Location: Downtown
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Top 10 Museums in Downtown, Texas (TX)
Step to the beat of wafting flamenco music as you wander the downtown River Walk before sampling as much chili (San Antonio’s signature dish) as your taste buds will allow. A visit to the Alamo is an absolute must, as is taking in a show at the ornate Majestic Theatre. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is dotted with 18th-century buildings and features, making for an enriching excursion.
Restaurants in San Antonio
1. The DoSeum - San Antonio's Museum for Kids
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 586 reviews
The DoSeum, San Antonio's museum for kids, serves as a “charging station” to power up kids’ minds and support the important work of schools and community organizations. Our exhibits and programs promote joyful learning, invite discovery, spark interest, and develop positive attitudes towards learning across critical content areas - including STEM, the arts, and literacy.
Reviewed By hornfan31 - Austin, United States
Wonderful children’s museum. So many activities. Great for kids and adults. Impossible to do everything in one day. Kids really enjoyed spy area. Stayed till closing.
2. San Antonio Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 787 reviews
The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in a historic brewery along the banks of the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk. The Museum offers important permanent collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Asian art, Latin American art, contemporary art and American paintings. The museum offers a variety of programs. Visit our website for admission pricing and more information. Bexar County residents enjoy free general admission every Tuesday 4–7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Reviewed By kzsull01 - Windsor, United States
My husband and I visited the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday afternoon, November 8, 2018 and Friday morning, November 9th. The museum had a very impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, and many other types of artifacts all well curated and documented and housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery. The former Lone Star Brewery building had unique architecture and was very nicely retrofitted to accommodate the artwork of the museum. The museum had much to offer and our visit was quite educational and an excellent lesson in art, history, and culture. Our visit at the museum lasted about five hours in total, due to the amount of time that we had available to us, but it could have easily taken more time to be able to absorb and appreciate all the artwork on display. An added bonus to our visit was there was plenty of free parking conveniently located across the street from the museum. We recommend a visit to this museum if you are in San Antonio, and hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy it as much as we did!! We started our visit on the first floor with the Egyptian, Ancient Mediterranean, Greek and Roman Art. The Egyptian artwork included a comprehensive display of many types of interesting artifacts and objects, including figurines, papyrus, pottery, vessels, statuette funerary, mummy masks, a mummy coffin, ancient glass and even a falcon. Artifacts illustrating Religion in Ancient Egypt included jars, knives, bowls, necklaces, beakers and other offering objects were all beautifully displayed. We then toured the Greek World Gallery. This included information about the natural world and ideal forms and proportions. Greece in the Bronze Ages was depicted. Jugs, jars, flasks, bowls, urns, Greek Coinage, jewelry, gems, and funerary sculptures were included among the many items nicely on display. We then viewed the Roman World. Multiple aspects of this art was depicted, including Roman Funerary Sculptures, Art in the Roman Provinces, Roman Coinage, portraits and a depiction of Roman mythology as well as much more, all quite interesting. We then went to the second floor which had Asian Art, including Japanese, Southeast Asian, Korean, Himalayan and Indian artwork. A variety of artifacts were on display, among them were Scenes of the Life of Buddha, including a Crowned Buddha, as well as objects related to Brahma, the Dance of Divine Love on Pigments of Cotton, Yogini, Plaques with the Mother Goddess, the Wedding of Krishna, Radha - Object of Krishna’s Desire, and a Surya Shrine. Many bottles, bowls and jars were also on display, all worth seeing. The Japanese art illustrated the Magic of Clay and Fire through Contemporary Ceramics, including vessels, jars, vases. A suit of parade armor was also on display as well a shrine and multiple folding silk screen panels, including ‘the Hawk on a Branch with Chattering Monkeys’ in addition to vases bottles, dishes and pitchers, all quite nice. The third floor had a very comprehensive and quite impressive collection of Chinese artwork, including ceramics, imperial China artifacts and early China artifacts. Art from multiple Chinese Dynasties were on display, including Qing, Ming, Song, Northern Song, Tang, Sui, Northern Qi, , Northern Wei, Han, Eastern Han, Western Han, Western Jin and Eastern Jin and many more. The artwork included vases, bowls, dishes, cups, canisters, figurines, flasks, jars, wine pots, bottles, urns, robes, furniture, horses, soldiers, a money tree, earthenware, stoneware, pieces of bronze and much more. We completed our visit at the museum on November 8th very impressed with what we saw, but still had more galleries in the museum to explore on November 9th. We began our visit to the museum on November 9th on the fourth floor with the Art of Oceania. This was a very interesting gallery depicting ceremonial ancestor figures, a basketry figure of a wild pig from New Guinea, a basketry yam mask, and information on the Yam Festivals of the Abelam people of New Guinea as well as well as the Malanggan Festivals of New Ireland. The Oceanic gallery illustrated an interesting history of cultural exchange in the South Pacific. . We then crossed over the Sky Bridge and went through an interesting and unique exhibit by Marilyn Lafear on ‘From Sewing to Soldering’. We went to the Texas Gallery and enjoyed the Texas Furniture and Texas Art with Blue Bonnets, Landscape Paintings and Marble Bronze Sculptures as well as other pieces of contemporary artwork in the next galleries. We walked through multiple galleries with interesting artwork including sculptures, jewelry and more by modern designer Harry Bertoia. We then spent time viewing the Spanish and Colonial Art as well as the very impressive Latin American Art Galleries, including modern, contemporary and folk art. We really enjoyed viewing the various vases, jars, crowns, chalices as well as beautiful religious paintings. We then spent some time viewing the American Art, including Haystack Mountain in Vermont and paintings along Pennsylvania Avenue. In addition, we enjoyed viewing the pieces of European Art that were on display. . . We finally visited the special exhibit ‘Becoming John Marin, Modernist at Work’. We enjoyed his drawings, watercolors, etchings and oil paintings, including early landscapes and architecture. We liked his artwork in Venice, Paris, and in Manhattan, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Telephone Building, the Woolworth Building and his depiction of a city in motion. We also liked his art regarding ‘Exploring America’, ‘Faces and Fantasies’, including portraiture, as well his artwork regarding the circus and his ‘Summers in Maine’. This was definitely a very comprehensive and interesting special exhibit nicely laid out with write-ups having good background information, all illustrating a unique perception of art. It was definitely worth seeing. . As you can tell, this museum has quite a bit to offer, much more than what is mentioned here. Again, we recommend a visit to this museum if you are in San Antonio and hope that you enjoy it as much as we did!!
3. Long Barracks Museum
4. Artpace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Founded in 1995 as a laboratory for artists, Artpace has grown to become San Antonio's premier contemporary arts organization. Featuring five gallery spaces, dynamic public programming, and one of the world's premier artist-in-residence programs, Artpace exposes and connects visitors to contemporary art and the people who make it.
Reviewed By ElvisAndrus - Arlington, United States
Several galleries were not open but that left more of my attention span for what was there which is good. As does the gallery which is very plain and therefore it neither competes with nor interprets the art. Quiet and assuming yet confident in its feel - I left thinking I’d like anything there. I like the concept; I like that it is free and I liked the installations.
5. Institute of Texan Cultures
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 444 reviews
This museum is dedicated to the contributions of different ethnic groups in Texas.
Reviewed By MarcellaS649 - St. Petersburg, United States
Many cultures, many stories and artifacts. Perfect for a rainy day and onto the tower of the Americas for lunch.
6. The Buckhorn Saloon and Texas Ranger Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,290 reviews
For over 135 years, The Buckhorn Saloon has been known as a gathering place for good conversation, great food and spectacular wildlife exhibits. Explore the animal halls and prepare yourself for a truly immersive adventure. Practice your sharp shooting skills in our Toepperwein Shooting Gallery and explore over 500 different animals from around the world. The Texas Ranger Museum houses Texas Ranger artifacts including antique revolvers, automatic handguns, shotguns, badges, photographs and much more. Sip a refreshing drink as you stroll through the 33,000 square feet of artifacts from Texas history. Don't forget to grab a bite of lunch in our Cafe and pick up some souvenirs in our gift shop! The Cafe is open daily for lunch from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Both museums open daily at 10:00 AM. Call for exact closing times. Summer hours 10AM to 9PM. Off season hours vary. Located two blocks from the Alamo and one block from the Riverwalk, The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum and Texas Ranger Museum have something for everyone!
Reviewed By SRW_TX - Richardson, United States
Myself, my husband and teenage son spent a fun afternoon at Buckhorn. If you like history, animals, or quirky unusual museums, you will enjoy it. It's definitely a unique place with so much to see. There is a large selection of stuffed (taxidermy) animals that you may not see anywhere else including animals that would not be permitted to be hunted these days. There is also a paranormal section with some fun interactive activities and a Texas Rangers and Old West section. Even the saloon itself is very impressive. Something for everyone! It's the kind of place you don't see much of anymore, definitely worth a visit if the above appeals to you!
7. Spanish Governor's Palace
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 246 reviews
Adobe building built in the mid-1700s for the Spanish presidio, now a major tourist attraction.
Reviewed By Susanssl - Houston, United States
This is not a palace but a very interesting old Spanish building. Nicely restored. Only cost $5 for the visit. Good info.
8. Mexican Cultural Institute
9. Plaza Theatre of Wax
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 49 reviews
Wax museum in downtown San Antonio that offers more than 225 lifelike characters in various themed sections.
Reviewed By dke0125 - Kansas City, United States
We enjoyed the wax figurines and the diversity and layout of them. They were very realistic and we found some of the scenes to be emotionally moving. Our favorite, as always, is the basement area which is dark and spooky. We went at night, right before they closed, to add to this environment. I would say parents with small or easily frightened children would want to avoid the basement area.
10. Ripley's Believe It or Not! San Antonio
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 568 reviews
Experience three unique attractions including the authentically unbelievable Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium, the exciting movies that you ride at Ripley's 4D Moving Theater and our larger-than-life Louis Tussaud's WaxWorks. Since 1918, our Believe It or Not Odditoriums have showcased the eclectically bizarre collection of Robert Ripley. We have carried on Ripley's tradition of scouring the globe for the world's most unbelievable exhibits. Authentic shrunken heads, two-headed animals and, a 19th century vampire killing kit only scratches the surface of what's behind the doors of Ripley's San Antonio.
Reviewed By quanv311
My family (2 adults and 9 and 8 years old) really enjoyed this attraction. We have been to other Ripley attractions across the country. This one ranks up there with the best of them. The kids always enjoying seeing objects from the past and learning interesting facts. We spent about an hour and a half there and would go back again.
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