San Antonio river taxi
The most popular tourist attraction in Texas just got bigger. The famous San Antonio River Walk has been extended 1.3 miles to the north in a multi-million dollar expansion dubbed "Museum Reach."
The new section of the River Walk, which opened in May, 2009, was created by dredging an inaccessible section of the river north of Lexington Avenue. This part of the River Walk has a more peaceful feel, with pathways and benches rather than commercial establishments lining the landscaped banks.
The Museum Reach segment extends to the San Antonio Museum of Art, housed in the old Lone Star Brewery building, and terminates at the 125-year-old Pearl Brewery building, where shopping, dining and entertainment venues are planned.
A dozen public artworks have been installed along the route, and some are beautifully lit at night. A colorful school of fish dangles from one bridge, while another features sound art coming from speakers beneath the bridge. A riverside grotto includes a waterfall that visitors can walk behind.
It's fun to ride a river taxi out to the new extension. One of the most interesting parts of the journey is going through the new $6 million river lock, which makes the nine-foot level change to the newly opened section of the river. As the gates close in the lock, water rushes in or out to raise or lower the boat. Pedestrians can stand on a bridge above the lock to watch the process, which takes about four minutes. This video explains how the lock works.
The San Antonio Museum of Art showcases a superb collection of Western antiquities, Asian art, Latin American art, and contemporary American paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts. Also represented are Oceanic art, Islamic art, Irish silver, Wedgewood ceramics, European paintings, photography, and more. There's a cafe with outdoor seating overlooking the river.
Other than visiting the museum, there isn't much to do on the River Walk extension but stroll along the banks. Many visitors stay on the boat for the return journey to the main River Walk, which is lined by hotels, restaurants and shops amid the beautiful landscaping.
The San Antonio River Walk was built in 1938 as a flood-control project, but wasn't developed into a tourist area until the 1960's, in preparation for San Antonio's Hemisfair. In the future, the city plans to extend the River Walk 13 miles to the south to connect to the Spanish missions.
See the slideshow below for photos of the new San Antonio River Walk extension, including the river lock.
Navigating the River: Water taxis on the San Antonio River fly yellow or red flags, indicating which route they cover. Take the yellow route from the main River Walk to where the new section begins, then transfer to the red route. An all-day pass covering both the yellow and red routes is $15 and tickets are sold onboard. Some boats are designated for guided tours, and the boats can be chartered for special events. See Rio San Antonio Cruises for more information.
Getting There: If you're headed southbound on IH-35 into San Antonio, take the IH-37/Corpus Christi exit, then take the Commerce Street/Downtown exit and turn right on Commerce. The Rivercenter mall parking garage, just a block down on the right, is a good place to park. You can enter the River Walk from the mall's central courtyard or look for steps on the sidewalk leading down to the river. The Alamo is just around the corner from the mall. Print San Antonio and downtown maps before you go. You can find special offers and coupons on the San Antonio visitor website.
Dining: More than 50 restaurants line the River Walk, many offering waterside dining. Casa Rio, at the Commerce Street bridge, has been serving Tex-Mex here since 1946. Casa Rio's waterfront dining is show in the photo above.
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