City guide
39 buildings worth a detour, each with what to look for. Open them on the map, or walk them with the iPhone app, which collects each one you photograph.
The buildings that define the city's architecture.
The Alamo Mission was founded in 1718 as a Spanish colonial mission and later became the site of the Battle of the Alamo, a foundational story in Texas history. Its facade is recognized worldwide, and it carries an exceptional designation stack: National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places contributing property and listed place, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: Zygmunt Put Zetpe0202 , CC BY-SA 4.0
Alamo Stadium was built in 1940 in the Moderne style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its large-scale Moderne massing remains visible from the street.
Photo: Larry D. Moore , CC BY 4.0
The Aztec Theatre is an atmospheric movie palace in downtown San Antonio designed by Meyer & Holler, the architects also known for Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Its unusual Mesoamerican, Aztec-revival theme is rare among American movie palaces, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bexar County Courthouse was designed by James Riely Gordon, a nationally significant courthouse architect, and completed in 1976 in the Romanesque Revival style. It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and National Register of Historic Places listed place, its monumental, ornate facade dominating its plaza in downtown San Antonio.
Photo: Nima Kasraie (Zereshk on en.wikipedia) , CC BY-SA 3.0
The Brady Building-Empire Theater is a Neoclassical building in downtown San Antonio, designed by the architectural firm Mauran, Russell and Crowell and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its historic theater name and facade give it a retellable story visible from the street.
Photo: Wynne-Candy , CC BY-SA 3.0
The Carl Wilhelm August Groos House is a Gothic Revival residence built in 1880 in downtown San Antonio, designed by Alfred Giles, a prominent regional architect. It is recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places contributing property, notable for its distinctive Gothic Revival facade.
Photo: Larry D. Moore , CC BY 4.0
The Cathedral of San Fernando holds the oldest cathedral sanctuary in continuous use in the United States, with a history dating to 1750. Its present Gothic Revival appearance comes from a 19th-century rebuilding overseen by architect Francois P. Giraud, and the church's facade fronts Main Plaza in downtown San Antonio. It is both a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Daniel Schwen , CC BY-SA 4.0
The David J. and May Bock Woodward House is a Neoclassical residence in San Antonio, designed by Atlee Ayres, a prominent San Antonio architect. Dated to 1995, the house is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places listed place, known for its formal Neoclassical facade.
Photo: Larry D. Moore , CC BY 4.0
The Edward Steves Homestead is a Second Empire style residence in downtown San Antonio, a style uncommon in Texas residential architecture, designed by prominent regional architect Alfred Giles. The property carries a National Register of Historic Places contributing property designation as well as Recorded Texas Historic Landmark status.
Photo: Larry D. Moore , CC BY 4.0
The Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and United States Courthouse was completed in 1937 to a Beaux-Arts design by Louis A. Simon, who served as supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury. The building stands in downtown San Antonio and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Renelibrary , CC BY-SA 4.0
Lerma's Nite Club is a Moderne-style storefront building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is remembered as a historic conjunto music venue, one of the buildings that anchored the genre's live performance scene in San Antonio.
Photo: Renelibrary , CC BY-SA 4.0
skyscraper
The Majestic Theatre opened in 1929, designed by John Eberson, the architect who originated the atmospheric theatre typology. It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, standing today as one of the great examples of the genre Eberson himself invented.
Photo: Zereshk , CC BY 3.0
Mission Concepcion is a Spanish Colonial mission church built in 1731, one of the oldest unrestored stone church buildings in the United States. It carries an exceptional stack of designations: National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places contributing property and listed place, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: Liveon001 ©Travis Witt , CC BY-SA 3.0
The Post Chapel at Fort Sam Houston is a Neoclassical military chapel designed by architect Leo M.J. Dielmann and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Jonmallard , CC BY-SA 4.0
Ruby City is a purpose-built contemporary art center designed by architect David Adjaye, a major figure in contemporary architecture. The building is distinguished by its distinctive exterior and has its own dedicated Wikipedia article documenting it.
Photo: Rubycityart , CC BY-SA 4.0
The San Antonio Drug Company building is a Chicago School commercial structure in downtown San Antonio, a style notable for appearing in a commercial building outside Chicago. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Renelibrary , CC BY-SA 4.0
The San Antonio Municipal Auditorium is a large civic building in downtown San Antonio designed by Atlee Ayres, a prominent San Antonio architect, in the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and holds a prominent street presence as a civic auditorium.
Photo: 25or6to4 , CC BY-SA 3.0
The Spanish Governor's Palace, dating to 1749, is a rare surviving example of a Spanish Colonial governmental residence and the sole surviving aristocratic Spanish Colonial home in Texas. It faces Military Plaza in downtown San Antonio and carries National Historic Landmark, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and National Register of Historic Places listed status.
Photo: Lutz Fischer-Lamprecht , CC BY-SA 4.0
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a Gothic Revival church in downtown San Antonio, recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. It is notable for having survived surrounded by later downtown development, its Gothic Revival facade still prominent from the street.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church was built in 1877 to a design by Richard Upjohn, a nationally significant Gothic Revival church architect, making it a rare Upjohn design in Texas. The church stands in downtown San Antonio and is recognized as both a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places listed place.
Photo: Arthur W. Stewart , Public domain
The Staacke Brothers Building is a Renaissance Revival commercial building in downtown San Antonio, designed by James Riely Gordon and dated to 1984. It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: 25or6to4 , CC BY-SA 3.0
The Stevens Building was designed by James Riely Gordon, one of Texas's historically significant architects, in the Colonial Revival style. It stands in downtown San Antonio and carries dual recognition as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places listed property, with its facade visible from the street.
Photo: 25or6to4 , CC BY-SA 3.0
The Thiele House and Thiele Cottage form a paired Victorian residence and outbuilding in downtown San Antonio, designed by James Riely Gordon, a nationally significant Texas architect. The property holds dual recognition as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places listed place.
The Thomas H. Franklin House combines Shingle style and Queen Anne style architecture, a distinctive pairing, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Julian Bravo , CC BY-SA 3.0
Thomas Jefferson High School is a Mission Revival building completed in 1932, recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a landmark school known for its prominent facade.
Photo: Highlycaffeinated , CC BY-SA 3.0
The Tower Life Building is a Gothic Revival tower in downtown San Antonio, an unusual pairing of a medieval-derived style with a tall high-rise form. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Leaflet , Public domain
Landmark
The Tower of the Americas is a 1968 observation tower in downtown San Antonio, designed by O'Neil Ford, a significant Texas architect. It was built for HemisFair '68 and remains a dominant, highly visible presence on the city skyline.
Photo: Larry D. Moore , CC BY 4.0
Ursuline Academy is a Gothic Revival building in downtown San Antonio, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands as one of the city's historic academy buildings, its institutional facade holding a prominent street presence.
Photo: Arthur W. Stewart , Public domain
Landmark
The Woodlawn Theatre was designed by John Eberson, an architect nationally known for pioneering the atmospheric theater style. Its facade and marquee remain visible from the sidewalk today.
Photo: wsssst , CC BY 2.0
The Wright, L. T., House is a Prairie School residence in the Missions area of San Antonio, an uncommon style choice for a house in the city. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Renelibrary , CC BY-SA 3.0
Worth a stop when you're nearby.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower was built in 1931 in the Beaux-Arts style and holds elevated basilica status. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with a formal Beaux-Arts facade visible from the street.
Photo: Zereshk , CC BY 3.0
Landmark
The Menger Hotel is a longstanding downtown San Antonio hotel, dated to 1965 and recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. It presents a prominent hotel facade on its downtown block, and its well-known guest history has made it one of the city's often-retold hotel stories.
Photo: Dat Lien , CC BY-SA 4.0
Victorian architecture
Pershing House is a Victorian-era residence designed by Alfred Giles, a prominent regional architect, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house carries the Pershing family name.
Photo: David J. Kaminsky , Public domain
The Scottish Rite Cathedral is a Neoclassical Masonic cathedral in downtown San Antonio, built in 1987. It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with a monumental civic-scale Neoclassical facade.
Photo: Leonard Pierce , CC BY-SA 3.0
Fine buildings that fewer people seek out.
Alamo Methodist Church is a downtown San Antonio church built in the Mission Revival style and designed by architect Beverly Spillman. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Larry D. Moore , CC BY 4.0
The Clegg, L. B., House is a Mission Revival residence designed by architect Harvey L. Page, dated to 1978. It holds a dual designation as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places listed place.
Photo: Darryl Pearson , CC BY-SA 4.0
The J.M. and Birdie Nix House is a downtown San Antonio residence built in 1899 in the Neoclassical style, designed by prominent San Antonio architect Atlee Ayres. It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Photo: Darrylpearson , CC BY-SA 4.0
The San Antonio Loan and Trust Building is a downtown Neoclassical bank and trust building, dated to 1979. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Larry D. Moore , CC BY 4.0
The Toltec is a downtown San Antonio building in the Neoclassical style, dated to 2014. It carries a dual designation as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places listed place.
Photo: 25or6to4 , CC BY-SA 3.0
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