This place really sparked my interest in the history of as an Antonio. The video was informative and the gift shop attendants were knowledgeable. Rich culture even though the area itself seem void of luxury.

My spouse and I love ruins, old world architecture, and history. The Mission Trail offers ALL of this and it is free! Since we visited during an Extreme Heat Advisory, there were very few people out and about. We walked every inch of each Mission; however, rather than walking the trail from one to the next, we did drive—-there is plenty of parking at each site and each site is well marked for ease in locating. Each site has a small gift shop and Park Rangers ready to share history of the location, answer questions and provide a map of the grounds. Each location has a pamphlet on the entire mission trail and another for the specific site. Seeing these forts, how soldiers/people lived, where they lived, the uniforms they wore even in the extreme heat, really causes pause and reflection. We were fortunate to stumble upon a relative of family members who actually lived, worked and helped build the mission (San Jose) and gave us some great history, passed down from ancestors and now he continues to do blacksmithing as his ancestors did. The name of the gentleman we spoke with is Alex Ruiz, Blacksmith of San Antonio—what a special treat to get to talk with him! I would strongly recommend this for all groups—couples, family, school groups (homeschool groups!), etc. well worth the visit—we spent about an hour (give or take) at each location. Take plenty of water and dress appropriately with comfy walking shoes! You will not be disappointed!

The Spanish built five missions using indigenous Texas labor and four of them are in the San Antonio Missions National Park and together with Mission Valero (The Alamo) are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Apart from the Alamo which is surround by inner city buildings the others are in wide open spaces and pretty much as they were when built, a positive compared to the Alamo. It is an easy drive south of the city to Conception, San Jose, San Juan and Espana. It is also possible to walk. All four are well preserved, some better than others. If you only see the Alamo, you miss the rich Spanish history in the town.

Mission Park Historical Park run by the NPS is well done. If you go plan to take the tour with a ranger as you will understand why this is a treasure to America. We enjoyed the short film at the visitors center and then the guided tour. Time allowed only one other stop so we were advised to go to Conception as it is in original condition. The whole of the Mission Park is a designated World Heritage Site.

A good way to spend an afternoon. Each mission was different from the next, but viewed consecutively, you appreciate the preservation at the sites. Very interesting and worth the trip.