Past and Future Merge on the San Antonio River
Museum Reach
The first portion of the extension of the San Antonio River Walk was completed in 2009. This extension, called the urban section of the Museum Reach is over one mile from the original River Walk. You may now take a river tour or river taxi to the site of the former Pearl Brewery, which is now an exciting complex of restaurants, shops and the San Antonio Museum of Art.
Intricate bridge railings, paint and multilayered textures on overpasses, an aural delight of the sounds of the river, a grotto worthy of Neptune, the dancing lights reflecting in the current, and a school of fish suspended in air are some of the surprises you will see on the Museum Reach. Probably the most unusual is a lock system that raises and lowers boats nine feet to continue the journey.
Mission Reach
Work on the 8-mile Mission Reach has begun. A system of walkways, paths, footbridges and resting places for observation will encourage visitors to reflect on their place within the ecosystem.
The Alamo is just one of many Spanish missions founded in Texas. The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was established to preserve and interpret the chain of Spanish Missions that were built along the San Antonio River in the 18th century.
Start your trip at Mission San Jose with a 23-minute film, a ranger guided tour, and a visit to restored Spanish Colonial flour mill. Museums are located at Missions San Jose, San Juan, and Espada. Espada Aqueduct is the only functioning aqueduct from the Spanish Colonial Period in the United States.
Visit the National Park Services website to plan your visit.
Spend the day visiting missions that still serve as parish churches, light candles in dimly lit alcoves that echo with the prayers of centuries, and view some of the most pristine lands remaining on the San Antonio River. Ponder the priests that journeyed from Spain to Mexico to Texas to enslave the native population and build the enduring legacy that surrounds you. It is a breathtaking and a humbling experience.
Below is a plan of the Mission Reach sites.
While much of the beauty of the San Antonio River was sacrificed for flood control in the 1950s, the hope is to restore a more natural setting to the southern portion of the river. The plan is to to develop gathering places for learning, recreational park space, quiet spots, rest stops and river access points, so that the San Antonio River will be a recreati0onal corridor instead of a mud-covered ditch, which is what it had become.
Eagleland Reach
South of downtown, the Eagleland Reach segment of river runs from Guenther Street to Lonestar Boulevard. The King William district is filled with historic homes built by early German settlers and the vibrant art community of the Blue Star Arts Complex will become part of the River Walk.
