Day 1 You'll See:
- River Walk
- River Walk River Cruise Tour
- Alamo
- HemisFair Park
- Tower of the Americas
Day 2 You'll See:
- Natural Bridge Caverns
- Witte Museum
- San Fernando Cathedral
- Alamo Ghost Hunt
Day 3 You'll See:
This 3-Day Lone Star State holiday gets you and your student group deep into the heart of Texas. You’ll enjoy favorite Alamo City attractions, including River Walk, a stunning Gothic cathedral, and beautiful 18th-century missions, experience awe-inspiring natural wonders and find yourselves inextricably engaged in worlds of hands-on learning and exploring at fabulous Texas museums. You’ll even soak up plenty of local legend and lore on the most popular, entertaining and educational Ghost Hunt in town!
1
River Walk
Kick-off your fabulous 3-Day educational adventure at River Walk: a winding, cypress-lined 15-mile network of enticing walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, coursing thru the pulsating heart of the city, providing easy access via vessel or foot to cultural hotspots, restaurants, shops, key historic sites and exhibits and other “Totally Tejas” attractions! River Walk is an important part of the city's urban fabric and a fantastic tourist attraction in its own right.
River Walk River Cruise Tour
You’ve explored River Walk afoot; why not treat your group to a River Walk cruise to see points of interest you may have missed from the ground? Round up your travel pards, step aboard a comfortable barge, sit back and enjoy a delightful and informative 35 minute,1.5-mile history tour-by-boat of River Walk highlights; evening and dinner excursions are also available.
Alamo
Your student travel group won’t want to miss seeing this renowned 18th-century mission in the heart of San Antonio – a quintessential stop on every honorary Texan’s itinerary; Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and 188 others waged their last valiant stand against the Mexican army here at this “Shrine of Texas Liberty.”The most famous landmark in Texas, the mission has been carefully restored to its original condition and is open to self-guided tours, with a gift shop tendering great memorabilia like Texas flags and coonskin caps ensuring departing troops will always “Remember the Alamo!”
HemisFair Park
Originally built to house the 1968 World’s Fair, this lush urban haven is a favorite rest stop of locals and tourists, alike. HemisFair Park, peppered with landmark structures and a liberal sprinkling of fountains and statuary, also houses the wonderful Institute of Texan Cultures and the Instituto Cultural Mexicano – although its star highlight is the 750-foot tall Tower of the Americas, treating guests to breathtaking views of San Antonio from its observation deck and a first-rate experience at the revolving Chart House restaurant located at the very top!
Tower of the Americas
The 750-foot Tower of the Americas is the showpiece of urban respite HemisFair Park; designed by San Antonio architect O'Neil Ford, it was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World's Fair, “ HemisFair '68.” At ground level, a 4-D film, "Skies Over Texas" treats visitors to a little Lone Star State history, while a zippy exterior elevator ride gets you the best views around, up OR down; the tower’s revolving Chart House restaurant puts their upscale trademark spin on a classic menu of well-executed favorites!
2
Natural Bridge Caverns
The Natural Bridge Caverns near San Antonio are the largest known commercial living caverns in the state of Texas; their name was derived from the 60-foot natural limestone slab bridge - created after a sinkhole collapsed beneath it - that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance. The deepest part of any public tour reaches 180 feet below the surface, although undeveloped areas of the cavern plunge to depths of 230 feet – and possibly beyond. A variety of exhilarating tours and awesome attractions – from thrilling canopy challenges, fossil, and gem panning and lantern-lit cave exploration to the “AMAZEn' Ranch Roundup” maze and the utterly unbelievable Bracken Bat Flight ensure your entire student group will depart Natural Bridge Caverns having enjoyed the adventure of a lifetime!
Witte Museum
The mission of San Antonio’s exemplary Witte Museum is to promote lifelong learning in the subjects of Natural History, Science and South Texas Heritage through its showcasing of relevant, exciting and innovative exhibitions, programs, and collections connecting the past, present, and future in a meaningful and inspirational way. Permanent collections include historic artifacts and photographs, the world-renowned Hertzberg Circus Collection, dinosaur bones, cave drawings, Texas art, and wildlife dioramas and the four-story H-E-B Science Treehouse. Established in 1926 on the banks of the San Antonio River, this wonderful institution remains the most heavily visited of San Antonio's museums. Grab your group and get to the Witte!
San Fernando Cathedral
The first cornerstone of the cathedral – called “the Heart of San Antonio” by many - is guessed to have been laid in May of 1738; today, the beautiful-if-surreal gothic silhouette of the Cathedral of San Fernando pops from the landscape, especially at day’s end, when the light shifts just so and the shadows stretch long across the square, setting glorious fire to the sanctuary’s artisanal stained glass windows; at twilight she glows with an otherworldly luminosity. The mother church of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the seat of its archbishop, the stunning cathedral, one of the oldest in the United States, is also known as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it was the only cathedral to have been visited by the Pope in the state of Texas and is presumed to house the coffin containing the incinerated remains of the heroes who died defending the Alamo.
Alamo Ghost Hunt
Wanna throw a chilling twist into your grand San Antonio adventure? Round up your student group and head for the sooty streets and back alleys for a rousingly terrifying 90 minutes of wickedly dark San Antonio history! Stand in the very place where men, women, and children were beheaded “just for fun, ” visit the site of San Antonio’s most gruesome murder, a haunted palace, a jail where a vicious child killer met “justice” and a site where victims are buried in the floor and entombed in the walls. Join the Alamo City team for a spooky round of spirit-spotting as you explore the most notoriously haunted locations in San Antonio on this horribly popular – and freakishly educational - ghost hunt!
3
Mission Trails Historic Park
You have seen the Alamo; you have traversed amazing underground passages and witnessed hordes of bats flittering from the Earth at dusk. The River Walk captured your senses and the Alamo Ghost hunt fed your vivid imaginations salty slivers of fear washed down with a chilly splash of San Antonio’s darker history. Now, it’s time to move deeper into the heart of a Texas past with a visit to Mission Trails National Historic Park, where you will explore not one, but FOUR Spanish Missions – all active Catholic churches - and learn about the famous El Camino Real de Los Tejas. In the early 1700s, the people of Texas came under unrelenting attack; Apache raided from the north, deadly blights swooped up from Mexico and took their toll, and devastating drought lingered across the land. Those who entered the gates of the missions foreswore their familiar lives to “become” Spanish, embracing a new religion and pledging allegiance to a distant king...in exchange for protection.
Institute of Texan Cultures
The Lone Star state’s vibrant cultural collage is impossible to miss. Everywhere you turn you are met with the flash, flavor, color and rich history that IS Texas! That said, you may want a little help defining your experience as a traveler in this big ol’ melting pot, and that’s where the popular and family-friendly Institute of Texan Cultures steps up as a fantastic tool and wonderfully entertaining learning encounter, helping student groups of all ages gain fresh, original insight into the contributions and influences of 26 ethnic groups across the state through its variety of fascinating exhibits and hands-on activities.
Spanish Governor's Palace
A tour of this cherished early-18th century National Historic Landmark lets student groups experience the last visual remnants of the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar, traditionally known as the Spanish Governor’s Palace - the original comandancia for the captains of the military garrison when Texas was under Spanish rule. Its ten rooms – including a Captain’s office, a living area, a children’s bedroom, a loft, and a kitchen - are furnished with authentic Spanish Colonial period pieces and its beautiful, masterfully landscaped courtyards invite happy wandering.