The Alamo in San Antonio Texas’ heart is the historical landmark that is currently most visited by tourists and locals alike. Home of the famous battle of 1836, the Alamo is also where living demonstrations of history and yearly special events take place. Many people visit The Alamo on a daily basis and first-timers wonder whether or not you have to pay for tickets.
Is the Alamo Museum Free? Yes, the alamo is free to get in. The entrance to the grounds of the Alamo Museum is free. The Alamo is open from 9am-5:30pm. It is closed on December 25, Christmas Day. There are several free activities for families daily in the Alamo. The guided tour is quite informative and highly recommended.
A Texas Monument
The gorgeous three-hundred-year-old former mission turned fortress from Spain is open all the days of the year. School groups, families and everyone is encouraged to visit and get a first-hand experience of the battlefield. Their refusal to surrender in the face of great odds and call for aid stirred the world and America. Their sacrifices gave birth to Texas. “Remember the Alamo.”
In essence, The Alamo is a monument of what it is to be from Texas. According to how the story goes, The Alamo was a Texas battleground as they resisted General Santa Anna and the Mexico Army. The General succeeded in taking it even with brave heroes like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett refusing to surrender. They rallied the cry “Remember the Alamo!” which was a rallying cry to keep up the fight. It worked. Later, battle after battle led to the independence of Texas. Without this final Texas Independence, the border between Mexico and the United States may not be what it is today.
Remember The Alamo!
The Alamo is a monument of what it is to be from Texas. According to how the story goes, The Alamo was a Texas battleground as they resisted General Santa Anna and the Mexico Army. The General succeeded in taking it even with brave heroes like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett refusing to surrender. Is the Alamo Museum free? Yes, it is.
They rallied the cry “Remember the Alamo!” which was a rallying cry to keep up the fight. It worked. Later, battle after battle led to the independence of Texas. Without this final Texas Independence, the border between Mexico and the United States may not be what it is today. It reminds Texans and tourists that in the face of the greatest odds, never giving up will inevitably lead to victory.
A World Heritage Site
Founded by missionaries of the Roman Catholic Church, The Alamo Mission in San Antonio is known originally as the Mision San Antonio de Valero. It was where the 1836 Battle of Alamo happened. Today it is part of the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site and is a museum in the Alamo Plaza Historic District.
This was one of the earlier missions done in Texas by Spain. It was built for local American Indian education after they converted to being Christians. In 1793, the mission was secularized. Later, it became the housing fortress of the San Carlos de Parras Second Flying Company unit of the military. This is probably when the name was changed to Alamo.
During the revolution, the fort was surrendered to the Texas Army. A few months after, some soldiers occupied the compound. Later at the Battle of Alamo, all the defending soldiers were wiped out. Many of the walls were torn down and some buildings were burned. Periodically for the next five years, the Alamo was used for both Mexican and Texan garrison soldiers.
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas
Later in 1849 Texas was annexed to the USA and the facility was rented out by the US Army to use as a depot for the quartermaster. The state of Texas bought the Alamo Chapel. Many tours were conducted but there were no efforts for restoration. The buildings that remained were sold to a business company that operated them as a grocery store for wholesale goods. The Alamo was preserved by the 1895 Daughters of the Republic of Texas, also known as DRT.
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas convinced the 1905 state legislature to buy the buildings that remained and to name the Daughters of the Republic of Texas as the site’s permanent custodian. Later, many attempted to transfer Alamo control from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas(DRT). In 2015, George P. Bush, Texas Land Commissioner removed the Alamo control to the Texas General Land Office. It was then designated on July 5, 2015, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How many annual visitors do The Alamo Museum have each year?
Today the Alamo Mission is a Museum. The Alamo Museum welcomes more than four million annual visitors and has been doing this since 2002. In the United States, this makes it one of the most popular sites. Visitors can tour the Long Barracks and the chapel.
The Long Barrack contains a smaller museum with weapons, artifacts from the Texas Revolution and paintings. Other artifacts are on display in another building in the complex. There is a diorama as well which recreates the 1836 original compound. The Wall of History is a larger mural, portraying the complexity of the Alamo from its first days in the mission and to this day.
What is the Battle of The Alamo Compared to?
The Alamo is compared to the Greek Battle of Thermopylae. The preservation efforts of the Alamo is primarily an Anglo-American cause. When English-speaking settlers began outnumbering Mexican heritage, a lot of the parts of The Alamo were called to restoration. The Alamo has always been perceived as an endeavor by Americans. The focus was always more on the defenders from Texas than on the Mexico army.
Even in the twentieth century, The Alamo was viewed to be a majority white Texan population symbolism of white supremacy over the minority population of Mexico. This symbol followed the later developments of the new Texas capitalist system placing white people on the highest social ladder rungs as earners of profit and as Mexicans at the social ladders. Guests will learn each and every detail of what took place when they finally get into the museum entrance for free.
Make sure to check these other great places to visit while you’re in San Antonio.