Beyond the Alamo: A Locals Guide to San Antonio Sights

Every tourist in San Antonio knows about the Alamo-after all, we proudly proclaim ourselves the Alamo City. But by venturing just a little off the beaten path, you can see the true heart of the city, beyond the remains of that old presidio, and beyond the tourist-clogged banks of the River Walk.

Missions, Churches, and History

While the Alamo is the best-known of the city's missions, there is very little of it still standing. Far better to go south of downtown a bit, along Roosevelt Avenue, and pay a visit to Mission San Jose. This grandest of the five missions in San Antonio, San Jose is nearly intact. In fact, the church on the grounds is still active. The visitors' center shows a film on the history of Texas's colonization by the Spanish, and there is also a museum, but don't hesitate to walk the grounds yourself. In addition to the church, you will be able to see the old barracks where the Indians lived-at one time, the mission supported 300 people-and the famous Rose Window of the church, which may or may not have a heartbreaking story behind it. Admission is free, and the park is closed only three days a year.

Located in the heart of downtown San Antonio, not too far from Market Square, is the Spanish Governor's Palace. Though not an actual palace, it is a vital piece of the city's history, having once been the headquarters of the presidio's captain. It is also the only remaining example of an 18^th-century Spanish aristocratic home in the State. Like many buildings in the city, this one is also haunted. It is said that during renovations a woman's skeleton was found in one of the walls, and it is she who haunts the residence's fountain. Admission is $1.50 for adults and half that for children, and the Palace is closed only on Christmas & New Year's.

St Mark's Episcopal Church, downtown on East Pecan at Travis Park, is the oldest Episcopal church in the city. Prior to the construction of the Bishop Jones center in Alamo Heights, it was designated as a cathedral and was the headquarters of the Episcopal Dioscese of West Texas. Civil War buff should note that Robert E Lee was one of the founding members of the church (before he was run out of town for not supporting secession). It is also the place where former President Lyndon B Johnson was married. The church's bell was made from a cannon the Mavericks-yes, the folks for whom the word was coined-found on their ranch land. As the parish hall is currently being renovated, the best bet for anyone wishing to see the inside of the church is to stop by on a Sunday morning; tours are often offered once the 11:15 service is over slightly past noon.

Military City

San Antonio is home to both Lackland Air Force Base, home of USAF basic training and Fort Sam Houston, the center of the military's medic training. The city's military history is a proud one, and Bexar County-which San Antonio seats-is still the number one recruitment area in the nation. Naturally, there are several things to see in the military vein.

"Hill 881 South", a sculpture by artist and Marine Austin Deuel, is the centerpiece of the city's Viet Nam Veterans' Memorial, located directly behind St Mark's. The sculpture depicts a radioman comfortin a wounded comrade while awaiting a medevac helicopter. Based on what Deuel witnessed at the epynomous hill, there are fewer more moving war memorials in existence. At the other end of the plaza is the city's Korean War memorial.

Fort Sam Houston houses three wonderful, accessible to civilians, attractions. The Quadrangle, originally a supply depot and then the fort's headquarters, is a must-see for lovers of military history. Once briefly prison to Geronimo, the Quadrangle is noted for its small herd of tame deer. Bring a bit of feed and prepare to be swamped, or just investigate the tower. The other must-see on Fort Sam is the US Army Medical Department Museum. You can tour the history of military-and therefore American-medicine, from the Revolutionary War to the present, including artifacts as diverse as an iron lung, a Korean-War era knitted bra, and a car from a hospital train. The Quadrangle is open daily; the museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission to both is free. To access the post, vehicles without a Department of Defense decal must enter through either the Walters or Binz-Engelman gates, and all visitors over the age of 16 must present photo ID.

Art and Museums

One might not think of San Antonio as a center for the arts, but there is actually a thriving art community.

Slightly north of downtown is the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum. Once a stately mansion, the McNay is now permanent home to some of the nicest art in the city, with pieces by Rodin, Matisse, and even O'Keefe, as well as host to several traveling exhibitions. Both the house and the grounds are open Tuesdays through Sundays, and admission is free (there is a suggested donation of $5 per adult).

On Broadway a short way from downtown, is the Witte Museum. Home to a variety of rotating exhibits-including those formerly in the Hertzberg Circus Museum-the Witte is a favorite of locals. Get your fill of mummies, dinosaurs, and the Texas Wild exhibit, which showcases the flora and fauna of the state, and for interactive fun visit the HEB Science Treehouse. The museum is open seven days a week except for the third Monday in October, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children, free Tuesday afternoons.

Just south of downtown is the Blue Star Arts Complex. Home to a variety of galleries, including the Bluestar Art Space, the converted warehouse complex is San Antonio's art home. Make it part of your First Friday art walk through Southtown at the beginning of every month, and see the works of some of SA's contemporary artists. Hours vary by gallery, but there's always something going on.

The Institute of Texan Cultures lies on the very outskirts of downtown, and is the place to go to learn about the various ethnic groups that make this state so great. From our strong Mexican and German cultures to lesser-known groups like Lebanese and Swedish, Texas is indeed a melting pot, and you can learn about the various cultures that have blended to make Texas what it is today. Come in June for the Texas Folklife Festival and eat your way through the cultures in addition to seeing the exhibits. Open Tuesdays through Sundays save for federal holidays, admission to the Institute is $7 for adults and $4 for children.

Food!

We love our gorditas in this city, both the food and the women. There is a huge variety of expensive restaurants downtown that will introduce you to the city's cuisine, but as with everything a short drive or bus ride will open up a world of reasonable, family-friendly options.

Local minor league baseball team, the Missions, has as its mascot Henry the Puffy Taco. Puffy tacos are unique to Texas; you can't say you've had true Tex-Mex without them. The place for puffy tacos? Henry's Puffy Tacos, of course. You can't beat the restaurant that spawned the mascot! Located on Bandera Road, visit during lunch for one of their specials-priced just over $5-and try puffy tacos with piccadillo, shredded chicken, or four other fillings. The most expensive thing on the menu is $15, and most dishes are well under $10. Henry's is open every day but Sunday.

On Broadway just outside of downtown lies the Pig Stand. If you've ever eaten onion rings, you've had a Pig Stand original. Not only did the restaurant originate onion rings, but the original restaurant in Dallas was also the country's first drive-thru restaurant. Along with your onion rings, try the Pig Sandwich (you can sit near the neon sign Bill Haley took into a courtroom to defend his trademark of that name) or another Texas original, the chicken fried steak. The Pig Stand is open seven days a week, but visit on Friday night to catch the weekly classic car show.

Every tourist knows about Mi Tierra, located in Market Square. Johnny's Mexican Restaurant, on New Braunfels just outside of Fort Sam Houston, was opened by Mi Tierra's former chef. Prices are much lower than at Mi Tierra, but the food is just as good. Try their cabrito al pastor. Johnny's is open seven days a week.

It's name is its location-Broadway 50/50. More than a bar or restaurant, this is the place to go to watch Spurs games or catch live local music. It's also home to arguably the best hamburgers in the city. Have a Guapo burger-made with refried beans, cheese, chips, and salsa and Shiner Bock-battered onion rings, washing the whole thing down with a cold Texas beer. With the exception of the flat iron steak, all the food on the menu is under $9, and the restaurant is open late every day of the week. (One caution: the entire restaurant/bar permits smoking.)

Walk it Off!

With a great meal in your belly, you'll be looking for a way to work off some of those calories, and San Antonio has opportunities aplenty for that.

Take a walk through the King William Historic District, just south of downtown. This was the orginal German settlement in the city, and is home to some of the loveliest houses in San Antonio. Walk down South Alamo to Wicks or Guenther. You can walk throughout the entire neighborhood, but at the least you'll want to visit the Guenther House, home to the founding family of Pioneer Flour Mills, which the house buts against. The Guenther House is open daily, but closes early, so head over in the morning. The King William District is also home to noted poet/author Sandra Cisneros, see if you can guess which house is hers!

Located on and off Broadway is Brackenridge Park. The oldest and loveliest park in the city, Brackenridge Park is home to multiple hiking and biking trails. It is the perfect place for a picnic, and you can even take the kids to one of the playgrounds and let them run off their energy. Brackenridge Park is also home to the San Antonio Zoo and the Eagle, a miniature-gauge train. You can take the train ($2.25 for adults, $2 for children) to visit the Witte Museum, in fact, or just enjoy the scenery in Brackenridge Park. At the same building the train departs from, you can rent a pedal car to tour the park.

Nearby the Park and Zoo is the San Antonio Botanical Garden. A popular location for wedding portraits, the Botanical Garden spreads over 33 acres. You can tour the rose garden, the Japanese garden, or the Northrup Tropical Room, a rainforest-in-a-building. The garden is open year round save for Christmas and New Year's, and there is always something to see. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for kids.

This is just a small list of the many, many things to see and do in the city. It will definitely take you more than one visit to see it all.