I expected the ongoing restoration of The Alamo — the historic Spanish mission in San Antonio that was originally called Mission San Antonio de Valero — to disrupt my recent visit. Instead, I found the planned changes to be just another interesting chapter in the fascinating story of this legendary place.
The Alamo is renowned for its pivotal role in Texas’s fight for independence from Mexico. It’s where Davy Crockett made the last stand of his life, fighting alongside other Anglos and Tejanos (Texans of Mexican origin) at the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. The only remaining original buildings are the Alamo Church and Long Barrack, whose construction began in 1724. Today, an ambitious restoration effort aims to reclaim the original footprint of The Alamo grounds.
Visiting The Alamo and beyond: A stop-by-stop guide
Stop 1: The Alamo
Photos: Devin Reese
Despite construction cranes adjacent to the visitor area, entering The Alamo quickly transports you into the past. Reenactors in the courtyard demonstrate traditions of the Tejanos and Anglos who lived at the mission during the lead-up to the Battle of the Alamo.
Founded as a Catholic mission in 1718 by Spaniards aiming to spread Christianity to Indigenous tribes, The Alamo transitioned to a military encampment in 1803 that would eventually hold about 200 Texans — both Anglo and Tejano — taking a stand for independence.
Inside the Long Barrack, the original stone walls are lined with historical artifacts and interpretation. You can pay extra for an augmented reality experience. When you scan exhibit insignias, they come to life on a tablet with animated, talking characters in 3-D scenes. By sliding a button, you can visually transition from 1836 to the present, seeing how people, buildings, and landscapes have changed over time.
Entering the Alamo Church, you can’t help but feel the sobering intensity of its past. After the Texas rebels drafted an independent constitution, Mexico sent a party of about 1800 soldiers to The Alamo that overwhelmed the much smaller group of Texas defenders.
During a bloody battle lasting only 90 minutes, explained docent Miguel to a rapt set of visitors, “Mexican soldiers dragged the Texas rebels out of the church and assassinated every one of them in the courtyard.” The original walls of The Alamo, according to Miguel, were graced with floral fresco paintings, but even now bare, the walls felt hallowed.
The Alamo: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX, 78205
Stop 2: San Antonio’s other missions
Photos: Devin Reese
Because of its significant role in history, The Alamo is the most famous of San Antonio’s Spanish missions, but it’s by no means the most beautiful. The other four missions, scattered at approximately three-mile intervals southward along the winding San Antonio River, were built in various stages during the 18th century, as “New Spain” was settled by the Spanish Empire. Indigenous tribes — referred to collectively as Coahuiltecan by the Spaniards — were recruited to live at the missions and learn Christianity.
Each mission has its own character. The southernmost Mission Espada includes an aqueduct that still carries water and a garden of flowers that brings the old buildings to life. The largest mission, San José, dubbed the “Queen of the Missions,” is steeped in lore around a baroque-style rose-colored window. The National Park Service staff describes alternate explanations for the significance of the rose window. In one interpretation, a carpenter created it as a tribute to his sweetheart who died at sea. In another, the window was made as a gathering spot for Mission events.
San Antonian Rosa Miller, raised in Mexico, who traveled with me, said, “Many San Antonio Catholics retain a deep, reverent connection to the missions.” The four missions other than The Alamo still serve as active parishes, offering Sunday Catholic Mass. You can hear the original mission bells peal to call people to Mass or to mark other religious occasions.
Given their significance in the history of the Spanish Crown’s colonization of the New World, the San Antonio Missions were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015. Said Director Colleen Swain of the World Heritage Center, whom I met en route, “There are many other Spanish Missions in the West, but here the restored Mission Reach of the river was a major factor in securing the World Heritage designation.”
Mission Espada: 10040 Espada Rd, San Antonio, TX 78214
Mission San José: 701 E Pyron Ave, San Antonio, TX 78214
Mission Concepción: 807 Mission Rd, San Antonio, TX 78210
Mission San Juan: 9101 Graf Rd, San Antonio, TX 78214
Stop 3: The Witte Museum
Photo: Devin Reese
At a museum that offers a blend of “history, art, and Texas heritage,” you can soak up more juicy details of Texas history. Although a large space is dedicated to natural history with realistic taxonomy scenes and a live animal room, I spent my time in the Robert J. & Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center, a snapshot of life in 1849 San Antonio. Original artifacts such as road signs, fiddles, and wood barrels provide focal points for exhibits. It was also fun to peek inside recreated colonial dwellings or ride the wooden horse alongside life-sized historic figures on horseback.
The Witte Museum: 3801 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
Stop 4: San Fernando Cathedral
Photo: Devin Reese
You can wrap up your evening watching a light show at the San Fernando Cathedral in the city’s historic main plaza, a short walk from The Alamo. In a nightly 9 PM presentation called “The Saga,” an array of colorful images is projected onto the face of the Cathedral. I expected the show to chronicle San Antonio’s history, but the presentation was more art than history lesson. It’s an evocative array of images, sounds, and music that honors San Antonio’s character through its many eras, from Indigenous roots to the present.
San Fernando Cathedral: 115 Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205
Where to eat near The Alamo
Pearl Farmer’s Market
When the Pearl Brewery was purchased and transformed into Hotel Emma in 2001 (more on that below), the area around it was also revitalized to become what’s now called The Pearl (District). It’s home to shops, restaurants, and a lively farmer’s market that appears to be a gathering spot for locals and tourists. Even on a drizzly day, I encountered a couple of dozen vendors offering everything from local honey to homemade pasta, Indian samosas, and fresh produce. You could happily spend a morning grazing your way through the market, which is open from 9 AM to 1 PM on Saturdays and Sundays with periodic special events.
Pearl Farmer’s Market: 312 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78215
Pullman Market
Mesquite. Photo: Devin Reese
An enthusiastic volunteer at the Pearl Farmer’s Market information booth said to me, “You must go see the Pullman Market down the way,” and she was right. Pullman Market, while much newer than the old Pearl Brewery building, retained historical character with vendors selling traditional goods: freshly baked breads, cuts of fish and meat, locally made cheeses, dried flowers, and other products highlighting regional producers.
Besides various stands to grab a quick burger or salad, inside Pullman Market are four distinct restaurants. My host Emilie DuJour took me to lunch at Mesquite, which serves up the cuisine of the Sonoran region of northwest Mexico. The menu was small but interesting, including ingredients like recado negro (a mix of chiles and spices of Maya origins) and escabeche (Mexican pickled vegetables), which required some explanation.
We ordered one of Emilie’s favorite appetizers: a calabacitas dip made of squash, corn, and Mexican cheese. I chased that with the pescado frito (fried fish) tacos. With a topping of cabbage slaw, avocado purée, and criolla (salsa with finely chopped vegetables), they were creamy and flavorful. The waiter proudly described the chef’s method for making the fish batter extra fluffy by injecting a bit of CO2.
Pullman Market: 221 Newell Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78215
Where to stay near The Alamo
Hotel Gibbs
Photo: Devin Reese
A stone’s throw from The Alamo are several historic hotels dating to the late 19th century, including the 1859 Menger Hotel and 1909 Crockett Hotel (the latter named after Davy Crockett). I stayed at the historic Hotel Gibbs in a high-rise building erected in 1909 for offices. The Hotel Gibbs — by blending original architecture with modern features — offered the best of both worlds. The working elevators were hidden behind the old elevator doors, which sometimes open to let ghosts through, according to local lore. From my spacious, well-appointed room, I had a view of a grand Beaux-Arts federal building conceived at the turn of the 20th century and still in use as the Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
One evening, I dipped into the hotel’s FlorVino wine bar for one of its free tastings and was bowled over by the fragrant flower wines. The sommelier, Lewis Bonjean, explained how his uncle Hugo, descended from a lineage of French winemakers, pioneered making wines from flower petals and nectar in Canada. These unique wines made their way to Texas. Lewis described the source for the “Dande” wine we tasted as a “vast field of dandelions growing on a sunny hilltop in Alberta.” At $28-35/bottle, they’re not the least nor the most expensive wines on the market. And, said Lewis, “Flower wines keep well once opened and don’t contain the tartaric acids that cause hangovers from traditional grape-based wines.”
Hotel Gibbs: 105 N Alamo St, San Antonio, TX, 78205
Hotel Emma
Just a half-hour walk north of The Alamo is another hotel with a phenomenal origin story. Its lobby looks like a cross between an elegant sitting room and a brewery, which is anything but accidental. In 1894, the hotel was the largest brewery and tallest building in Texas — Pearl’s Brewhouse. When it was reconstrued as the Hotel Emma, explained one of the bar staff, the architect intentionally reused as much material and equipment as possible, from timbers to fermentation vats, piping, bottle labeling, and a range of other beer-making equipment.
Even if you choose not to spend the $500-$1,500/night to stay there, Hotel Emma is worth a look around, and the staff receive mandatory history training. The gift shop clerk gave me the rundown on the hotel’s name, an ironic nod to its scandalous past. The founder, Otto Koehler, after his wife Emma was injured, had affairs with her nurses, who were curiously both also named Emma. Ultimately, in a jealousy related argument, one Emma nurse shot and killed Otto. With the nurses and her husband out of the picture, Emma Koehler successfully managed the brewery for several more decades, but the tale of the “Three Emmas” outlived her.
Hotel Emma: 136 E. Grayson Street, San Antonio, TX 78215
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