It's San Antonio for family fun! For kids of all ages, America's ninth largest city is one giant playground deep in the heart of Texas

Travel America, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Randy Mink, Karen Mink

Whether your brood is in the mood for thrill rides or a carefree day in the park, San Antonio delivers. With its distinct personality and festive flair, this metropolis with a Mexican accent is unlike any other. In fact, Mark Twain named San Antonio one of America's four unique cities, the others being New Orleans, Boston, and San Francisco.

Much of the tourist action is right in the middle of downtown, where Texas' most hallowed shrine and most popular historic site makes a logical starting point for sightseeing. The Alamo, located next to the three-level shopping and entertainment complex called River-center Mall, was a Spanish mission that became permanently etched in the annals of history when 189 Texans fighting for independence from Mexico--including Davy Crockett and James Bowie--turned it into a fortress and held off some 4,000 troops for 13 days. The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying call of the Texas revolution.

Across Alamo Plaza, the 1836 battle comes alive at The Texas Adventure, a multi-media show with special effects. The IMAX Theatre Rivercenter presents the film Alamo ... The Price of Freedom on a six-story-tall screen complemented by six-track stereo sound.

Other family favorites on Alamo Plaza include Ripley's Believe It or Not, a museum that intrigues kids with oddities from around the world. In the same building, Plaza Theatre of Wax houses 225 life-like characters in four themed sections--Hollywood, Horror, History, and Religion. The Cowboy Museum, also on Alamo Plaza, has replicas of a saloon, saddle shop, jail, and general store.

Not far from the Alamo is River Walk, the city's most beloved asset. Its cobblestone and flagstone paths border both sides of the San Antonio River, 20 feet below street level, winding through quiet, park-like stretches and areas bustling with sidewalk cafes and specialty shops. Brightly colored boats operated by Yanaguana Cruises offer guided tours of the scenic waterway, an urban masterpiece in the heart of the business district.

The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, one of San Antonio's classic attractions, abounds with wildlife exhibits from around the world and reminders of the Old West. The 1881 saloon, just two blocks from the Alamo and 50 yards from the River Walk, displays the world's largest collection of animal horns, plus many preserved specimens of fish and birds.

In HemisFair Park, near the River Walk, the Downtown All-Around Playground contains a massive wooden play area, a space tunnel, castle, and tire tunnel. Also in the park are Tower of the Americas, with an observation platform that soars 579 feet above the city, and the Institute of Texan Cultures, a museum that spotlights the many ethnic groups that settled the Lone Star State. Hemis-Fair Park was the site of the 1968 World's Fair in San Antonio.

Market Square (El Mercado), the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico, bursts with colorful imports and offers weekend fiestas, mariachi serenades, and other special events. Kids can choose their own birthday pinata to take back home for their party. Across the street, they can work off excess energy on the colorful playground equipment at Milam Park.

Magik Children's Theatre, in the growing downtown arts district, presents fairy tales and "Phantom of the Alamo," performed by a professional repertory company. Also downtown is the San Antonio Children's Museum, which offers more than 80 hands-on exhibits aimed at kids ages 2-10. They can role play different careers at the museum's teddy bear hospital, grocery store, bank, and airport. Other activities: operating a real front end loader on a construction site, creating crafts from recycled trash, and being enclosed in a bubble at the Hill Country Bubble Ranch.

The Hertzberg Circus Collection and Museum brims with more than 20,000 pieces of antique circus memorabilia, one of the largest assortments of circus artifacts in the world. For kids, there are fun mirrors, a clown dress-up zone, computer games, and special programs.

Brackenridge Park, a 343-acre refuge, can provide a full day of family fun. At the San Antonio Zoo, where more than 3,500 animals live in natural-habitat environments, rare species include white rhinos, snow leopards, and whooping cranes. A children's area features a tropical boat tour of animal and plant exhibits; elephant and camel rides are available in summer.

At the Japanese Tea Garden, next to the zoo, kids like the ponds of giant goldfish, and parents treasure the tranquil setting. An aerial skyride gives a bird's-eye view of the grounds.

Witte Museum, also in Brackenridge Park, spotlights Texas' ecological diversity. Highlights include an Ecolab with live animals and an outdoor butterfly and hummingbird area. The H-E-B Science Treehouse is a magical world of inventions and zany contraptions. The park also is home to Kiddie Park, an old-time amusement mecca with carnival games, a Ferris wheel, Little Dipper roller coaster, and old-fashioned carousel.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, nestled against dramatic 100-foot cliffs in an old limestone quarry, is San Antonio's big-time fun park, offering rides and shows that reflect the history, culture, and architecture of Texas and the Southwest. Themed areas are Los Festivales (Mexican), Spassburg (German), Crackaxle Canyon (Western), Rockville (1950s rock 'n' roll), and Fiesta Bay Boardwalk. Superman Krypton Coaster, one of several white-knuckle roller coasters, takes riders on a "flying chair" through six inversions at speeds up to 70 m.p.h.