Family Things to Do in San Antonio: A 3-Day Weekend Itinerary
San Antonio is an excellent family weekend trip from Houston. At about a three-hour drive, it's close enough for a long weekend but packed with enough history, museums, great food and family-friendly things to do that you could easily stay much longer.
For this trip, we built a three-day San Antonio family itinerary around some of our favorite places—from the Alamo and River Walk to art, dinosaurs, local restaurants and a few unexpected stops along the way. If you're looking for family things to do in San Antonio, here's how we'd spend a long weekend.
Along the Way | Luling Lavender Fields
If you happen to be driving along I-10 through Luling on the way to San Antonio I have to recommend stopping at Luling Lavender Fields. It’s right off the freeway and worth it for a quick leg stretch and of course the amazing smells. Aside from the serene lavender fields there is an adorable farm store with everything you could ever imagine from lavender ice cream to sashes to cooking lavender to soaps and more. We’re always up for a little agrotourism which supports local farms and farmers directly.
Luling Lavender Fields | 5 Arrow Lane, Luling, Texas 78648(opens in new tab)
Day 1 | Visit The Alamo (and remember it too!)
You can’t visit San Antonio and skip The Alamo, especially because it's so important that we remember it. Growing up in Texas, I’ve visited countless times. I’ve taken Bill one other time, but the history lover that he is, never made it actually inside The Alamo itself as he was completely overcome with all the history within the walls.
A Quick History of the Alamo
If you grew up in Texas you probably have a good idea as most of our kiddos end up doing two years of Texas History. If you’re not from Texas well, let me give you the cliff notes version.
The Alamo, as in the building, is actually an 18th-century former Spanish mission. What makes it special was a very pivotal 1836 Battle of the Alamo, which was held during Texas’s fight for independence from Mexico. There were only around 180–200 Texian and Tejano defenders present, including some more well known names like Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. They took on thousands of Mexican troops led by General Santa Anna.
The Texians tried hard to hold the fort, and did so for 13 days, but were eventually overcome by Santa Anna’s forces and most lost their lives. So yes, they lost the battle…but that’s why it became famous. From there forward any Texian forces found power in what was lost, “Remember the Alamo” became a rallying cry which helped inspire the Texian Army toward ultimate victory and independence.
Understanding this history might help explain why most Texans are so proud to be Texan.
Planning Your Visit to The Alamo
Other than being a great place to learn a little Texas history, visiting the Alamo (the historic church building) is always free, but does require a reservation, which you can do online. There are other options for visiting too including paid guided tours, paid self lead tours, paid admission to the museum, as well as a few other options.
The great thing about visiting The Alamo is that you can, indeed, go and see all the historical parts, for free.
A Few Tips for Visiting The Alamo
- Make your reservation ahead of time, peak tourist seasons may book up.
- If you’re going during the summer, go early, it’s hot and most of the areas are not air conditioned.
- Parking can be interesting. The Alamo is located downtown and does not have designated parking so you will need to pay to park in a public lot nearby.
- Make sure to follow the rules of The Alamo. Some include taking off your hat when entering the church, no food or drinks, no flash photography, as well as a few others which you can learn about on their website.
Day 1 | Take a San Antonio River Walk Boat Tour
Not too far from The Alamo is the San Antonio River Walk. There are lots of restaurants and shops along the River Walk, and it’s a really beautiful place to walk, as long as it's not too hot. Still, my favorite way to experience and learn about the River Walk is with a boat tour.
Planning Your San Antonio River Walk Boat Tour
Go Rio runs the cruises and they start from a couple different locations. My recommendation is to park at the Rivercenter, basically a mall at one end of the River Walk and then access the riverwalk Go Rio tours at their Rivercenter Ticketbooth and Boarding Dock at 809 E River Walk, San Antonio, TX 78205. It makes it super easy in and out.
The tours are narrated in English and in Spanish (so make sure you hop on the right tour) and are a great way to see ALL of the River Walk and learn about its history, without sweating too much.
Prices range from $9.50 for children to $15.50 for adults. There are discounts for locals, military and seniors.
A Few Tips for Your River Walk Boat Tour
- It’s always hot in Texas…plan for the weather.
- The boarding dock also sells drinks and souvenirs. There was something special about sipping a frozen margarita while floating down the River Walk. Highly recommend.
- Make sure you check out some of their special cruises including wine tastings, beer tastings, sunset cruises, ghost tours and more.
Where to Eat | Pico De Gallo
You may be tempted to just grab dinner at one of the MANY restaurants along the River Walk. Sure the food is good, but you’re going to pay tourist prices and have to fight with long wait times.
Whenever we travel we like to find a place a little off the beaten path, the place where the locals go, the place where the food is awesome and the prices feel appropriate. The best way to find these places is just ask. Which is exactly what we did, and that’s why we ended up at Pico De Gallo.
The food was really good, service was great, and we really enjoyed our dinner.
Restaurante Pico De Gallo | 111 S. Leona St., San Antonio, TX 78207
Day 2 | Where to Grab Coffee
I always start my day with coffee and part of the fun of exploratory travel is checking out local coffee shops. Press Coffee is actually inside a greenhouse style building. It’s filled with plants and local art, and it’s basically the coffee house I would open if I opened a coffee house.
Coffee was really good, but it is a small space and was really busy on a Saturday morning so keep that in mind depending on how old your kiddos are.
Press Coffee at The Boardwalk | 4035 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
Day 2 | Visit the McNay Art Museum
The McNay Art Museum is named after its founder Marion Koogler McNay, is was first modern art museum in Texas. Y'all know I love an art museum, and this one really knocked my socks off and just surprised me.
The whole museum is housed within Marion’s 1920s 24-room Spanish Colonial-Revival house, which in itself is a work of art. Marion was an avid art collector and her collection of over 700 pieces, along with her home, the surrounding land, and an endowment was left to create the first modern art museum upon her death in 1950. Since its opening, the museum has continued growing the collection to more than 22,000 works.
I’m an art nerd, and I absolutely loved this museum. It had such a rich collection of pieces and so many within my absolute favorite impressionist movement. It also had a massive collection of big names, Monet, Renoir, Giacometti, Picasso, Cézanne…the list goes on.
Really I could gush about this museum for an entire article. I just enjoyed it so much, the works, with the setting of the beautiful home, each of the 24 rooms just a new place to explore. If you love art, or even if you’re just a little interested in art, it’s worth a visit.
A Few Tips for Visiting The McNay Museum
- Children 12 and under are free, Teens are $10, Adults are $23. Get tickets here.
- There are discounts for Veterans, Students, and more.
- There is FREE general admission every Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m
- Check out their custom tours too
- Do not miss the courtyard and if the weather is nice, take a walk around the grounds, they are beautiful.
McNay Museum | 6000 N New Braunfels Ave. San Antonio, TX 78209
Day 2 | Explore The Witte Museum with Kids
Two museums in one day might be too much for some people, but when we travel we want to do it all. The Witte Museum is an excellent space for kiddos. Walk through a hall of dinosaur bones, experience Texas History as it was hundreds of years ago, thousands of years ago, and millions of years ago. Experience even more Texas History through their interactive exhibits, and get up close and personal with over 150 Texas Animals through exhibits.
A Few Tips for Visiting The Witte Museum
- Ticket prices range from free for kids 3 and under to $17 for adults
- Parking is free in their on site parking garage
- The Witte is one of San Antonio’s most visited museums so be prepared for it to be busy
Where to Eat | Mare e Monte
We literally stumbled upon Mare e Monte through a random google search. We love a good local place and Mare e Monte exceeded all our expectations. The atmosphere was endearing, the service was stellar, the food, what dreams are made of.
“Together with my wife, my cousins, and our family, we built Mare e Monte on a foundation of passion, not convenience. That is why you won't find a walk-in freezer or a massive cooler in our kitchen—our ingredients arrive fresh every single day, and our chefs pour their hearts into crafting every sauce, pasta, and entrée fresh from scratch. This is our life's achievement and our American Dream brought to life.”
This quote from their menu says what this place is all about. The owner checked on our food and just was so genuinely happy to be sharing his place with us.
If it's on the menu when you arrive, the blueberry cheesecake is transformative.
A Few Tips for Dining at Mare e Monte
- We always like to do a nice dinner out when we travel. Mare is exceptionally priced for the quality of food, but as of writing this entrees range from $18-$29. The $29 meal is filet medallions.
- The have a dinner and lunch menu, so make sure you check that out.
- Did I mention the blueberry cheesecake? I’m not sure I mentioned the blueberry cheesecake.
- Their menu offers gluten sensitive and vegan options too
Day 3, On the Way Home | Take a Glass-Bottom Boat Tour at Spring Lake
Spring Lake is one of the largest artesian springs in the world and it’s absolutely beautiful. The Meadows Center is an extension of Texas State University and its mission is to inspire research, innovation, and leadership that ensures clean, abundant water for the environment and all humanity.
This space is absolutely gorgeous and what’s even more special is you can take a glass bottom boat tour and see to the absolute bottom of this spring fed lake. Boat tours are great for any age and you really do get to see so much of this Texas gem.
The Meadows Center offers additional eco adventures on Spring Lake including a Splash Into Science Snorkel Tour, stand up paddle tour, kayak tour, and light up kayak tour. The water is a cool 72° year-round so keep that in mind.
A Few Tips Before Visiting The Meadows Center for Water & the Environment
- Prices range from $9 for students and kids up to 12 to $13 for adults.
- Same-day tickets are available daily at the Ticket Kiosk
- First boat goes out 30 minutes after opening.
- Last boat goes out 30 minutes before closing.
- Tours last for 30-45 minutes.
- There are a few trails in this area, so it’s a great place to take a hike
Spring Lake Natural Area at The Meadows Center at 201 San Marcos Springs Drive, San Marcos TX 78666
There is so much to do in the San Antonio area and we’ve just scratched the surface here. We had a great time exploring new places, sketching what we saw, learning about Texas History and seeing some beautiful places. Hopefully you can check out one of these places during your next adventure.
Prices and admission information are current as of August 2026; check each attraction's website before visiting.
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