Sightseeing Staycation in Downtown San Antonio
You don’t have to travel thousands of miles to go sightseeing and enjoy a vacation, because oftentimes, there are opportunities right in your own backyard. The nephews and I recently enjoyed a staycation, right in our home city.
For this staycation, we stayed at the Home2Suites by Hilton San Antonio Downtown– Riverwalk, rode along the Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour by City Sightseeing Tours, strolled through the historic Alamo Plaza and visited the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum.
Home2Suites by Hilton San Antonio Downtown- Riverwalk is owned and operated by Hilton Worldwide, which was founded in 1919 and as of October 2018, has 5,560 properties in 109 countries. The hotel is located at 603 Navarro Street and features a contemporary design with eco-friendly furnishings.
It is the recipient of the 2018 Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor. This property has become one of our favorite hotels. (Read my blog post about our first stay.)
Downtown San Antonio Tour
The nephews and I hopped on the double decker bus, from City Sightseeing Tours. It’s a great way to see all that downtown San Antonio has to offer. The tour route showcases 19 of downtown’s most popular landmarks. The best part is that you can get on and off the bus at your leisure or you can choose to stay on the bus for the duration of the 60-minute tour.
The tour starts at the City Sightseeing Tours Visitor Center on Alamo Plaza and ends at The Shop at River Center. In between, the route includes The Alamo, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, Veterans Memorial Park, River Walk, San Fernando Cathedral, Market Square and Tower of the Americas.
Alamo Plaza
After our tour on the double decker bus, we strolled through Alamo Plaza. The plaza is a historic district that was developed around The Alamo. It is home to several former and current historical buildings, most notably:
Alamo Cenotaph– Built in 1936, the Alamo Cenotaph (AKA The Spirit of Sacrifice) stands at the front of The Alamo. The monument was built to commemorate the Battle of the Alamo (February 23, 1836- March 6, 1836), an event of the Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835- April 21, 1836).
Alamo National Bank Building– The Old Alamo National Bank, constructed in 1929, has been the home of the Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk since 2007.
Medical Arts Building– Built in 1926, the neo-Gothic building was home to a 50-bed hospital and numerous doctors’ offices. In 1984, the building became The Emily Morgan Hotel, which was recognized as a “Historic Hotel of America” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2015.
Menger Hotel– The Menger Hotel, opened in 1859, was built on the battlegrounds of the Battle of the Alamo. Throughout the years, the hotel has seen some famous guests, including 12 former U.S. presidents, as well as a few prominent military figures including Sam Houston, Robert E. Lee and William Hood Simpson. It has been said, by past guests and paranormal experts, that the Menger Hotel is haunted. In fact, the Houston Chronicle listed it as one of the Most Haunted Properties in Texas, Thrillist featured it on their list of The Most Haunted Places in All of Texas and Trips to Discover showcased the hotel on their list of the 8 Best Haunted Hotels to Visit in Texas This Halloween. Two of San Antonio’s best ghost tour companies- Ghost City Tours and Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours– feature tours of the hotel.
Day 2 of the Staycation
On the second day of our staycation, we visited The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum. The museum is home to the Buckhorn Museum, the Texas Ranger Museum, the Buckhorn Saloon & Bar, the Buckhorn Café, a shooting gallery and a gift shop.
Established in 1881, the saloon was a place for Albert Friedrich to display his private, unique collection. The Buckhorn Museum displays over 520 species of wildlife from around the world, including animals from all 7 continents and fish from the world’s 5 oceans.
Also featured in the museum is rattlesnake art from Emile Friedrich, Albert’s wife; the Hall of Horns, which showcases over 1,200 trophy mounts; the Hall of Fins, a shark collection and the Hall of Feathers, trophies of rare birds.
More to See in the Museum
Texas Ranger Museum– The Texas Ranger Museum is home to hundreds of authentic artifacts from the Texas Rangers, including badges, handguns, revolvers, shotguns and photographs. Also included is Ranger Town, which features a replica of the Buckhorn Saloon, a replica of Bonnie & Clyde’s getaway car- 1934 Ford V8 Deluxe, a blacksmith shop and a jail cell.
Saloon & Bar– The saloon is home to many of its original furnishings. The bar menu includes draft beer, including 7 locally brewed, domestic and imported bottled beer, cider, wine and mixed drinks.
Café– Open for lunch, the café serves an array of appetizers, burgers, fajitas, pulled pork, sausage, salads, sandwiches and desserts.
We had so much fun exploring this part of our beloved city; be sure to visit these sights and take a double decker bus tour. You’ll learn so much about San Antonio!
