San Antonio

==Arts and culture==
{{further|Culture of San Antonio}}

[[File:Tower of the Americas from the River Walk -- San Antonio.jpg|200px|thumb|The River Walk with the Tower of the Americas in the background]]
San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The [[Alamo Mission in San Antonio]] ("The Alamo"), located in Downtown, is Texas' top tourist attraction. Because of the mission, San Antonio is often called "Alamo City".<ref>{{cite web | last1=Popik| first1=Barry| title=Alamo City (San Antonio Nickname)| url=http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/alamo_city_san_antonio_nickname| website=The Big Apple| date=December 20, 2007}}</ref>

The [[San Antonio River Walk|River Walk]], which meanders through the Downtown area, is the city's second-most-visited attraction, giving it the additional nickname of "River City". Extended by an additional {{Convert|13|mi|km}} between 2009 and 2013, the landscaped walking and bike path line the San Antonio River from the "Museum Reach" beginning in Brackenridge Park through downtown, "Downtown Reach", past the Blue Star's "Eagleland" to the "Mission Reach" ending near Loop 410 South past [[Mission Espada]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Destination SA Update 2011| url=http://www.sanantoniotourism.com/downloads/research/DestinationSAReport.pdf| website=San Antonio Area Tourism Council| format=Report| date=March 2012}}</ref>

Lined with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants, as well as the [[Arneson River Theater]], this attraction is transformed into a festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period (except for the Mission Reach), and is suffused with the local sounds of [[Baile Folklorico|folklorico]] and [[flamenco]] music during the summer, particularly during celebrations such as the [[Fiesta Noche del Rio]].

The Downtown area also features [[Cathedral of San Fernando (San Antonio)|San Fernando Cathedral]], [[The Majestic Theatre, San Antonio|The Majestic Theatre]], [[HemisFair '68|Hemisfair]] (home of the [[Tower of the Americas]], and UTSA's [[Institute of Texan Cultures]]), [[La Villita]], [[Market Square (San Antonio)|Market Square]], the [[Spanish Governor's Palace]], and the historic [[Menger Hotel]]. The [[Fairmount Hotel (San Antonio, Texas)|Fairmount Hotel]], built in 1906 and San Antonio's second oldest hotel, is in the ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Salinas|first1=Rebecca|last2=Danner|first2=Patrick|date=October 23, 2015|title=Fairmount Hotel move captivated city for six days|url=https://www.expressnews.com/150years/major-stories/article/Fairmount-Hotel-move-captivated-city-for-six-days-6585035.php|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=ExpressNews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move.

[[SeaWorld San Antonio|SeaWorld]], {{convert|16|mi|km}} west of Downtown in the city's Westover Hills district, is one of the largest marine life parks in the world. The [[San Antonio Zoo]] is in Brackenridge Park. The British company [[Merlin Entertainments]] developed an aquarium attraction and indoor counterpart to SeaWorld. It is inside the Shops at Rivercenter in Downtown San Antonio and is one of Merlin's [[Sea Life Centres|Sea Life Aquariums]]. The [[San Antonio Aquarium]] features a number of interactive exhibits.

San Antonio is also home to several commercial amusement parks, including Six Flags Fiesta Texas and [[Morgan's Wonderland]], a theme park for children with special needs.<ref>{{cite news | first=Gordon |last=Hartman| title=Every Day, Morgan's Wonderland is ADA| url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Every-day-Morgan-s-Wonderland-is-ADA-6405493.php| newspaper=San Antonio Express-News| date=July 25, 2015}}</ref> Kiddie Park, featuring old-fashioned amusement rides for children, was established in 1925 and is the oldest children's amusement park in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramirez|first=Quixem|date=October 18, 2019|title=Kiddie Park celebrating its grand re-opening today at San Antonio Zoo|url=https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/kiddie-park-celebrating-its-grand-re-opening-today-at-san-antonio-zoo|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=WOAI}}</ref>

[[File:Six Flags San Antonio 2019 v2.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Six Flags Fiesta Texas]]]]

San Antonio is home to the first museum of [[modern art]] in [[Texas]], the [[McNay Art Museum]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=McNay Art Museum in San Antonio {{!}} Tour Texas|url=https://www.tourtexas.com/attractions/mcnay-art-museum-san-antonio|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=www.tourtexas.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=May 3, 2015|title=McNay a centerpiece of S.A. culture|url=https://www.expressnews.com/150years/culture/article/McNay-Art-Museum-a-key-element-of-San-Antonio-s-6235745.php|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=ExpressNews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> Other art institutions and museums include [[ArtPace]], [[Blue Star Contemporary Art Center]], the Briscoe Western Art Museum, Ruby City, [[Buckhorn Saloon & Museum (San Antonio)|Buckhorn Saloon & Museum]] (where visitors can experience something of cowboy culture year round), [[San Antonio Museum of Art]], formerly the Lonestar Brewery, Say Sí (mentoring San Antonio artistic youth), the Southwest School of Art, Texas Rangers Museum, [[Texas Transportation Museum]], the [[Witte Museum]] and the DoSeum. An outdoor display at [[North Star Mall]] features {{convert|40|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us|adj=on}}-tall cowboy boots.

The city's five missions, the four in the [[San Antonio Missions National Historical Park]] plus The Alamo, were named UNESCO World Heritage sites on July 5, 2015.<ref name="PBS-SanAn" /> The San Antonio Missions became the 23rd U.S. site on the World Heritage list, which includes the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty; it is the first site in Texas. The new Mission Reach of the River Walk was completed in 2013, and created over {{convert|15| miles}} of biking, hiking, and paddling trails that connect the Missions to Downtown and the Broadway Corridor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sariverauthority.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905133058/http://www.sanantonioriver.org/mission_reach/recreation_opportunities.php|url-status=dead|title=Welcome &#124; San Antonio River Authority|archive-date=September 5, 2016|website=www.sariverauthority.org}}</ref>

San Antonio's Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System is a big draw. It covers more than {{Convert|82|mi|km}} and has more than 50 trailheads.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sanantonio.gov/ParksAndRec/Parks-Facilities/Trails|title=Trails|website=www.sanantonio.gov}}</ref>

Other places of interest include the [[San Antonio Botanical Garden]], [[Brackenridge Park]], the [[San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens|Japanese Tea Gardens]], and the [[Woodlawn Theatre|Woodlawn Theater]].

In 2015 work was authorized to begin on the restoration of the former [[Hot Wells (San Antonio, Texas)|Hot Wells]] hotel, [[spa]], and [[Public bathing|bathhouses]] on the San Antonio River on the city's south side.<ref>John W. Gonzalez; ''Hot Wells Poised to Spring Alive Again: County OKs First Phase of Improvements for New Park''; San Antonio Express-News; October 10, 2015; p. 1, A12</ref>

===Annual events===
Yearly events, such as [[Fiesta San Antonio]] (the city's signature event), Luminaria (a contemporary arts festival) and Fiesta Noche del Rio, add a variety of entertainment options to the area, as well as strengthening the economy. Fiesta San Antonio alone carries an annual economic impact of $340 million.<ref>[https://www.fiesta-sa.org/economic-impact/ ''Yearly Impact''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202071743/https://www.fiesta-sa.org/economic-impact/ |date=February 2, 2018}}; Fiesta, San Antonio website; accessed March 2018</ref> The city also plays host to SAFILM-[[San Antonio Film Festival]] every summer in August.<ref>[[San Antonio Film Festival]]; accessed March 2019</ref> About to celebrate 25 years, the film festival is the largest in South Texas.