Mission San Jose

Visited this place as part of a tour that included the Alamo and I must say this was actually a surprisingly delightful stop. There's more architectural beauty to capture here than the Alamo and it also has a working church that's quite beautiful and calming and peaceful. Currently still free entry.

Beautiful site! Plenty of parking. The grounds are dog friendly, but you can’t bring them inside the church. Interesting historical info! Definitely worth checking out if you’re in San Antonio.

We continued our trail to visit all five missions in San Antonio. Founded in 1720, Mission San José quickly became the largest and most influential mission in the San Antonio area, earning the nickname “Queen of the Missions.” It was home to hundreds of Native Americans who lived, worked, and worshiped there. The mission complex included a church, granary, workshops, and defensive walls. San José is especially noted for its ornate stone façade and Rose Window, which exemplify Spanish Colonial craftsmanship. It served as both a religious and economic center, teaching agriculture, weaving, and animal husbandry to mission residents. #abuelosmochileros_sanantonio #abuelosmochileros_texas

A free tour. No ticket required, so don’t trust those websites who said want you pay. This is a good historical place to visit for learning history. Need around 1 hour to finish the tour.

Mission San Jose: A Surprisingly Serene Detour for the Non-History-Loving Family As someone who generally prefers a good game of sports outside or a refreshing swim to a hallowed hall, the idea of visiting a museum (even an outdoor one) isn't usually my first choice. And frankly, my family isn't exactly clamoring for a history lesson either. Yet, we opted for Mission San Jose, and I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. The mission proved to be incredibly spacious and, to my delight, refreshingly uncrowded. It felt less like a stuffy exhibit and more like a peaceful stroll through some seriously old, beautiful architecture. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. One thing that immediately scored points in my book (and probably the kids' too) was the abundance of drinking fountains scattered throughout the grounds. Dehydration was clearly not on the mission's agenda. We even found a little theater room where we caught a video, which was a nice way to absorb some of the plentiful information without feeling like I needed a history degree just to understand the plaques. Ultimately, Mission San Jose is truly beautiful and incredibly peaceful. Even for a family like ours, who generally skips the historical deep dives, it was a surprisingly serene and enriching experience. It might not convert us into full-fledged history buffs, but we can definitely appreciate the quiet beauty and the friendly vibe it offered. And it's free.

FREE This place is huge and still in great shape, took them over 38 years to build. Native Americans were not allowed to pass through the arches until they converted to Catholicism.. a lot of history here. The grounds are kept up very nice. The people that work inside were absolutely wonderful, quite kind and very helpful. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to do it all before it closed. Note to self they close at five. Have a video and there is a lot of stuff to look at in the gift shop.. Plan a couple hours. I WOULD RECOMMEND

I went on the guided tour and then explored the area afterward. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and told a good story. It was very interesting and worthwhile to learn about the San Antonio Missions!

Mission San Jose was beautiful! We were not expecting to enjoy it as much as we did. Our favorite part was the church. It was so beautiful and peaceful and even had a relic of St.Francis in display!

I really love these historical places having trails incorporated. I didn't realize this until we visited the fourth mission. The missions are Mission Espada, San Jose, Concepcion, and San Juan Capistrano. We went to San Juan Capistrano and found the trail and decided to go. It was a short 2.5 miles to Mission Espada and back. The trail is very well maintained and very quiet. You could get lost in nature and think you weren't even in the city (well aside from strolling under the 410. A wonderful place to explore away from the more well known part of the Riverwalk. I'm looking forward to finishing up the rest of the trails here.

It's an interesting park enclosed by a walled off fortress. The church is simple, but it still stands. I was glad to see the rendering of how it looked when the exterior was tiled. The living quarters are small and cozy, but has a fireplace in each room. The cooking ovens surround the area as well as some well.

We made the most of the local public spaces for viewing the 2023 Annular Eclipse at NPS Mission San Jose. This park is one of the bigger of the four NPS missions and served as an awesome host for the eclipse. It has a theater to explain the history of the Texans and the early settling and development of San Antonio and its people's. It's on the south end of town, but is visible from the main road, and has plenty of parking. The park rangers are super helpful, and provided the kids a new Junior Ranger badge for this particular event. Great place for this event and family fun.

We just moved here and we love history and architecture this was the best of both We started out at Mission Espada and just drove from Mission to Mission ending up at Mission Conception last (no we actually did not go to the Alamo on a Friday Night) the whole thing as we took our time lasted about 3 hours The largest is Mission San Jose although I was drawn to the simplicity of Mission San Juan Capistrano very peaceful We will be returning to see more Highly recommend taking this in if you are in San Antonio A+++

Beautiful mission. My wife and I love history and to be in a place like this really makes you reflect on how hard life must have been back then. This place shows a bit of history and how well people built places like this that are still standing. There was lots of parking and they also had a gift shop. I recommend checking it out.

Beautiful national historical park with Mission San José. I liked how they had some exhibits inside the mission building. It's a nice stroll around the mission. I enjoyed the intricate detail of the mission entrance.

FYI for those that are retired military, make sure to sign up for your free lifetime unlimited pass to ALL national parks! Sign up is easy at any Visitors center. We made sure to do that the other day and we look forward to exploring the SA Missions National Park soon! This park consists of a few missions within couple of miles from each other and is surrounded by lush greenery. With clean paved trails, you can even rent one of bikes or bring your own. We'll be back to explore more after this weather storm passes....

I first visited the Spanish Missions as a child in the 1960s. I vividly remember the hot summer, the dry air, the seeming isolation of the areas surrounding the missions. San Antonio was a very different place then and change has come. The one thing that hasn't changed is, the awe-inspiring sight of 300-year-old missions. There was a time when everyone had a claim on any and all of Texas. These missions were part of a strategy by Spain to Fend off the French encroachment on what they considered theirs. I am always amazed at how many people in Texas don't know about these jewels. Some native Texans have never visited and that's a shame. I highly recommend you visit this World Heritage site. Take plenty of time to drink in what it must have been like living behind these walls 100s of years ago.

I cannot express how amazing seeing the San Antonio missions are. Pictures do not do justice. The Alamo is quite a site as well but why are the other 4 so missed!? Most people don't even know that there are 5 missions in total! I hate to say that even my Texans never heard of OR have seen the other 4 missions involved in our state's most known battles. We need more people to go and visit these 4 missions and not only the Alamo. So much history and beautiful sites to see! Highly recommended.

The Alamo gets all the hype but there is so much more to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park than that. In fact, a lot of people don't know that there are multiple missions in San Antonio. On a trip to San Antonio back in November, my mom and I made an adventure out of it. Kind of like Pokemon, we had to catch them all. We started at the first mission and explored each of them one-by-one. They each are different in their own way and we enjoyed learning about the history surrounding each mission. Here are some common threads: there's an audio tour that you can access through their website on your phone. You'll see numbers at placards throughout each mission. Beyond reading what each placard says, input the number in your phone and you'll get further context as you walk around. Going to all of the missions in one day is going to take some work, and it's going to involve a lot of walking, but you can always split things up into multiple days. Each mission is free and that includes free parking. The missions are too far apart to walk from one to another, so your best bet is either driving or biking. There are bikes you can rent and the mission trail connects all of the missions together. We opted to drive. Definitely check them all out, you'll learn a lot!

How did I not visit the missions sooner. I still have a few more to see. Its so beautiful here. We came and saw Mission Espada and San Juan. Such beautiful places with such a rich story and history. Definitely felt like a step back into time. My friends and family had so much fun learning about its history. I didn't realize that the churches at these locations are still active. Simply breath taking. There is so much outdoor space. The architecture is so beautiful. They also have walking trails around the area that are cool since they are all along the river. They all connect. So this is a great spot for a walk or jog. Lots of biking trails as well. These locations also serve as wedding venues, and a cool spot for professional photos for anyone interested.

We wanted to fill our calendars during Spring Break and decided to finally visit San Antonio Missions for the first time. We got there around 10 and we seemed to have beat the crowd. There's lots of walking space (not in the shops). The kids had fun! Staff was friendly.

This mission has had extensive renovations done. Lots of photo opportunities. No charge for admission or parking, who doesn't love that. Lots of plaques with information about the church and structures. I know I didn't spend enough time here, there are a lot of things that were missed so I'm going to come back during the cooler months and take my time. I did take lots of pics which I'll share here.

The five missions are gorgeous! They are amazing to visit and learn about the history. The five missions are Mission Espada, Mission San Juan, Mission San Jose, Mission Concepcion, and the Alamo. All of the missions, except for The Alamo hold services on Sundays and holidays. We visited during Holy week, leading up to Easter and inside the missions had the purple drapes.

Highlights: -Free admission -Beautiful grounds -Lots of history -Friendly park ranger that is happy to speak to visitors -Fun trees to climb -Clean bathrooms -Plenty of parking .|\---/| | o_o | .\_^_/..2021

Great place! The trail was awesome, perfectly manicured, lots of directional pieces, and well taken care of. The park police were awesome, and the Rangers were great and informational. The gift shop was nice and I had a bunch a little things that I would definitely grab for the kids. Bruins after monasteries were really cool well preserved curious store for Mission Texas just short enough explain the pieces and it's not long enough where to get bored. The trail itself get out of commercialize area in about .5 miles in continues on for another 6 1/2 really nice scenic areas, a bunch picturesque type of areas, and lots of benches if you need to rest. also 2 parks for the kids if you wanted to hang.

Unesco heritage sites are always worth it--and there are not too many in the United States. We really enjoyed our visit to the Missions Historical Park. Even though it's located inside the city and surrounded by homes and businesses on all sides, the park feels self contained, a beautiful greenbelt housing 4 missions. Each of the missions has something unique and all are worth visiting. Everything is free, and the missions are within a few miles of each other. We only had a limited amount of time, so we drove from mission to mission. It's nicely signed, you can't get lost. If we had more time, I would have loved to walk from one mission to the other. There is a visitor center at Mission San Jose, with a movie and ranger tours. So if you don't know much about missions, that's a good place to start to give some background. Also, as opposed to the Alamo, there were no lines here and no large crowds. By all means, see the Alamo, but the rest of the missions also deserve attention and are well worth a visit.

Came here with the kids for a little Spring Break adventure and it was a nice little place to visit. It is spacious and allows for the kids to walk around and run around a little bit while supervised, they enjoyed learning a little about the history and had a lot of questions about some things. The Cathedral was an interesting view as well. The gift shops are very small with not much room however. Overall it was a cool experience and one worth checking out.

Admission is free and lots of history. Our tour guide was great and the staff were very friendly. We started by watching about a 10 min video and walked the tour. The mission is a must see.

It is quite an interesting historical site to visit. A must to see when in town. Fascinating still active catholic church. I imagine those masses and congregations held during the early years, it must be solemn. The architecture is so beautiful. European touch is so visible . Roaming around the ground and looking what had transpired is such a wonderful experience. A museum and gift shop is by the entrance. Do not hesitate to donate at least to help maintenance cost when you visit , it is free admission anyway . The other missions in the area is just few minutes drive. It may not as big as this one but worth visiting.

This is a great place to visit. Infact must one. Huge area surrounded by park and picnic areas. In the center they have the old mission type architecture which looks really cool. Get to see old style dwellings and a very old St. Francis church. Architecture is really very old and worth visiting to see it. It closes at 5 pm and we reached late on 1st day so had to go another day. They have a visitor center and a small museum too. Gift shop inside the visitor center has a gift shop too with great options of souvenirs.

Beautiful place full of rich San Antonio history! The grounds and all the buildings are extremely well maintained! The staff is so knowledgeable and helpful! We absolutely loved ranger Tom who have us an hour long tour of Mission San Jose! Highly recommend anyone who visits San Antonio to go see all 5 missions!

Every Texan should travel this trail, explore the area, thoroughly look through all five missions, read all the signs, and take lots of pictures. It's all well maintained. Fascinating history we have here. We had a great time and learned a lot.

It seems strange, given the concept of separation of church and state, that we could have a national park which revolves around Catholic churches. But apparently, the church portions of the park are still active as religious institution, and the park exhibitions are managed independently, and it works out. Certainly, the history and architecture are quite interesting even from a purely secular perspective. There are several different mission sites linked by a riverside greenway trail, all of them impressive works of local stone which look weathered yet sturdy. It's hard to imagine living in Texas before air conditioning was invented, but some early folks toughed it out in these spots, and of course some native peoples were here long before that. COVID has resulted in some closures at the time of this writing; some rest rooms are open, others not, at least one gift shop was open, and another not. You can walk inside some of the churches, but most of the experience is outside and it's easy to keep a distance. If you're visiting, it's definitely a spot that will give you an experience and make you think, and if you're local, the trails are an excellent place to get a workout.

San Antonio Missions Historical Park is a designated World Heritage Site. The park consists of four Catholic missions situated about 2 miles from each other. Admission is free for each mission site and free plentiful parking is available. In addition a walking / biking trail connects each mission and The Alamo as well. Bike rental is available at The Alamo. The missions are Mission Concepcion, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission San Jose, and Mission Espada. The visitor center is located at Mission San Juan Capistrano. My wife and I only had time to explore Mission Cocepcion and Mission San Juan Capistrano. We enjoyed the experience tremendously. My advice is to go in Spring or Fall and explore the Missions via biking. Pack a lunch and snack from one of the many local Tex/Mex or real Mexican restaurants. There are picnic tables at the two missions we visited. We will be back to do the last two missions.

Being a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE is special title bestowed upon the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Showcasing interesting historical facts, stories and explanations are posted up around the compound. Mission San Jose, itself, has an open cathedral on the grounds. (But close at 430pm) Since we were here during October, extravagant Día de los Muertos altars exhibition was on display. The old historical structures were mostly intact with some renovations ongoing. However, they are four other separate missions (Concepcíon, Espada, San Juan, Álamo) along included in Missions San Antonio. Each with their own separate vibe. Mixing old school history with new school updates and renovations Mission San Jose does an amazing job upkeeping the structures. While in the San Antonio area, I'd highly recommend.

We went in the middle of the day and it was VERY hot/humid. Luckily there was a little store that had cold waters, but it only helped so much. Otherwise, the Mission is beautiful. So much history and a lot to see, it is also well kept.

Nice to go there for a peaceful calming walk with the wife!!!!! If you haven't been worth checking out. Nice walking trails!!!!

We picked a beautiful day to go take a look around the Mission trail's. My grandbaby had so much fun. Sometimes i forget i live in a beautiful Historic city. This day was relaxing and grandbaby and i had so much fun. The gift shop was open some of the doors we're open that people could go in and explore the historical rooms. We also stopped and took a walk around the center lots of nice historical stuff that i was showing my grandbaby. She is 4 years old so everything was why why and why lol But that's fine being out with my grandbaby is the best any grandma can ask for we got lucky it was a beautiful day. Thank you again for taking the time to read my review. Please go visit you will enjoy a nice historical day.

Driving towards the San Antonio Missions National Park, You'd think you were in Mexico; so San Antonio is a bit run down...I get it. But when you get to the park, what a sight! Apparently it's part of UNESCO, and rightly so. This place exudes the definition of the word gravitas; it's so solemn, and the significance of its existence through time impresses upon you directly and without reservation. To see first hand, stones laid by people from hundreds of years ago for the establishment of basic safeties we take for granted - that is something. The build quality is superb, and the defense fortifications around the perimeter really double down the understanding of the perilous conditions of the world before we knew it. It is not lost on me, however, that the inhabitants were in fact a sort of invading crusader force spreading the message of their chosen God; while keeping the pestilence of a world without modern medicine at bay - among other lawless acts. It was a tough world, and to lay blame and judgement across these many centuries would be shortsighted. Still, what an absolute treasure to behold. I recommend walking just within the perimeter wall, observe the tiny details, and sit to contemplate the implications. I am ashamed to have cut this genuine experience short in order to visit the unfortunate Alamo - having finally fell to an invading force of tourism developers and charlatans. Downtown San Antonio is a right circus, exploited for the entertainment of lazy travelers - the Alamo being the most prominently tired, commercialized, and exhaustive flame for the buzzing flies to leech from. I'd never see the Alamo again in my life; but the Missions demand ample time for a proper revisiting. Take your time at SAMNP, and skip the Alamo if you can find the gumption to.

The Mission de San Jose y San Miguel is large, living up to its reputation as "Queen of the Missions." The church is large and impressive, & the front of the church has religious statues that are still beautiful. We walked around the perimeter - the Indian quarters, which made us think of the exteriors of present day hotel rooms. We also visited the oldest mill in TX just outside the gates, near the church. The wheel below is still turning. Lots of birds in the trees, and watched a hawk chased off by small birds. In the visitor Center, we watched a well done, informative 23 min. movie: People of Reason. We also looked at more displays. Restrooms were being renovated, so a white trailer was nearby with 2 unisex bathrooms.

The San Antonio Missions Historical Park is 300 years of history and culture. There are four mission sites which include Mission San Jose, Conception, San Juan and Espada. San Jose Mission is about 10 minutes from downtown San Antonio and is the most complete and refurbished of all the missions. The Alamo is not part of the mission tour. Each mission has park rangers which conduct tours on the hour beginning at 11 am and ending at 5 pm. Admission is free. You can take one of the ranger lead tours or opt for a self-guided tour. Most people drive from mission to mission but a bus is also available for $2.75. The bus requires more walking and waiting. If you visit each mission expect to spend about 3-4 hours. The bulk of that time will probably be spent at Mission San Jose. As part of the National Park System, San Antonio's Mission Trial offers the visitor a multiple mission tour. If you are not planing on visiting all the missions, my advise is to visit the San Jose Mission first. The mission is adjacent to the National Park Service Visitor Center where you will find a museum and park gift shop. The museum has artifacts which are both authentic and replicas. There you can obtain information about the entire tour, as well as, see a documentary film"Gente de Razon" about the history of the mission's system. The film is closed captioned. Secondly, this is the most restored of all the missions. One of the walls still has some of the white wash and colorful designs still visible. Church services are still held in all the missions so you can attend a mass service if you wish. Masses are conducted in English, Spanish and some are Bi-Lingual. Brides often get married in the mission church or just come for pictures. November-March is the best time to visit unless you are comfortable with hot weather. There are some information boards but I suggest a ranger guided tour.

Missions of San Antonio, oh how you have changed... the parking which used to be sparse and dusty is now abundant and paved. So too the pathways in and around the grounds and information centers and gifts shops. People can better access these historic places that played such a role in shaping the region and can get a feel for an older and wilder west. Oddly, these edifii seem more intact now than a quarter century ago on my first trip down the mission road; the foundations, walls, and structures seem newer, brighter, and happier. I am not sure if this detracts from or embellishes the story of these places but it certainly changes things. As an aside, nearest I can make it their given names are Mission San Antonio de Valero, Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, and San Francisco de la Espada.

Absolutely beautiful. Love taking my kids here. The church is absolutely beautiful along with the grounds. Love how excited my kids get every time we go.

These missions are absolutely beautiful! The NHP is free! I'd recommend starting at the Mission San Jose Visitors Center. There is plenty of parking available in their lot. They have an educational movie about the people who lived on the land, how they survived and ended up being the ones who built the missions; it plays every 30 mins. There's also a gift shop, small museum with information and artifacts, restrooms and ranger available for questions. You can easily spend an entire afternoon here...we spent about 4 hours in total, and we drove to each one. There are 4 missions that are part of the NHP. The Alamo is separate as it is owned by the state of Texas. Some of the missions have such ornate entrances. One of them even had remnants of the original colorful artwork on the outside. The missions are very old and parts are crumbling, so be careful while exploring. I noticed some adults not watching their children as they climbed all over the ruins. Park rangers will intervene if they witness such behavior, but unfortunately they don't have enough rangers to watch everything or everyone. This was such a cool experience, I would highly recommend!

My family really enjoyed visiting Mission San Jose. We unfortunately didn't have time for the others and were told this was the biggest and definitely not to be missed of the four. We took a couple hours to walk to grounds, exploring and learning. My son participated in a scavenger hunt, that helped him learn about the mission, and was inducted as a Junior Ranger at the end, where he received a badge and was overly excited. There is a short film and gift shop on the grounds as well. To go between the missions you can drive, walk, or bike.

I feel the reviews on this page get a little bit confusing. First, the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park encompasses all missions in San Antonio. That is why you may see pictures of different missions on this one page. Having said that, I highly recommend going to the San Jose mission. Known as the "Queen of the Missions", here you will find a Visitor Center with information about all the missions...including a short film in a small theater. The Visitors Center needs some work. Displays are not lit well...some are not lit at all. Displays and information could be much more impressive. The San Jose Mission itself is worth seeing. The full wall is completely intact, and the church itself is beautiful, particularly the alter. But, COME ON! The history is weak. There are only so many ways you can re-write that the Spanish colonized the Indians along the Camino Real, they harvested the fields when not attending church, etc. The informational boards repeated the same information over and over again. I'm SURE there is more to write about. Overall, if you're a tourist...start here. This one mission with the visitor center is worth a bit of time.

UNESCO World Heritage Site National Historic Landmarks There are four missions, not including The Alamo. They are not too far from each other and it took us approximately 2 hours to visit them all. We drove, but it's also accessible by bike or on the River Walk. San Jose is the "Queen of the Missions," and is the largest mission in San Antonio. The visitor center is also located there. Conception's church is the oldest unrestored stone church in the U.S. San Juan and Espada are much smaller, but they were also worth checking out.

Loved my visit to the San Antonio Missions NHP! It has free entrance and guided tours with a ranger that enthusiastically explains the history of the different missions, the alamo and how the Spanish recruited the Natives to work with them. I wondered around for about an hour and a half in the morning (including the tour) before it became a bit too hot for me.

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions" Mission San Jose is absolutely magnificent. From the architecture, to the history. The church itself is breathtaking. Not extravagant, just in a simple, humble way. I'm not a religious person by any means, but spiritual. Standing in the middle of this sanctuary gave me a sense of overwhelming peace. This is a must see if you are ever in San Antonio. Did I mention FREE!!! #justpassinthru #fulltimerv #rvliving #gorving #seeamerica #roadtripusa #djiosmopocket #SanAntonio

If you're visiting San Antonio you absolutely need to stop here! We stopped by the visitor's center first and watched their 23 minute video in their very cool and comfortable theater to learn about the background of the mission, then walked around the small museum. The mission is beautiful! lots of rooms to go in and check out with additional small exhibits, some in the A/C (it was a very hot day so this was great!). I loved all the pecan and oak trees and the beautifully manicured and very colorful flowers. There is even a section of the wall that has the original paint! The church is still in use so please be respectful during mass times. They have a sign out requesting that if you enter the church during mass please only do so if you intend to stay for the remainder of the service. Unfortunately some tourists were ignoring this so please be considerate and plan your visit accordingly if you want to see the inside of the church. There are plenty of rest rooms and the church has a gift shop with cold drinks inside the mission. Plan to spend maybe 1.5 - 2 hours here to really see everything. Its very peaceful and a great place to visit for all ages.

The Alamo is the most famous of the missions, but these missions are pretty awesome as well. These missions reside along Mission Dr., but if you're bad at directions like me, just plug it into your GPS to be guided to the locations. They are scattered a few miles from each other, so definitely not walking distance. You could do biking as there are bikes for rent there, but we opted to drive since it was hot out, which I was glad about. Each mission has its own appeal. Each mission has a past of its own, while being intricately linked to one another. Each take 20-60 minutes to walk around. I definitely recommend starting with the visitor center to join the free ranger led tour on Mission San Jose. It's good starting background knowledge to further appreciation. Mind you, these missions are still working churches. While there, I saw a lot of people there for photoshoots (wedding, prom, graduation), so just a head's up if you're looking for somewhere for a shoot.

There isn't much to see here except some old ruins of buildings where the Missionaries tried to make a go of converting the natives and "europeanize" them. This was actually written in one of the missions.

The missions were awesome!!! We loved all of them. The northern most missions are better preserved, but all were interesting. If you have the time, I'd recommend renting a bike to ride between the missions. There are bike stations at each site so it's very easy to do. The bike path runs between all of the missions so you don't have to worry about traffic!!

Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. I got lucky and went very early and got gorgeous cloudy and cool weather. Couldn't have enjoyed more!

Expect to spend most of one day touring all the missions. It's best to take your own car if you drive in and start at the national park center at Mission San Juan, pick up a map and exact addresses for all the missions so you don't waste time looking for them...the signs are not clear! Then a half day at the Alamo and Riverwalk including the boat ride are recommended. Forget the Red Trolley as we thought it was not up to par with other tours we have gone on with the Red Trolley. We did not try the larger tour buses.

I have been to the Alamo a couple of times but, I had no idea that there were other missions along a trail let alone such a historically important and easily accessible trail that linked them together. We toured one of the missions along the trail and stopped into the information center where the gentleman working was very eager to give us an overview of the park and the history. We received a map and toured the grounds and the church. There was parking on-site at this location and we decided to go and see an area with an old stone bridge/waterfall. There was parking at this point of the trail too and we sat on a bench and enjoyed the beauty of this spot for a while. We then went to the Alamo before dinner and I wish we had come earlier in the day to get a chance to see more of the park trail. There are also bicycle friendly trails as well as walking trails from start to finish. If you are a history buff and enjoy the outdoors this would be good place to spend the day exploring. I would also bring out of town guests here to give them some early history of Texas.

The San Antonio Missions National Historic Park is amazing. First, its a NHP AND a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so I'm already in. Then, its really interesting to learn about the history of the area and of the missions. The Park is easy to access from San Antonio, even though the missions are spread out. Actually, the most challenging one to get to is the Mission Espada and we ended up skipping this one on this trip. Hopefully we will return and have the opportunity to see Espada, but it was an hour walk to the mission and back to Mission San Juan and we just did not have the time on the day we were exploring the Missions. Instead we enjoyed San Jose, San Juan, and Concepcion. You can easily access the missions by public bus, bicycling, walking, driving, etc. We took the bus that we caught next to the Alamo. It was a whopping $2.75 for a full day pass. San Jose is the largest and most restored mission; it is the location of the visitor center and you can watch an audio visual presentation and also participate in a ranger lead tour of the mission grounds, which we did. The visitor center also has a bookstore and museum. This mission has its own gift shop, where they sell products to help pay for the maintenance of the missions. The ranger led tour was very informative. San Jose is a beautiful mission as well as having beautiful grounds to enjoy and photograph. It is easy to access this mission, even if you have physical challenges, such as needing wheelchair access.. For those who collect National Park Service Passport stamps, there are two stamps available, one for the missions and one for the El Camino Real National Historic Trail. Additionally, they have a picture stamp for each of the four missions. I HIGHLY recommend a visit to the missions if visiting the San Antonio area!

Been wanting to visit these missions for awhile and have now been here twice. I love how peaceful and nice this place looks. There is a lot of history so make sure to read all the signs so you can get a better feel of what actually was going on in these places. It is free and parking is big so there should be no problem there. There's also a small gift shop filled with nice and unique things as well. So make sure to stop there too.