 | |||||
|
CSB Main Address: UTHSCSA CSB 7703 Floyd Curl Drive San Antonio, TX 78229-3900 Phone: 210-567-3800
Search CSB:
Some files are in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. If you need Adobe Acrobat Reader software, click here to visit the Adobe website for download information.
|
More About San Antonio
 The Alamo
"Yanaguana" - "place of refreshing waters" - is what the first citizens
of San Antonio, who were Native Americans, called the San Antonio River.
In 1691, on the feast day of St. Anthony,
Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived at the river, which they
named "San Antonio" in honor of St. Anthony. The founding of the city is
credited to Father Antonio Olivares, who established Mission San Antonio
de Valero, in 1718. This mission became known as the Alamo in 1836,
where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican
troops for 13 days. One of America’s truly great festivals, Fiesta® San
Antonio, is a 10-day celebration held every April to honor the memory of
the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto as well as
recognize and celebrate San Antonio’s rich and diverse cultures.
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center brings its artistic vision alive through six art disciplines: visual arts, media arts, theatre arts, literature, dance, and music. Over the last 18 years the Center's public programming, annual events, festivals, publications, and educational offerings have touched many lives.
The King William District was the most elegant residential area in the city. Prominent German merchants originally settled the area. The area includes the following attractions. The Guenther House- Carl Hilmer Guenther founder of Pioneer Flour Mills, built this elegant home in 1860. The restored house offers a museum where mill memorabilia is displayed. Of interest to collectors are the Dresden china anniversary plates made in Germany until WWII. The Steves Homestead- This Victorian French Second Empire design three-story home was built for Edward Steves in 1876. Furnished in a late 19th century style, The River House, a one-story brick structure housed the first natatorium or inside swimming pool in San Antonio. La Villita A beautifully landscaped historic district offers leisurely shopping, dining and five rental venues for special events.
Parks
The San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium Ranked as one of the best zoos in the nation, contains exhibits of over 3,000 animals of 700 species. Situated at the headwaters of the San Antonio River, the zoo encompasses 25 landscaped acres. Friedrich Wilderness Park is a 232-acre hilly and heavily forested wilderness park with 5 ½ miles of hiking trails including this region's most improved handicapped accessible park. Rich in natural history, with an abundance of diversified flora and fauna, the park is a birdwatcher's cornucopia and attracts international as well as local birders. Guided interpretive hikes are available by arrangement with the Park Naturalist.
The Jose Antonio Navarro State Historical Park is the former home of the only native Texan to participate in the convention that ratified annexation of Texas to the union. An eminent statesman, Jose Navarro guided the development of Texas from a Mexican territory to Statehood in the United States. The site contains three restored historic structures-his home, kitchen and office.
MUSEUMS
The San Antonio Kids Museum offers a better understanding of the cultural diversity of San Antonio through a hands-on museum targeted to appeal to children ages 2-10. Interactive educational exhibits are designed to engage all of a child’s senses to make learning an entertaining experience. The Hertzberg Circus Museum is an unusual museum that contains more than 20,000 items of Big Top memorabilia, including a priceless collection of circus posters, Tom Thumb's carriage and an intricately detailed scale model of the three ring circus. Weekend special events include: classic film series, jugglers, mimes and magicians. face painting/mask making workshops year round. The San Antonio Museum of Art a blend of glass elevators, skylights and skywalk in the former Lone Star Brewery's castle-like building, is a sight no visitor to San Antonio can afford to miss. Art collections range from ancient art to the most contemporary, including magnificent Greek and Roman sculpture, and Latin American folk art. The Asian section has been expanded to include Asian sculpture as well as other forms of Chinese, Japanese and Korean art. The museum is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Witte Museum features history, science, the humanities, exciting hands-on exhibits of Texas history, natural science and anthropology, changing exhibits and family programs. Permanent exhibitions include "Texas Wild: Ecology Illustrated," focusing on the ecological diversity of the state's seven natural areas. "Ancient Texans: Rock Art and Life ways Along the Lower Pecos" focuses on the culture and cave paintings of a hunter-gatherer society that flourished in Texas 4000 years ago. The museum also includes an EcoLab of live Texas animals, an outdoor Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden and three restored historic homes.
The Hangar 9/Edward H. White Museum is the oldest in the Air Force, housing the Museum of Flight Medicine and Flight Nursing Annex. Exhibits contain the history of the base, the development of manned flight and the evolution of aerospace medicine.
Theme parks
Splashtown With 18 landscaped acres of cool, clean water excitement, Splashtown is a family waterpark that has something fun for every age - from Kids Kove to the Siesta del Rio a relaxing ride down a lazy river, to major water rides. StarFlight is designed for space age thrills, plus there are new rides and attractions throughout the park.
Return to About San Antonio page
|
||||
The Paseo del Rio (the "River Walk")
In the heart of downtown, the Riverwalk is the pride of the city. Lush
green foliage
lines the banks of this peaceful jade-green historic river. Cobblestone
walkways lead visitors to the river-level restaurants and shops. The
river bubbles to the surface on the grounds of Incarnate Word College
and flows to downtown, threading its way through the city one level
below the hustle and bustle of city streets. Along the horseshoe shaped
river, the river is shaded by towering cypresses, oaks and willows and
bordered by gardens of flowering ornamental plants. European style
sidewalk cafes, specialty boutiques, nightclubs and gleaming high-rise
hotels adorn the banks of the River Walk. River cruisers travel the
River Walk’s three miles past unique retail shops, restaurants and
nightclubs. It is also possible to dine aboard open-air, candle-lit
river barges as they wind their way along the scenic waterway. Spanish
Colonial Missions that date back to the 18th Century.
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
The Majestic Theater
is a State and National Historic Landmark. One of the few remaining
vintage atmospheric vaudeville movie palaces. Home to the San Antonio
Symphony and Majestic Broadway Series.
Market Square (El Mercado)
From early morning until late at night, Market Square is alive with
activity. Visitors browse through 32 shops at El Mercado, an area
patterned after an authentic Mexican market. In addition, there are 80
specialty shops in Farmers Market Plaza. Market Square is also the scene
of many Hispanic festivals where food and beverage booths spring up
alongside the Victorian lamps and the strains of mariachi music blend
with the excitement of Mexican dances.
The San Antonio Botanical Gardens
which houses the Lucille Halsell conservatory, is a 33-acre garden that
represents in miniature, the diverse Texas landscape from the Hill
Country wild flowers to the formal rose gardens of East Texas. A
biblical and children's garden, and a fragrance garden are featured. The
Lucile Halsell Conservatory, is a $6.5 million conservatory complex with
90,000 sq. ft. of climatically controlled structures including an
exhibition hall, tropical house, desert house, palm house, fern room and
an orangery.
Southwest Craft Center
Contemporary art, lush gardens, historic buildings and more await
visitors to the Southwest School of Art & Craft on the Riverwalk. See
free changing exhibitions or artist lectures at the new Navarro Campus,
or walk across the street to tour, lunch or shop at the historic
Ursuline Campus, formerly a girls’ school and convent, whose French and
Gothic influenced buildings date back to 1851. In late September, the
school will open a new Visitors Center Museum that tells the story of
the pioneer educators who founded the academy and the art school that
now occupies the site. Call (210) 224-1848 for more information, or
visit the school’s web site. 300 Augusta at Navarro, across from the
Central Library.
San Antonio has some of the most beautiful PARKS in
the US. The largest
park in San Antonio is Brackenridge Park. This park houses the
Brackenridge Park Carousel, which features 60 antique Bradley-Kay horses
manufactured in Wichita, Kansas; The Brackenridge Park Railroad, a
miniature railway that runs 3 1/2 miles through the park. There are
three trains, all replicas of the 1863 Central Pacific Huntington steam
locomotive. The Brackenridge Park Skyride (opposite Zoo entrance.),
which uses Swiss manufactured cable cars to provide a panoramic view of
the park and the best view of the San Antonio skyline. The Brackenridge
Park Japanese Tea Gardens at the northwestern edge of Brackenridge Park,
consists of winding walkways, stone bridges and tranquil pools in a lush
year 'round garden. These gardens are located in an old rock quarry,
which produced the limestone used to build the State Capitol in Austin
and many of the homes in San Antonio. The outstanding floral displays
feature a wide variety of plants from hibiscus to copper plants to
ornamental cabbage. Irregular shaped ponds with giant goldfish and water
lilies reflect flashes of color from the plants and trees. Pebble
pathways and bridges guide visitors throughout the gardens. A waterfall
drops 60 feet from a high cliff into a pool. The Brackenridge Paddle
Boats allow you to cruise the river at your own pace.
Hemisfair Park
is adjacent to the central business district, and includes the area
around the base of the Tower of the Americas landscaped with dramatic
water features. The park includes the Institute of Texan Cultures, where
Texas history and folk culture contributions from 28 different ethnic
groups are displayed. The Dome Show is a multimedia exhibit presenting
dramatic events, places and faces of Texas. The Mexican Cultural
Institute is a nonprofit organization dependent on the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Mexico. Its mission is to promote the Mexican culture
to strengthen the ties of friendship and understanding between both
countries. The Institute has a complete and busy program during the year
offering for review the rich artistic expressions of Mexico. This
program of activities among others, includes visual arts, exhibits,
concerts, lectures, workshops, movies, folk dance and choir
performances. The Tower of the Americas is a 750 foot tower that offers
the visitor a panoramic view of San Antonio and the surrounding area.
Glass-walled elevators ascend over five hundred feet to the observation
level.
McNay Art Institute
The former estate of Marian Koogler McNay is a private museum containing
a varied collection of post-impressionist paintings (Van Gogh, Monet,
Picasso, Matisse, O'Keefe, Goya, Renoir and Bourdelle), early New
Mexican arts and crafts, plus gothic and medieval collections. A
highlight of the McNay is its charming patio and gardens.
The U.S. Army Medical Department Museum
at Fort Sam Houston is the home of army medicine and the U.S. Army
Medical Department Museum. The collection, dating from 1775 to the
present, contains army medical equipment, vehicles (including a 1953
hospital train ambulance car), uniforms, artwork, insignia and scale
models.
The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum
showcases over 3,300 artifacts and 520 different animal species found in
Texas. Highlights include the world-famous 78 point Whitetail, a
1,056-pound Black Marlin and The Hall of Texas History Wax Museum.
The Fort Sam Houston Museum
traces the history of the post and the U.S. Army from 1845 to the
present. The fort has more than 900 historic structures including the
Quadrangle (1876), Pershing House (1881), Eisenhower House (1908), and
Gift Chapel (1909).
Sea World
The World's largest marine life park with more than 25 spectacular
shows, educational exhibits, rides and family attractions is one of 10
Anheuser-Busch Theme Parks across America. Sky Tubin' at Lost Lagoon,
an exciting water ride towering almost five stories, allows groups of up
to four to interlock inflated tubes and experience a wild, wet
adventure. There is also a new thrill-packed water ski show and a
superstar concert series. Other attractions include: Lost Lagoon water
adventure paradise with twisting slides, huge wave pool, beach,
alligator habitat and walk-through aviary with tropical birds; splashy
shows with famed killer whales Shamu and Grandbaby Shamu, beluga whales,
dolphins, sea lions, walruses and otters; "The Amazing World of Birds"
show; Shamu's Happy Harbor children's adventure area; Texas Splashdown
and Rio Loco water rides; Texas Walk; and the world-famous
Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale horses. Exhibits include: Sharks/The Coral
Reef, with thousands of tropical fishes, hammerhead sharks and eels;
Penguins habitat with more than 200 polar birds; Marine Mammal Pool,
where guests may feed and touch dolphins; Seal and Sea Lion Community;
and flamingo habitat.
Fiesta Texas
A 200-acre theme park, celebrates Texas cultures and music through four
themed areas - German, 50s Rock 'n Roll, 1920s Southwest, and Hispanic.
The Park is the home of the world famous "Rattler" roller coaster, one
of the world's tallest and fastest wooden coasters. For additional
thrills, there is the "Screamin' Skycoaster" which lets you free-fall at
60 mph from a height of 180 feet (separate admission required) and a
steel roller-coaster, where guests will defy the law of gravity as they
find themselves upside down a total of three times during the 2000 foot
trip. Also included in your park admission is a waterpark filled with 15
rides and attractions with plenty of sun and shade areas. The Park has a
pet kennel, lockers, strollers, wheel-chair rental, foreign currency
exchange and is one of the most ADA (Americans with
Disabilities)accessible theme parks.