While passing through San Antonio, I ended up visiting the area’s primary historic tourist attraction, the Alamo Mission. The Alamo Mission was the home to the Battle or Siege of the Alamo, a historic battle between American and Mexican forces that resulted in the elimination of many historic American leaders such as Davie Crockett and William Barrett Travis.

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This post is one chapter on a work trip from Canada to San Antonio, Texas, United States of America. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Exploring the Alamo Mission: A Historic Landmark in San Antonio, Texas, USA

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During my three day visit to San Antonio, I had the opportunity to visit the Alamo. The Alamo is one of the United States of America’s most historic battle sites, and is revered in American history. While I didn’t know too much about American history before my trip, I was able to learn all about the Alamo during my visit.

About the Alamo:

The Alamo is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries in what is now San Antonio, Texas, United States. It was the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, a pivotal event of the Texas Revolution in which American folk heroes James Bowie and Davy Crockett were killed.  Today it is a museum in the Alamo Plaza Historic District and a part of the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site.

Locating the Alamo Mission:

The Alamo Mission happened to be a short walk over from the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter at Riverwalk hotel that I happened to be staying at for this particular week. I ended up walking over on a sunny afternoon after my conference let out.

The Alamo Mission was easy to find and was situated in a medium sized foot print area located in the downtown core of San Antonio a few blocks from the San Antonio Riverwalk. The area was surrounded by historic buildings, which set the period of the Alamo quite nicely.

Visiting the Alamo Mission:

It was quite easy to visit the Alamo Mission. Tickets were on sale for various categories of the Alamo visit. Free tickets were available to visit the Alamo church (pictured below), where as various “add ons” were available to visit the church and museum exhibitions.

While I initially was going to save the Alamo for a departure day, I ended up visiting the church on a Friday evening between 4:15 PM and 5 PM, before it closed for the day.

On arriving to the grounds, the church facade is the most prominent structure that still remains from the year 1744. The church was located well inside the Alamo Mission, with exterior walls have long been removed.

The front of the church at the Alamo Mission contained plaques that referenced the siege at the Alamo, the letter written by commanders requesting assistance in defending the Alamo, in addition to the historic timeline of the siege at the Alamo.

I took a wander through the exterior grounds of the church at the Alamo Mission, appreciating the general statues and historic nature of this revered site.

While there was occasionally a line to get into the church, in my late afternoon visit one hour before closing, there wasn’t much line and I ended up just walking straight in.

Inside the Alamo Church:

Once inside the Alamo Church, I found myself in a historic building that very much represented a building from the 1750’s. The interior was partially restored to the basic foundational period, with simple walls and space.

Towards the far end of the hall, confederate flags marked the space. A plaque farm also highlighted the occupants during the seige of the Alamo, along with those that did not make it out alive.

The exterior walls of the Alamo provided a demonstration of the various re-builds that had occurred over the past two hundred years. A host identified the various layers of construction that had occurred throughout the church over the hundreds of years.

This explanation was finalized through a multi media presentation of what it was like to “experience” being in the church during the Siege of the Alamo.

While it was a little dramatic to have a multi media presentation, I guess the children and youth that visit the church are entertained by these types of presentations. Despite this I found it a little “Hollywood like”.

The Grounds and Park of the Alamo Mission:

After visiting the church, I ended up exploring the grounds. The Alamo Mission has a nicely curated park next to the church. The trees made for a pleasant break from the southern Texas heat.

After enjoying the park, I ended up walking back towards the Riverwalk for a dinner.

My Thoughts on my visit to the Alamo Mission:

The Alamo Mission marks a must see attraction visit if your travels take you through San Antonio.

While I was expecting the visit to take the better part of a day, I managed to view the area within the space of an hour. Despite this as an international visitor, I enjoyed the ability to learn a little bit of American History.

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If you’ve visited the Alamo Mission, did you enjoy your experience ?

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