Remember The Alamo

Mission Tour

San Antonio is home to five missions, built in the mid 1700s, with an aim to converting the local native peoples, the Coahuiltecans, to Christianity. The Alamo is the most famous of these, although more for its other historical connections. Missions Concepcion, San Juan, San Jose and Espada stand along a nine mile route that comprises the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.

Following the self-guided driving tour, we stopped first at nearby Mission Concepcion. The best preserved of the missions, Concepcion has vivid original frescoes painted in black and yellow and red. Rooms throughout the mission hold exhibits that illustrate Mission life and examples of period furnishings. The other missions along the tour were more elaborately restored, with walls and outbuildings. Mission San Jose even had an operational water-powered mill. Some of the missions are active churches and hold worship services regularly.