SAN ANTONIO – Construction on a $550 million expansion plan is still ongoing, but San Antonio’s biggest tourist attraction doesn’t expect it will have any trouble attracting visitors this spring break.
The Alamo expects thousands of visitors daily, spokeswoman Emily Baucum told KSAT, and they’ve brought staff from the administrative office to reinforce staffing on the grounds.
Part of Alamo Plaza is blocked off due to the partial demolition of the Crockett and Woolworth buildings, which will host a new visitor’s center and museum. The Cenotaph is undergoing renovation. Behind the church, a new education center is still under construction.
However, return visitors will likely still have something new to see.
The 24,000-square-foot collections center opened two years ago. Since last Spring Break, the Alamo has introduced several new features: a reconstruction of the Mission Gate and lunette at the southern edge of the site, an augmented reality exhibit using tablets to depict the site’s historical appearance, and the grassy Plaza de Valero, located south of the Alamo, which hosts firing demonstrations every morning.
Among the crowd watching the demonstration on Monday were John Gomez and his family.
“We came here last year. We found it was really, really interesting information, but we didn’t get to see the whole thing. There was a lot of construction going on,” he said. “So we came back this year. And now that the exhibits are open, we get to spend more time reading the information going into the mission. It’s just learning the fascinating history of the Alamo.”
Alamo Plaza, long barracks and the church cost nothing to visit. Church visitors must obtain free tickets.
Tours, entry to the collection’s center, and the augmented experience require visitors to purchase tickets.
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