San Antonio Final Four: Other Stuff To Do

Stuff to do between the games!

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To be sure, the city boasts some fine tourist attractions like Sea World Texas, the 200-acre Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park and the Ripley's Wax Museum in downtown San Antonio. But you can find those types of attractions—amusement parks, zoos, gardens and museums—anywhere. So with a bias towards authenticity, here are the must-see attractions for experiencing a dose of southern Texas culture.

The Alamo
300 Alamo Plaza • San Antonio TX 78205
The Mission San Antonio de Valero (aka The Alamo) where Mexican General Santa Anna's army defeated David Crockett, Jim Bowie and 188 others on March 6, 1836 is the most famous spot in Texas. Its museum displays items from the Republic of Texas and documents the story of the Alamo's fall. Built in 1718 as the city's first mission, the chapel is one of the U.S.'s most photographed facades.

River Walk
454 Soledad, River Ste. 2 • San Antonio, TX
If the cobblestone walkways along the relaxing Paseo del Rio in downtown San Antonio could talk, they would speak volumes of the days when the Payaya Indians named it "place of refreshing waters." Today, the lushly landscped 2.5 mile stretch is an urban centerpiece lined with restaurants, hotels and shops.

Buckhorn Saloon & Museum
318 East Houston Street • San Antonio, TX • Tel. 210.247.4000
The spirit of the Wild West lives on through the historic and eclectic Buckhorn Saloon. Having evolved past the days of bartering antlers for drinks, the saloon built in 1881 is now home to a collection of over 4,000 horns as well as wildlife exhibits, a wax museum, shooting gallery and arcade. This San Antonio attraction also boasts its own Curio Store, dubbed the "World's Oddest Store."

King William Historic District
1032 S. Alamo Street • San Antonio, TX • Tel. 210.227.8786
Settled by wealthy German merchants, San Antonio's first suburb makes up 25 blocks of picturesque mansions and gardens. The King William Association sponsors tours of private homes on the first Saturday of December.

Market Square | El Mercado
Santa Rosa & Commerce Street • San Antonio TX
El Mercado is the the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico; The outdoor market sells all types of Mexican crafts: pottery and ceramics, leather goods, turquoise jewelry, and colorfully embroidered clothing. The plaza has restaurants, pastry shops, specialty shops and craft galleries.

Mission San José
9101 Graf Rd. • San Antonio, TX • 210.534.0749
Mission San José was the largest of the missions in the San Antonio area. After gaining a reputation as a major social and cultural center, it came to be called the "Queen of the Missions." The stone walls, bastions, granary and church at this San Antonio attraction were completed in 1782.

La Villita / Little Village
Between Presta and S. Alamo Streets on Nueva St. • San Antonio TX • Tel. 210.207.8610
In the center of downtown San Antonio sits the preserved and restored remnants of the original "Little Village" of San Antonio, La Villita. Built by the Spanish in the 1700s, the historic riverside settlement is now home to artisans, small shops, and restaurants.

..also, go to a San Antonio Spurs game!

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