Free things to do in San Antonio

11 places in San Antonio with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Crownridge Canyon Natural Area
Crownridge Canyon Natural Area is an excellent spot for a quick hike or trail run, and nature lovers will appreciate the variety of native plants (including a wildflower field) and animals often seen in the park. It's roughly from downtown, close to many good quality amenities for pre- or post-hike activities. It offers of paved and natural trails through a preserved Texas Hill Country landscape. The main trail is a low level of difficulty, suitable for most ages. No dogs or bikes are allowed on the trails. The park has a free parking lot which usually has enough parking.
Daily, sunrise to sunsetfree
Do
Eisenhower Park
Eisenhower Park is roughly 20 miles (30 km) from downtown, close to many good quality amenities for pre- or post-hike activities. The park has a good size parking lot, and parking is free. It also has onsite facilities you can rent if you'd like to have a social gathering on park grounds. The park offers of paved and natural trails through a preserved Texas Hill Country landscape, providing plenty of opportunity to observe local plants and wildlife as well. The park is dog- and kid-friendly (it has a playground and children's rock wall), but bikes and other recreational transport options are not allowed on the trails. Trail difficulty ranges from easy to moderately intense -- some trails might be challenging for those who find it hard to climb up and down rocky inclines.
Daily, sunrise to sunsetfree
Do
Friedrich Wilderness Park
Friedrich Wilderness Park has a fairly extensive network of hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty through a preserved Texas Hill Country landscape. Total trail length is approximately. Some trails are paved and some are natural, with options for most skill or mobility levels. This is an excellent spot for bird watching or enjoying native plants (including a wildflower area). It's in northwest San Antonio, roughly from downtown, close to many good quality amenities for pre- or post-hike activities. Kid-friendly, but no dogs or bikes are allowed on the trails. The park also offers nature classes for children. The park has a free parking lot, but on busy days it fills up quickly and you might have to park on the street and walk to the trailhead.
Daily, sunrise to sunsetfree
Drink
Howl at the Moon
Howl at the Moon is a singing, clapping, stomping, dance-on-the-piano, rock 'n' roll dueling piano show! It's part concert, part piano bar & all centered around audience interaction & 2 baby grand pianos. Howl at the Moon offers an experience beyond the average bar with live entertainment, comedy, & sing-a-longs throughout the night. Howl at the Moon is the perfect place for corporate parties & special events. Don't fret if you can't get there for your party or event–with their "Piano Shows To Go," they'll bring all the excitement & fun to you! On Thursday nights, bring your Texas college ID for free admission and drink specials -- usually $1 domestic, $2 Corona or Dos XX, and $3 UV Vodka $4 Bull Blasters. Great place to meet people on Thursdays.
Sun-Thu 7PM-2AM; Fri Sat 6PM-2AM
See
McNay Art Museum
The McNay
Free admission on Thursday evenings and the first Sunday of the month, except for select exhibitions and special events. Fine arts exhibits, library. museum store.
Sun noon-5PM, Tue Wed Fri 10AM-4PM, Thu 10AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-5PM$20; Senior, military, student $15
See
Southwest School of Art & Craft
Art/museum gift shop in the Ursuline Campus as well as student work in the hallways and cafe. On bus lines, and the Ursuline Campus backs up to an older, parklike section of the River Walk.
Vary by gallery. See website for hoursFree
See
The Alamo
Considered to be hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty, the Alamo is a former mission which was also the site of the Battle of the Alamo (1836). Admission is free, although donations are appreciated. Revenues from an adjacent gift shop fund the historic preservation efforts. The Alamo site consists of not only the former mission itself but quite a lot of monuments, informational placards and outbuildings. Excavations and expansion of exhibition space is continuing as of 2023, to include another future museum, but as of January 2023, there is already more than enough to see and learn on-site that you could spend an entire day there if you so chose.
Daily 9AM-5:30PM, closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Do Not mapped
Greenway Trails
Howard Peak Greenway
The Greenway Trails are growing collection of of hike/bike trails for the most part located in the floodplains of San Antonio's creeks and rivers. Some but not all the trails are interconnected. The trails themselves either asphalt or concrete and wide enough for cyclists to pass each other. Trails are open during daylight hours for walkers, runners, bikers, roller skaters bird watchers and others. There are more than 65 trailheads, most with parking and many with amenities such portable toilets and bike tools. For cyclists, the speed limit is 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) and e-bikes are allowed on trails. Dogs must be leashed.
Sunrise-sunset dailyFree
See Not mapped
Institute of Texan Cultures
aka ITC
Museum featuring Texan history, brought to life by docent-interpreters, and the cultures of over 20 national/ethnic groups of people who have made Texas their home. Snack machines.
Temporarily Closedfree, donations accepted
See Not mapped
Ruby City Art Museum
A contemporary art museum that shows art pieces from international artists.
Thu 10AM–6PM, Fri 10AM–6PM, Sat 10AM–6PM, Sun 10AM–6PMFree
See
Instituto de México
Mexican Cultural Institute
(Website in Spanish.) Contemporary art from Mexico.
Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM, Sat 11AM-6PM, Sun 11AM-5PMFree

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to San Antonio (CC BY-SA 4.0).