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What to do in San Antonio, TX With Kids

Have a fantastic vacation in San Antonio!

A sculpture in downtown San Antonio
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Image by Katie Douglass

In early 2025 we stayed near San Antonio and had a wonderful time.

Here is our list of the best things to do in San Antonio, Texas with kids!

Table of contents

Learn About the Alamo

The Alamo has to be one of the most iconic places to visit in San Antonio. It is a great place to visit and teach your kids about some history. If you want to get into the Alamo church (the building that everyone things of when they think of the Alamo), it requires a free ticket. However, if you want to also get into the museum there, you’ll need to purchase a guided tour or a cheaper audio tour.

The Alamo church
Image by Brian Douglass

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    Explore the River Walk

    After visiting the Alamo, check out the San Antonio River Walk. It has all sorts of shops and restaurants to choose from. But if you are nervous about walking along a river with your kids, just see the whole place from a riverboat tour. For about 30 minutes of your time, you’ll get to see the full length of the river walk and hear about the history of various locations.

    A small waterfall by a sidewalk
    Image by Katie Douglass

    Walk the San Antonio Botanical Garden

    Botanical gardens aren’t something we normally recommend going to with your kids. But if you go there around Christmas time, definitely go when the San Antonio Botanical Garden puts on their “Illuminate” show.

    Some flower and insect shaped lanterns
    Image by Katie Douglass

    The entire garden is filled with huge lit-up lanterns. Our kids had a great time walking through the pathways.

    Splash Around at Seaworld San Antonio

    There are only a handful of Seaworld locations around the USA. San Antonio happens to be home to one of them. They have great sea animal shows with a few rides. And if you splurge, you can get behind-the-scenes access to the trainers and animals. When we went we got to pet a dolphin!

    A dolphin jumping out of the water
    Image by Brian Douglass

    Also, in 2025 they’ll complete their renovations and open up their “Rescue Jr” area. It sounds like it will be great for young kids.

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    Eat at the Magic Time Machine

    If you’re a food snob, you probably won’t want to go to the Magic Time Machine restaurant. But if you have kids, they’ll be sure to have fun there.

    All the waitstaff dress up as different characters and the kids can go around to get their signatures. We saw Anna, Barbie, Batman, Loki, and more. They also offer cool bubbling drinks and a dry ice fog show at the table.

    A woman dressed up like Anna from Frozen signing a booklet
    Image by Katie Douglass

    They usually have face painting and balloon animals there as well. Just be warned that those will have an extra cost associated with them.

    Play With Animals at the San Antonio Aquarium

    The San Antonio Aquarium isn’t really an aquarium in the traditional sense. It is more like an animal park with plenty of land, sea, and flying animals to see. They also offer plenty of opportunities to interact with the animals. You can pet an African porcupine or feed a cavy (just to name a few).

    Just be aware that each experience costs one or more tokens. At the time of writing each token is about $3 (it gets expensive fast if you have a big family). So plan and set expectations accordingly with your kids!

    A mom and her kids feeding cavies
    Image by Brian Douglass

    Hike the Canyon Lake Gorge

    If you want to get out of the city, just travel north a bit to get to the Canyon Lake Gorge. It is a geological marvel that basically formed overnight in a flood. You can take a 2-mile hike to see the whole gorge. They also offer backpacks with a compass, binoculars, and some activities for kids. You’ll just need to put up some collateral like your keys or wallet.

    Kids looking out at a gorge
    Image by Katie Douglass

    Visit the Texas Hill Country Heritage Museum

    Despite its appearance from the road, the Texas Hill Country Heritage Museum is a nifty little place to visit. And if you are nearby visiting the Canyon Lake Gorge, you can make a quick stop here.

    They have a large number of visible fossilized dino tracks that you can walk around. They also have some local history and a sand, dino dig for the kids to enjoy.

    A fossilized dinosaur footprint
    Image by Katie Douglass

    The Game is Afoot at the Sherlock Home

    While not exactly an experience, the Sherlock Home is an Airbnb house that you can stay in. But its not just any old Airbnb, it is a escape room house. If you like escape rooms, then you’ll love the Sherlock Home.

    The kids had a great time searching for clue and solving puzzles. The younger ones did get bored after a while like they do, but we were able to put our youngest to bed while the rest of continued with the game (the benefit of it being an Airbnb!).

    It certainly wasn’t elementary, so bring your thinking caps!

    A family posing with hats in front of a fireplace
    Image by Katie Douglass

    Children’s Museums, Science Centers, and Zoos

    Many children’s museums, science centers, and zoos participate in reciprocity programs. That means your membership to your local place may get you in at a discounted rate (sometimes free!) when on vacation. Check out the full list of reciprocity programs in Texas.

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    Brian Douglass
    Written by Brian Douglass

    A father of 5, trip navigator, and computer programmer.

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