NOT JUST A CHURCH BUT A MISSION

Four of the five surviving Spanish colonial missions in and around San Antonio comprise the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. With the National Park Service as steward, this chain of architectural treasures—all within a hike or bike of each other—provides much of our understanding of our Spanish colonial past. The park and its missions offer heritage travelers an impressive experience covering historical highlights including a look at the oldest unrestored stone church in the country—Mission Concepción; the “Queen of the Missions,” known as Mission San José and the largest of the missions, fully restored to its original design in the 1930s by the WPA; the restored acequias (irrigation canals) of Mission San Juan; and Mission Espada, the first mission built in Texas. Discover the missions on your own or join a free guided tour and learn more about the 18th century Spanish Colonial period in Texas.

All four missions continue to be active Catholic parishes and hold regular services unless special preservation projects require temporary closure. The missions and their grounds are considered archeological sites, so preservation is a key factor of mission stewardship and, in fact, new discoveries occasionally occur. This National Historical Park also hosts special events throughout the year at the four mission sites including music concerts, mission-to-mission bike rides, and educational programs for both children and adults.

Watch the video below to learn more about Spanish Settlement of Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in the Hispanic Texans mobile tour, more information about which may be found on our Hispanic heritage page at the following link: http://texastimetravel.com/travel-themes/main-hispanic-heritage