San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a national historical park run by the National Park Service in Texas.

In the park service’s words

Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. They changed life in this region, introducing new technologies while enforcing new cultural guidelines. As you visit, reflect on change, culture, power, and how people have used the land.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Things to do

• Explore the Missions of San Antonio (0 to 4 Hours): Explore the four Spanish Colonial mission sites at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. You can choose to join a Ranger-led program, listen to the audio tour, or explore on your own!
• Hike & Bike Along the River (15 to 240 Minutes): The Hike & Bike Trail along the San Antonio River connects all five missions in San Antonio: The Alamo, Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. Each mission is about 2.5 miles from the next. This is a safe and fun way to visit the missions.
• Junior Ranger Program (15 to 60 Minutes): Learn about the missions by completing activities in the Junior Ranger booklet.
• Watch the Park Film at the Visitor Center (0 to 23 Minutes): Watch the park film, Gente de Razón, to learn more about the missions. The film is a 23-minute film about the people who built and lived in the missions. The first showing of the film begins at 10 am and the last showing is at 4 pm.

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: No entrance fee.

Hours: Daily, 6:00AM - 8:00PM. Park grounds are open sunrise to sunset. Mission San José is open 9am-5pm. Our park store located in the Visitor Center is open daily 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. Park grounds are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Getting there

Park Headquarter's is located 4 miles south of downtown San Antonio. The four mission sites lay as a chain south of downtown. Mission Concepción is 3 miles, Mission San José and the park visitor center is 6 miles south, Mission San Juan is 3 miles south of San José, and Mission Espada lays another mile beyond. Written directions and GPS addresses can be found at the link below.

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

• Visitor Center at Mission San José: Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. Open seven days a week from 9 am - 5 pm, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day
• [Mission San Juan Museum]()

Weather

Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 40°F to 95°F and is rarely below 29°F or above 100°F. The warm season lasts from May through September with an average daily high temperature above 90°F and a low of 75°F. The cold season lasts from November through February with an average daily high below 68°F and an average low of 40°F. The relative humidity ranges from 40-80% over the course of the year, which can be very uncomfortable to many people.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.

Nearby

The nearest national park is Big Bend, about 291 miles away in a straight line.

Sources

• National Park Service Data API: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (public domain)
• Official website

Last checked 1 November 2026.