Alamo
Certain historical places must be visited to be truly appreciated. No picture, history book, or even a movie can do them justice. These are the places of legends, whose stories have become a story itself. You must walk where the characters themselves walked, smell the same flowers, see what they saw, and try to imagine what they imagined when they were there.
The Alamo is just such a place. If you want to truly appreciate Davy Crockett, his coon-skin cap, and his death for the freedom of his adopted state you cannot do it through a movie. No matter how well John Wayne and Billy Bob Thornton portray the man, his legend is best imagined where he fell, fighting for the great state of Texas.
The men who fought and died at the Alamo define the term legend. Along with Crockett, William Travis, James Bowie, and James Bonham were far more than just men with lakes, schools and counties named after them. They were men who swore to defend the cause of freedom to death at an old catholic mission converted into a fort.
At the Alamo, then called the San Antonio de Valero Mission, these men, numbering in the neighborhood of 189, stood their ground for 13 days against the best and the strongest that Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna had to offer. Despite outnumbering the Alamo’s troops by almost 4,000 men, Santa Anna’s battle-hardened troops laid siege to the small mission compound for almost two weeks before emerging victorious.
Today a visit to the site of one of history’s most famous last stands is a must-see for any resident or visitor of the Lone Star State. When you arrive at the Alamo, your first reaction will probably be that it is a lot smaller than you expected. The church building, seen on pictures and postcards, is only a little over sixty feet wide and one hundred feet long.
The entire complex is only 4.2 acres, but there have been many changes since those amazing two weeks in February and March of 1836. The church has been converted into a shrine for the men whose blood paved the way for the freedom of Texas and there are museum exhibits in several buildings in the complex. One of these, the “Long Barrack” is where the men of the Alamo lived. It is also where many of the defenders retreated when Santa Anna’s army penetrated the outer walls.
A visit to this historic battleground is a must for anyone visiting San Antonio. There are some things to keep in mind if you intend on joining the Alamo’s other 2.5 million yearly visitors.
Hours of Operation
The Alamo is open every day of the year except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Hours are 9 A.M. to 5:30 P.M., Monday through Saturday, and 10 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. on Sunday. During the summer months (June, July, and August) the Alamo is open until 7 P.M. Fridays and Saturdays.
Cost
Admission to the Alamo is free. However, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Inc. (DRT), which maintains the Alamo, receives no monetary help from local, state or federal government. They depend solely upon money from sales in the Alamo Gift Museum, donations from individuals and private foundation grants for funding.
IMAX
On your visit to San Antonio and the Alamo don’t forget to take in, Alamo: The Price of Freedom IMAX film. Prices for the film vary between $6 and $10, and there is a coupon on the San Antonio IMAX website: http://www.imax-sa.com/alamo.html. The film shows several times a day and many people suggest that seeing the movie first enhances the Alamo experience. The IMAX is less than a quarter of a mile from the Alamo and is easily in walking distance for most people.
Before your trip learn more about The Alamo and the battle for Texas freedom at the official Alamo website: www.thealamo.org.
San Antonio, Texas
The Alamo is just such a place. If you want to truly appreciate Davy Crockett, his coon-skin cap, and his death for the freedom of his adopted state you cannot do it through a movie. No matter how well John Wayne and Billy Bob Thornton portray the man, his legend is best imagined where he fell, fighting for the great state of Texas.
The men who fought and died at the Alamo define the term legend. Along with Crockett, William Travis, James Bowie, and James Bonham were far more than just men with lakes, schools and counties named after them. They were men who swore to defend the cause of freedom to death at an old catholic mission converted into a fort.
At the Alamo, then called the San Antonio de Valero Mission, these men, numbering in the neighborhood of 189, stood their ground for 13 days against the best and the strongest that Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna had to offer. Despite outnumbering the Alamo’s troops by almost 4,000 men, Santa Anna’s battle-hardened troops laid siege to the small mission compound for almost two weeks before emerging victorious.
Today a visit to the site of one of history’s most famous last stands is a must-see for any resident or visitor of the Lone Star State. When you arrive at the Alamo, your first reaction will probably be that it is a lot smaller than you expected. The church building, seen on pictures and postcards, is only a little over sixty feet wide and one hundred feet long.
The entire complex is only 4.2 acres, but there have been many changes since those amazing two weeks in February and March of 1836. The church has been converted into a shrine for the men whose blood paved the way for the freedom of Texas and there are museum exhibits in several buildings in the complex. One of these, the “Long Barrack” is where the men of the Alamo lived. It is also where many of the defenders retreated when Santa Anna’s army penetrated the outer walls.
A visit to this historic battleground is a must for anyone visiting San Antonio. There are some things to keep in mind if you intend on joining the Alamo’s other 2.5 million yearly visitors.
Hours of Operation
The Alamo is open every day of the year except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Hours are 9 A.M. to 5:30 P.M., Monday through Saturday, and 10 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. on Sunday. During the summer months (June, July, and August) the Alamo is open until 7 P.M. Fridays and Saturdays.
Cost
Admission to the Alamo is free. However, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Inc. (DRT), which maintains the Alamo, receives no monetary help from local, state or federal government. They depend solely upon money from sales in the Alamo Gift Museum, donations from individuals and private foundation grants for funding.
IMAX
On your visit to San Antonio and the Alamo don’t forget to take in, Alamo: The Price of Freedom IMAX film. Prices for the film vary between $6 and $10, and there is a coupon on the San Antonio IMAX website: http://www.imax-sa.com/alamo.html. The film shows several times a day and many people suggest that seeing the movie first enhances the Alamo experience. The IMAX is less than a quarter of a mile from the Alamo and is easily in walking distance for most people.
Before your trip learn more about The Alamo and the battle for Texas freedom at the official Alamo website: www.thealamo.org.
San Antonio, Texas
