My husband and I only went to one mission here - the Mission San Jose, which is actively used as a church in present day. The grounds are gorgeous and the architecture has been preserved rather well. The inside of the church is bright and beautiful and has been modernized, but not enough to take away from the old world charm. Bring your camera; there are many photo opportunities here.
Only problem is all of the photographers doing sessions. It makes it hard to enjoy. The park system should start charging professional photographers for doing shoots since it distracts from the sanctity of the place. My family built this mission 30p years ago and I couldn't get a personal pic without enumerous wedding, graduation, and family photos being taken everywhere
Awesome set of historical locations. The missions are in varying states of restoration (and usage as active churches/monasteries) but all are very interesting to explore. The Mission Trail which connects all of these sites (and continues as the Riverwalk to downtown SA and beyond) is a very nice walk or bike ride, although there isn't much shade on a hot day. If you only pick one mission to visit I recommend San Jose which is the most thoroughly restored.
San Antonio has 5 old Spanish missions. 4 of them are maintained by the National Park Service as the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park and are considered UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A nice half-day excursion can be made by visiting all 4 missions. The National Park Service's Visitor Center is at Mission San Jose and has the most services including the park video.
As a religious history oriented student, this may have been one of the most humbling visits I've made - the grounds are immaculate, and the mission itself was awe-inspiring. I had always heard about their beauty, but the sheer scale and grand majesty of it was something that took me aback. It was simply an experience I haven't soon forgotten. Please consider heading out this way - it was well worth the short extra drive.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a US Park based in San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is located at 6701 San Jose Dr, San Antonio, TX 78214, USA.
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