IN THE MIDST OF ITS TRICENTENNIAL anniversary, San Antonio celebrates 300 years of progress and looks ahead to the next 300. The city has organized year-round programs and events to honor this milestone while simultaneously moving forward with major improvements to infrastructure and cultural assets to support future growth.
Across the city, new projects are either opening or underway to highlight San Antonio’s rich heritage and vision for the future. Bexar County, the city and the Tricentennial Office collaborated to make San Antonio a focal point of celebration in 2018 and to lay groundwork for lasting community benefits.
Officials say the tricentennial’s guiding principles — inclusivity and creating a lasting impact — have shaped many of the upgrades intended to boost commerce and tourism. Improvements are visible from the moment visitors arrive at San Antonio International Airport. The new 1.8 million-square-foot Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC), located steps from the terminals, centralizes rental services from 14 companies and welcomes guests with a large mural by local artists Suzy Gonzales and Michael Menchaca that honors the city’s aviation history.
The Henry B. González Convention Center recently completed a $325 million renovation, the largest in San Antonio history. With an eco-friendly, energy-efficient design and modern technology, the center features 70 meeting spaces and a 54,000-square-foot ballroom, positioning it to host conferences and events for years to come. The renovation, finished in 2016, was integrated into tricentennial festivities with 20 new public art installations unveiled in 2018.
Witte Museum © VISITSANANTONIO.COM
Public art and cultural institutions across San Antonio have also seen investments. The Witte Museum, located on the San Antonio River, completed a $100 million renovation and expansion that added new exhibitions spanning art, history and health. Ruby City, projected to finish construction by the end of 2018 and to open in early 2019, will provide about 14,000 square feet of gallery space on Camp Street with free admission for the public.
Known as River City, San Antonio is centered around the San Antonio River and its famed River Walk, a scenic corridor of hotels, businesses, shops and restaurants along landscaped riverbanks. The River Walk gives visitors an easy way to experience the city — from riverside cafés to vibrant nightlife — and remains a hub for many tricentennial events and improvements.
With more than 34 million visitors a year, San Antonio’s demand for quality accommodations is rising. A new $116 million project, the Thompson San Antonio Hotel and Arts Residences, broke ground in December 2017 and is expected to open in early 2020. The development will include 167 luxury hotel rooms along the River Walk and 58 privately owned condominium residences above. These additions aim to spur further development in the downtown area.
Hotel Valencia, also on the River Walk, reopened after a $10 million renovation that honors the city’s Spanish colonial heritage. Other planned hotel additions include the Canopy by Hilton, featuring more than 3,000 square feet of meeting space and expected to open in 2019, and the 100-room Saint Hotel, slated to begin construction on a nine-story design in the near future.
Fireworks at HemisFair Park © VISITSANANTONIO.COM
These improvements reflect San Antonio’s identity: a diverse, historic city with a strong cultural pride. As the seventh-largest city in the nation, the upgrades timed with the tricentennial position San Antonio to attract more business and tourism while preserving its unique character.
“We are a city that’s really a snapshot of what the country’s going to look like in the next few years,” says Laura E. Mayes of the Tricentennial Office. “San Antonio is a melting pot, and in the spirit of the tricentennial, we are celebrating the confluence of cultures — honoring our past and shaping the legacy we want for the future.”
SCENIC DRIVES
To escape the city, explore nearby Hill Country for scenic drives and pastoral vistas. If time is limited, drive about an hour and a half north on U.S. Highway 87 to Fredericksburg, then take State Road 16 toward Willow City. The 13-mile Willow City Loop on Ranch Road 1323 is a two-lane route through rolling meadows, creeks and rocky outcrops. Open year-round, the loop is most attractive in spring and fall; visit on a weekday to avoid weekend crowds.
For a longer excursion, continue deeper into Hill Country to see the “Texas Swiss Alps” around Leakey. From Bandera, roughly 50 miles from San Antonio on State Road 16, a scenic circuit through mountains and small towns can stretch from 80 to 130 miles depending on your chosen route. A recommended path runs south from Bandera to Hondo, then on to Concan before turning north to Leakey for dramatic viewpoints. Return to Bandera via Highway 337 and take your time enjoying the landscape along the way.