Mission San José
and the struggle for independence, and the battle cry “Remember the
Alamo” was born.
Guided by Alamo history interpreters, an hour guided tour explores
the heroes and events that have made the story of the Alamo
captivating for generations of Texans and visitors. The tour walks
along the original footprint of the Spanish mission and ends inside the
Alamo Church.
Mission Concepción: The Mission of Nuestra Señora de la Purísima
Concepción was transferred from east Texas to San Antonio in 1731.
This church’s design has Moorish influence, including the use of
geometric patterns in its interior and exterior frescoes, and the use
of a round window built high above the choir loft that demonstrates
the knowledge of geometry and allows rays of sunlight to brilliantly
highlight the church’s altar at certain times of the day.
Mission San José: Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo was
founded in 1720 and moved to its current location between 1721 and
1724. It’s the largest of the San Antonio missions and includes a grist
mill that was used to make communion wafers and loaves of bread for
the mission inhabitants.
Mission San Juan: Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded in East
Texas in 1716 and moved to San Antonio in 1731. At the height of its
existence, this mission housed native people, Spanish soldiers and other
Spanish citizens who were settling in the area. The walled compound
included a workroom for weaving, agricultural areas surrounding the
compound, and of course, a church. Mission inhabitants enjoyed such
crops as corn, beans, watermelon and sugar cane.
Mission Espada: Mission San Francisco de la Espada was moved
from east Texas to San Antonio in 1731 and remains the most
complete of the San Antonio missions. In addition to a convent,
a church and living quarters for native people and Spaniards, this
complex included farmland watered by an extensive system of
irrigation ditches that still function today, a 100-acre ranch with a
stone structure to house the cattle herders and their families, and
a granary. The church at Mission Espada remains very active today,
and the convent still houses Franciscan priests who serve the local
community.
The park’s visitor center is in Mission San José, where you can view
“Gente de Razon,” a film that interprets the story of the missions
during the 1700s, and visit the museum and bookstore. The churches
are open to visitors during regular park hours, except in the case of a
wedding or a funeral.
The River Walk’s new Mission Reach is an eight-mile stretch with
recreational trails, picnic and seating areas, pedestrian bridges,
pavilions and portals to four of the Spanish colonial missions—
Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada.
Mission tips by Visit San Antonio
• Use a map of The Mission Trail to direct you.
• You easily can spend two to four hours visiting the missions.
• Guided tours are free, as is admission to the park.
• Don’t miss the grist mill at Mission San José and the 270-year-
old Mission Espada acequia (irrigation system) containing a
dam and aqueduct.
• Nearly 200 species of birds have been seen in the park, where
native habitat is abundant. Walk the nature trail at San Juan to
discover what period vegetation looked like.
• Learn more at NPS.gov/saan and VisitSanAntonio.com
faithtravelassociation.com
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