Alamo

The Alamo Is Smaller Than Most People Expect

The chapel – the iconic front facade with its curved parapet – is the surviving section of Mission San Antonio de Valero, founded by Spanish missionaries in 1718. The 13-day siege in 1836 during which approximately 189 defenders held off General Santa Anna’s forces before being overrun is the event that made the name indelible in American history. But the building itself is compact, surrounded by the modern city of San Antonio, and you can walk the entire compound in 20 minutes. That is fine. This is not a site that needs scale to have weight.

Entry is free and has been throughout the building’s history as a public site. Donations support preservation. Open Monday through Sunday, 9:00am to 5:30pm, closed Christmas Day. Free ranger-led tours run throughout the day and are the most efficient way to get the historical context.

What to See

The chapel, the original mission church, houses exhibits on the 1836 battle. The Long Barracks contains the most extensive exhibits on the battle and the defenders – including the specific stories of William B. Travis (who wrote the famous letter appealing for reinforcements), Jim Bowie (already ill when the siege began), and Davy Crockett (already a national celebrity whose presence drew recruits). The courtyard is where much of the siege took place.

The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed nine days before the fall of the Alamo; 46 days after the battle, Sam Houston’s forces defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto and secured Texas independence.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

The Alamo was one of five Spanish missions built in the San Antonio area in the 18th century. Four additional missions – Concepción, San Jose, San Juan, and Espada – are preserved 5 to 15 kilometres south as a National Historical Park. San Jose is the largest and most complete, with a carved stone sacristy window (the “Rose Window”) that is one of the finest examples of Baroque decorative architecture in North America.

The Wider City

The River Walk is five minutes’ walk from the Alamo. The Pearl Brewery complex north of downtown has a good Saturday farmers’ market and the best independent restaurants in San Antonio. Market Square (El Mercado), six blocks west, is the largest Mexican market in the United States outside Mexico itself. Mi Tierra Cafe adjacent is open 24 hours with elaborate year-round Christmas decorations and has been a San Antonio institution for decades.

Breakfast tacos from any taqueria: this is the correct San Antonio meal.