While Austin, Dallas, and Houston get the lion’s share of attention from tourists visiting Texas, don’t let that deter you from a visit to San Antonio. With delicious food, an active festival scene, and terrific nightlife, the city has an atmosphere unlike any other. Surprising to some, it also has an excellent museum scene for you to get some culture. The next time you’re feeling curious, inquisitive, or you just need to clear out the cobwebs, check out these must-see museums in San Antonio.
The Alamo
No trip to San Antonio is complete without a visit to the Alamo. Constructed in 1718, the Alamo is the city’s most-visited and most-famous building. This year, it celebrates its 300th anniversary, so there’s no better time to make the trip. A guided or audio tour allows you to dive into the history of the building, as well as the famous battle that saw around 200 Texans fight the Mexicans to the last man.
The Alamo also has a special rotating exhibit throughout the year that sheds light on the history of the building, the Battle of the Alamo, the combatants of the eponymous battle, and efforts to preserve Texas’ legendary mission.
You can visit the Alamo free of charge, but to get the most of your tour, hop on a one-hour guided tour for $15, or a self-guided audio tour for just $7. Hours for the Alamo are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May 26 to Sept. 4 (peak season), and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m from Sept. 5 to May 2.
The DoSeum
If you have kids, don’t miss out on your chance for an interactive, educational journey to the DoSeum. Opened in June of 2015, it’s the newest museum in the city, featuring sparkling facilities that both you and your children will love. Featuring three floors of excitement, the DoSeum teaches math, science, engineering, and technology with a hands-on approach. It’s so much fun, they won’t even know they’re learning something new.
Admission is $14 for ages 1 and up. Visit the DoSeum Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art Museum
Pollock, Picasso, Dali, and Renoir are just a few of the timeless artists who produce pieces people pay millions to add to their collections. However, you shouldn’t count out San Antonio’s own Barney Smith. The 97-year-old Smith was a lifelong plumber, but when he retired, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his time. That’s when he started to create toilet seat art.
The resulting artwork is part ingenuity and part collage, carefully and painstakingly put together on a toilet seat or lid. Each of the lids has a theme, and Barney will even show you around himself. Note that even if you fall in love with a toilet seat, none of them are for sale. However, admission is free, so it’s a definite win-win.
Whether you need to entertain the kids, indulge the history buff within, or see some downright bizarre artwork, San Antonio has the spot for you to get your museum fix.
Alamo Image by P_Linehan is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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