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photo credit: Michael (mx5tx)

People who are planning a visit to San Antonio almost always put a few of the same basic attractions on their lists of things to see. They make plans to walk along the San Antonio Riverwalk. They make it a point to go check out The Alamo and the historic landmarks associated with it. They spend an evening at The Majestic Theater or the Arneson River Theater. These are all great things to do on a trip to San Antonio but they aren’t necessarily the things that you would especially want to see if you were traveling to the area with your all-ages family.

If you’ve got kids in tow and you want to find the San Antonio attractions that are going to appeal to them most without causing the adults in the group to become bored, these are the places that you are going to want to add to your Texas itinerary:

San Antonio Zoos and Theme Parks

One of the best types of attractions that can be enjoyed at any destination is the theme park and / or zoo. These are the kinds of places that are always geared towards kids but offer enough entertainment for adults that everyone tends to have a good time. San Antonio is home to several good attractions of this nature.

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• Sea World San Antonio. Sea World is a fun attraction for people of all ages and it’s a fun thing to do in any of the cities which is home to it. San Antonio is one of those cities. You can go here to see all of the amazing marine life that you really get the chance to see and to enjoy the entertainment of the shows that feature some of the animals who call Sea World home. The youngest of kids will be delighted by all that there is to see there and the adults in the group will get a chance to recapture some of their own childhood fun.
• Animal Sanctuary of the United States. You can get something of an education about animals at Sea World but if you want a more in-depth educational experience with your family during your stay in San Antonio then you’ll want to visit a guided tour of this ten-acre animal sanctuary. This isn’t your typical zoo; it’s an educational facility associated with a large non-profit animal sanctuary organization. It’s the type of thing you don’t often get to experience and the thing that your family will remember after you’ve left San Antonio behind.
• San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium. If you are more interested in the traditional zoo experience then you won’t be disappointed by the local zoo in San Antonio. There are more than one dozen different exhibit areas at this zoo featuring everything from a Gibbon Forest to a Prairie Chickens exhibit. There are over 3500 different animals here so you’re not going to get bored at this attraction no matter how much time you spend here.


photo credit: steebow66

• Six Flags Fiesta Texas. There might not be any sort of DisneyLand located in San Antonio but theme park adventures can still be enjoyed at this Six Flags amusement park destination. The thrilling adventure of roller coasters and the award-winning entertainment of live performances will keep the entire family excited throughout an entire day spent at this San Antonio attraction. If you’re the kind of family that likes theme parks then this is the one spot in San Antonio that you can’t neglect to visit.
• Wonder World Park Cave. This is a theme park unique to the San Antonio area. It’s an exploration of a local cave formed by an earthquake but it includes rides that are designed to be appealing to kids. It’s one of the most interesting theme parks that you’re ever going to have a chance to visit and it’s less than a day trip away from anywhere that you’re staying in San Antonio so it’s something that’s probably worth checking out.

San Antonio Museums

There are dozens of museums in San Antonio but most of them are geared towards an adult crowd. Here are some of the San Antonio museums that might be enjoyed by children and families:

• San Antonio Children’s Museum. This is the most obvious museum for families with young children because the exhibits here are specifically designed to capture the interest of an age grup ranging from two to twelve. There are often events and activities held here which families may enjoy attending. The hands-on experience here will set the tone for your kids to really begin appreciating museums as a part of the travel experience.
• Witte Museum. This is a San Antonio museum that is as likely to attract the attention of adults as it is to generate interest from kids. It’s a science museum which features interesting hands-on exhibits that almost anyone may enjoy. It’s great for tourists because it also relates information about the history and culture of the area so you can learn a lot about the place that you are visiting without becoming bored by the traditional museum setting.


photo credit: Secret Tenerife

• Scobee Planetarium. This is a planetarium that has a great space theater designed to show off the stars to the visitors who come to check it out. It’s currently under construction but is one of the best family attractions in the city so it’s worth putting on the itinerary for a future trip once it re-opens.

Additional Family-Friendly Attractions in San Antonio

There are all sorts of different things that you might do with you family in San Antonio. After you’ve seen the animals at the zoo, ridden the rides at the theme parks and checked out the all-ages museums, these are some of the other things that might interest you:

• Barge Tour of the RiverWalk. You shouldn’t miss the RiverWalk experience when you’re in San Antonio. If you think the kids are going to get bored walking through the area then you can skip the walk and take a boat tour instead. Everyone will have a good time as you get to experience this major San Antonio attraction.
• Brackenridge Park. If you’ve done the other things on this list already then you’ve already been here because the San Antonio Zoo is located on site of this park. However, there are also a lot of other family-friendly activities to be enjoyed in this major park destination whether you’re interested in checking out the zoo or not. Any family who enjoys a good day in the park would be wise to check out this attraction.
• Ultimate Mirror Maze. This is a really simple attraction located in Alamo Plaza but it’s one that families really enjoy. Head through a maze of mirrors and try to find your way out!

The ideal San Antonio vacation will have a terrific mixture of trips to different attractions that will appeal to the whole family. Spend a little bit of time visiting the theme parks and aquariums that are appealing to a younger crowd but make it a point to do a River Barge tour or museum trip that is geared towards the adults. This balance will help to make sure that everyone leaves the San Antonio trip with some great memories of how much fun you all had.

Tags: Family Attractions | North America | San Antonio | texas | United States