Things To Do In San Antonio With Kids

The last time we visited San Antonio we were expecting our first child. I was eight months pregnant and it was August. In hindsight probably not the best time to visit a city that is notoriously hot and humid. But we loved it! It’s such a vibrant and unique city full of history. Bringing kids to San Antonio is a natural choice because there are a wide variety of fun and unique things to do. Some are very unique and you won’t anything like them in any other city in the country. We absolutely think it’s the perfect place for a quick weekend getaway with your family.

When visiting San Antonio there were times where I wondered if I still was in the same country as some of the history goes back to the 1700s. If you are homeschooling or road schooling your kids it’s the perfect place to close the books and live history.

View this post on Instagram

We spent an abnormally long time looking at these locks on the river walk in San Antonio. The kids were fascinated by all the different types of locks, the colors, the reason each lock was placed, etc. Where as I would have spent two minutes admiring the sheer amount of locks and moved on- the kids were far more interested in the why behind each one. Traveling with kids is NOT easy, but they do help you explore the world with a different perspective. – – – – – #nonadfamily #fulltimefamilies #lpkids #parentswhowander #wanderlust #digitalnomad #rvlife #welltraveledkids #laptoplifestyle #fulltimerv #nomadlife #nomadiclife #sanantonio #texas #familytravel #familytraveltribe #familytravelblogger #travelphotography #exploreusa

A post shared by Reid and Hilarye Fuller (@dottingthemap) on Feb 10, 2019 at 2:39pm PST

Here is our top list of things to do in San Antonio with kids. Just for a reference at the time of our visit our kids were ages 9,7,5,3 and these are the things we did with them. All of these things can be done over a weekend but if you can extend for a few more days then you will really be able to get a better feel for the area and get to explore the San Antonio Mission Trail in depth.

San Antonio Mission Trail

We found the San Antonio Mission Trail on a whim. We were driving through the city pulling our giant fifth wheel and I saw a sign for San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. Of course, that piqued our interest because we love stopping at National Parks but we hadn’t heard of this one. So after a little investigating it became glaringly obvious that we wanted to visit.

Some things to know about the San Antonio Mission Trail

It is owned and operated by the National Parks Department and is also a UNESCO heritage site. One of the best parts is it is completely FREE. You can come and enjoy these historic sights, kids can get junior ranger badges, you can take a ranger-led tour and it won’t cost you a dime. The parks department does a really good job taking care of it and there was a lot to explore freely. The kid’s thought it was the coolest thing ever to wander through the old buildings.

How to get to the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. 

The park is located a couple miles off of Interstate 10 and easy to follow signs and locate directions from Google Maps. There are four missions within the National Historic Park but they are all roughly 2.5 miles apart. They are all connected by trails so if you have older children you could opt to bring bikes tour that way.

Each mission offers free parking. You will find the main visitor center at Mission San Jose.

Mission San Jose

This is the main mission on the San Antonio Mission Trail. If you only have time to visit one mission, this is the one we would recommend. It has a full visitor center, plenty of parking and the church is usually open to tour. The grounds are stunning and seemed to be fairly accessible. This is where you can get your National Parks passport stamped. FYI – each mission has its own stamp that will be found in this visitors center.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Originally was built in 1716 and then was transferred in 1732. This mission includes a granary, friary and a church. It’s smaller than some of the others but it’s still fun to walk around. It is a pretty white building with beautiful architecture. We loved the big bells that missions are notoriously famous for. There is a working farm that is in partnership with the San Antonio food bank that will be fun for kids to walk around and explore.

Mission Espada – Mission San Francisco de la Espada

This mission is the first ever mission dating all the way back to 1690, whoa! That’s old for our baby country. Kid’s will love seeing the traditional loom and learning about how clothing and fabric were made back in the early days. There is also an Aqueduct system that shows how water was carried back and forth from the mission.

Mission Concepcion

This is the “newest” of all the missions and dates back to 1755. It even includes some of the original frescoes inside which are really fun to marvel at but most of them have faded away.

San Antonio River Walk

Of course, no visit to San Antonio is complete without a stroll through the River Walk downtown. It is one of the more unusual and unique features of the city that make San Antonio a treasure. One thing I absolutely love about the River Walk is you could spend the day walking and with every turn and bend you would find something completely different. The kid’s absolutely loved that part of the magic on the River Walk.

There are many Riverwalk attractions to choose from and a very popular way to explore the River Walk that is sure to delight the kids a boat ride. River Walk boat tours with GO RIO river cruises is a good place to start. The prices are reasonable and range from 7-12 dollars depending on age. You can either do a cohesive tour or you can use it as a taxi to get from one destination to the other. There are a few ways to find coupons for the boat tours, so keep your eyes open for deals. You can even take a dinner boat tour if you visit the San Antonio CVB welcome center. The boat ride hours run daily from 9 am to 10 pm.

If you are taking kids on the San Antonio River Walk, I highly suggest bringing drinking water with you as San Antonio is notorious for heat and humidity. I also suggest wearing comfy shoes. Also, if you have small children make sure to keep a hand on them at all times as there are many spots where it could be easy for them to fall in the river.

The Alamo

Younger children won’t get the historical significance of The Alamo but it will still be worthwhile to bring them along for the journey. While they may not enjoy the history lesson they will enjoy the Coy fish in the garden and the live history demonstrations. So far all of our attractions on this list are free for families to enjoy and the Alamo is free as well. If you are visiting San Antonio with kids the chance for them to understand this important event in history should not be missed.

While the Alamo is free you will have the option to buy photos, and can purchase an audio tour from the kiosks outside. Inside the Alamo there is no photography allowed but you can see some of the original historical markings and flags and engravings from all who died at the Alamo. Outside in the garden you will find an informative timeline of all the historical events that led up to the battle of the Alamo and what happened at the Alamo.

As a mom, one of my favorite parts of the visit was walking my children through the timeline of the Missions which we had visited the day before and showing them their history. If you want to combine the Alamo with the River Walk you can easily make a day or half day of it depending on how much you want to do.

Sea World

Sea World is a popular attraction in San Antonio with families. Although we did not make it there this trip we have visited previously on our baby moon trip. I do suggest that if you are going to try to incorporate Sea World into your San Antonio weekend getaway you will want to allot a whole day to enjoy the rides, waterpark and shows.

DoSeum

Children’s museums are a great way to encourage hands-on learning and San Antonio’s children museum Doseum is no exception to that rule. The museum boasts two stories of interactive discovery play and has many rotating exhibits so you could visit several times a year and have a whole different experience. The price to attend the Doseum is $14 for anyone 1 year and up but you could easily spend the whole day enjoying it as a family.

There are also many events that happen throughout the year including Spring and Summer camps and membership options for locals that make it more cost effective if you plan to visit multiple times.

The Amazing Mirror Maze

The Amazing Mirror Maze is located just across the Alamo or and just a few blocks from the River Walk in San Antonio. You can also rent a bike or a scooter to get there to make it easier. Our family has done the Amazing Mirror Maze at other locations and loved it. We did the one at the Mall of America and the kids still many months later talk about it and laugh about how mom got lost.

Kiddie Park

If you are looking for a fun outing or a birthday party event Kiddie Park is a fun and nostalgic way to spend the day. Kiddie Park dates back to 1926 making it America’s oldest continually operating amusement park. We loved the train ride and the vintage carousel. It’s the perfect place for younger kids.

Kiddie Park Hours

Kiddie Park hours vary based off the season but the park is typically open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm during high summer season.

San Antonio Weekend Getaway Itinerary

If I were taking my family to San Antonio for a weekend getaway here is how I personally would arrange my trip just for reference to give some ideas.

Friday night: Enjoy an evening stroll through the Riverwalk and get dinner at one of the many delicious restaurants and enjoy the beautiful views. If you have older kids head over to the Amazing Mirror Maze for a unique family experience and then get dessert on your way back to the hotel.

Saturday: Visit SeaWorld and spend the day enjoying the shows and amenities.

Sunday: After breakfast head over the San Antonio Missions trail and either see all four or just visit the main one San Jose. Get tickets for the GO RIO Riverwalk cruise and either take a guided tour or take the shuttle to the stop closest to the Alamo. Visit the Alamo and wander back through the River Walk before heading home.

Have you ever visited San Antonio with kids? What were your favorite things to do?

Related Posts

Free Things to do in Williamsburg, VA

Things to do in Niagara Falls

Pin This