
Love holding season tickets for the Broadway series. Fiddler on the Roof just now. SA can have a real big city feel on theater night. Dinner/drinks and the show. Highly recommend!
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