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scroll to top SKIP TO PAGE CONTENT Toggle navigation HOME VISIT PLAN YOUR VISIT FAQ Rules of Reverence Film Requests Parking Accessibility BOOK A TOUR Guided Tours Audio Tour Group, Private & After Hours Tours GROUNDS & ACTIVITIES Virtual Tour Visitor Map Daily Programming Current Exhibitions Phil Collins Collection EVENTS Events Calendar Hold an Event at the Alamo Commemoration WHERE WE ARE REMEMBER HISTORY Chronology The Defenders The Digital Battlefield ALAMO STRUCTURES Buildings Preservation Projects SHOP EDUCATORS PLAN A FIELD TRIP Instructions Registration LEARN Workshops Texas Revolution Timeline RESOURCES Lesson Plans History Trunks OUTREACH Off-site Visits ALAMO PLAN THE PLAN Overview Restoring Reverence Restore the 1836 Battlefield Footprint Preserve the Sole Remaining Structures CENOTAPH The Cenotaph Damage To The Cenotaph Historical Inaccuracies/Cenotaph Ownership The Plan Cenotaph Restoration & Preservation PRESERVATION Black Paper Project Alamo Church & Long Barrack Moisture Sensors Ongoing Preservation MUSEUM & VISITOR CENTER Phil Collins Collection Museum Designer & Architect of Record Woolworth, Crockett & Old Palace Buildings PHASE 1 Overview CONNECT LOCATION & HOURS 300 Alamo Plaza • San Antonio, Texas • 78205 Peak Season (May 26 – Sept. 4): 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Off-Peak Season (Sept. 5 – May 25): 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Last entry 15 minutes before close Closed Christmas Day -- ABOUT US Overview Open Records Public Meetings CONTACTS Main Number: (210) 225-1391 info@thealamo.org Tours: (210) 225-1391 ext 4005 Education: (210) 225-1391 ext 6002 Events: (210) 225-1391 ext 3001 Field Trips: (210) 225-1391 ext 4005 STAY INFORMED News Blog Join Our Newsletter GET INVOLVED Jobs Volunteer Speaker Request DONATE THE MISSION, THE BATTLE, THE LEGEND STARTS HERE -- is currently CLOSED Due to updated national guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local ordinance from the City of San Antonio concerning Coronavirus (COVID-19) the Alamo is closed until further notice from close of business today, Monday March 16, 2020. We encourage the public to follow Official Alamo on Facebook for our latest updates. A Story Bigger Than Texas 300 Years in the making, the epic story of the Alamo is renowned all over the world! Show Timeline Hide Timeline The Mission Period 1700-1793 The story of the Alamo begins with the establishment of the Mission San Francisco de Solano near the Rio Grande River in 1700. There, Spanish missionary Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares worked to convert many of the Coahuiltecan bands to Catholicism. After Olivares traveled to Texas with an expedition in 1709, he was struck by the San Antonio area and later recommended it to the Spanish viceroy, Marques de Valero, as a site for a mission waypoint on the road to Spanish settlements in East Texas. The mission that we know today as the Alamo was born as Mission San Antonio de Valero in 1718. Decline of Spanish Rule: 1794-1821 In response to increased French and American threats from nearby Louisiana, Spain mobilized its military into the Texas frontier after the turn of the century. Though it started as a mission, San Antonio de Valero was now secularized, and the Spanish military occupied the old mission compound and converted it into a frontier outpost and military garrison. Mexican Texas: 1822-1835 When Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1821, the Alamo remained a military outpost. The soldiers of the Alamo Company, named for their hometown Alamo de Parras south of the Rio Grande, shifted their allegiance to the newly formed independent nation of Mexico. Texas Revolution: 1835-1836 San Antonio de Béxar was now key military point, a crossroads and center of commerce in colonial Texas. With the outbreak of revolt in Coahuila y Tejas, San Antonio resumed its old role as Texas' capital. , now a fortress under the command of 26-year-old William Barret Travis, came under siege by dictator Santa Anna. He ordered the pre-dawn attack on March 6, 1836 in which 186 Texians, Tejanos, Americans and Europeans sacrificed themselves to stop a tyrant. Under The Republic: 1837-1845 Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. But the fighting did not end there. Mexico refused to give up its claim to Texas as well as the additional territory claimed by the new Republic, and launched military attacks on Texas several times in the ensuing years. remained a vital military garrison protecting San Antonio and supplying border forts from Mexican incursion and Indian attacks. The Army Moves In: 1846-1877 Texas joined the United States on December 29, 1845. San Antonio de Béxar and the Alamo greatly benefitted from annexation and statehood. Centrally located and vital to Texas, San Antonio was already seen as an important civic and military asset. became a U.S. Army outpost and depot. It was during this period that the Army added the Alamo's famous bell-shaped top. Warehouse to Shrine: 1878 -1905 The U.S. Army departed the Alamo and established Fort Sam Houston to replace it in 1876. The remaining grounds of the Alamo compound were divided and sold for various uses. The Catholic Church claimed ownership of the remaining mission buildings, while the city maintained ownership of the roads that passed through the mission grounds in front of the old church. The Galera, or Low Barrack, served as the “gate” to the Alamo until the Church sold it to the city in 1871 so it could be demolished to make way for a grand new public plaza. The mission compound lost its southern border and a vital part of its identity. was even used as a commercial warehouse until the State of Texas purchased it in the 1880s. The Modern Era: 1906 to present today stands at the heart of San Antonio and the heart of what it means to be a Texan. It is managed by the Texas General Land Office on behalf of the people of Texas. People visit from all over the world to see and learn about the mission and fort's vital role in defending freedom. Battlefield tours, living history, a one-of-a-kind movie, summer camps, unique exhibits and more are available year-round on the Alamo grounds. Learn More -- Visit A historic destination for the entire family. BOOK YOUR TOUR Upcoming Events April 25, 2020 Book Signing With Author John R. Knaggs 9:00 AM Alamo Gift Shop April 26, 2020 Book Signing With Author John R. Knaggs 9:00 AM Alamo Gift Shop May 09, 2020 Book Signing With Author John R. Knaggs 9:00 AM Alamo Gift Shop May 10, 2020 Book Signing With Author John R. Knaggs 9:00 AM Alamo Gift Shop VIEW EVENT CALENDAR The Digital Battlefield See Battlefield as it looked in 1836! VIEW THE BATTLEFIELD Unique Gifts Alamo gifts with a Texas flair. SHOP ONLINE -- -- Blog Posts Lead Actors Cast in Remember, A Musical Honoring Those Who Gave Their Lives For Texas Takes on the 10-Year (and 100!) Challenge Latest News -- Newsletters Messenger - February 2020 Messenger – January 2020 Messenger - December 2019 Messenger - November 2019 Messenger – October 2019 Remember ! Contact Main Number - (210) 225-1391 Book A Tour - (210) 225-1391 ext. 4005 For Educators - (210) 225-1391 ext. 6002 Events - (210) 225-1391 ext. 3001 Field Trips - (210) 225-1391 ext. 4005 Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Youtube The Emily Morgan Hotel San Antonio Location & Hours 300 Alamo Plaza San Antonio, Texas 78205 Peak Season (May 25 - Sept. 3): 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Off-Peak Season (Sept. 4 - May 24): 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Extended Holiday hours (Dec. 6 - Jan. 5): Alamo grounds, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Church and Exhibit Hall 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Last entry 15 minutes before close Closed Christmas Day © // Privacy Policy | Trademark Policy | Links & Accessibility | Alamo Jobs | Employee Access is the property of the State of Texas, and operated by Alamo Trust, Inc., a Texas non-profit corporation....