Top Five Myths About Visiting the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas

On a recent road trip to Texas, visiting the Alamo came up as an option for a great photo opportunity and a little bit of a history lesson. But five myths about visiting the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas nearly prevented us from an hour of enjoyable touring. Here's the top five myths about seeing the Alamo in San Antonio and why you should completely ignore them if you want to grasp a piece of history while in San Antonio.

Myth #1: The Alamo is Way Out in the Boonies

Nothing could be further from the truth. The Alamo is, in fact, smack in the heart of San Antonio. It's almost a culture shock to drive up and down the San Antonio streets to find the remains of fortress walls on a street corner protecting the Alamo within.

The Alamo is located in Alamo Plaza on Bonham Street across from E. Houston St. and the Emily Morgan Hotel.

Myth #2: The Alamo is Difficult to Walk To

Nonsense. Simply take the scenic River Walk from lower San Antonio up to Alamo Plaza. If there's a detour (as there was when we visited) this might pose a slight conundrum in the direct route, but on a typical day, you'll practically walk right into it if you exit the River Walk and cross a couple streets.

Myth #3: Visitors Must Pay an Admission Fee to Enter the Alamo

Nope - admission is free to all. As you enter the fortress walls, a tour guide might greet you, but you can walk right through the heavy doors to the musty walls within. During your self-guided tour, you may look, but not touch, and you should refrain from taking pictures. While you won't get thrown out for using your camera, some of the guides will approach you and request that you stop snapping photos.

Myth #4: The Alamo is Boring and Not Worth Visiting

I guess it depends on your idea of a good time, but I would have been disappointed had I skipped seeing the Alamo during our drive through San Antonio. I enjoyed looking at the weaponry, touring the different hideouts in the Alamo and hearing about the history behind it. Seeing Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie artifacts is cooler than you might think.

Myth #5: There's Nothing to See Besides the Façade of the Alamo

Wrong-o! There are scenic gardens around the Alamo, commemorative structures and even a separate museum of the evolution of the Bowie knife. In addition to snapping photos of the family standing outside the Alamo, you can take a tour of the inside rooms as well as the fortress grounds.

Granted, it's not an amusement park, so you won't be there all day, but depending on crowd size, you should at least allocate one hour to touring the Alamo. I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

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