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San Antonio Fire Museum

5.0 (43 reviews)
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Updated 3 weeks ago

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Iris T.

In town for 5 days and I had a free day where I had nothing planned... and looked up this place. Our hotel was just around the corner so I passed by a few times and after some research, it looked fun! I got the impression that the building is a retired fire department manned by volunteers. You get assigned your own "tour guide" (a retired firefighter) upon entry after a $5 entry fee to help with the upkeep. We actually arrived at the same time as another family with kids so we got placed together under one guide. If you come without kids, you get all the historical details... if you have kids, you'll get a brief run through and skip to the fire trucks through history. They also include helmets, boots, jackets, and even pants to try on. They are HEAVY (which you would expect) so my 5 year old daughter tried on the jacket only, which was enough for her. Haha... You can also ring the bell! There is a back section geared towards children with an ambulance that you can walk through, more retired fire trucks, a small theatre room about fire safety, and a play room with fire fighting themed items. I found it very interesting. Each vehicle has their own sign with more detailed information. Photos, uniforms from a few other countries, etc. I would have liked the more in depth tour - maybe next time when they're a few years older. My 20 month old and 5 year old liked exploring all the trucks (you can climb into a few of them) and the play area in the back. As it is, if you have time and are in the area, I recommend stopping by! The people there are quite nice and knowledgeable.

James was fantastic and knowledgeable and super welcoming! Loved the exhibits, and the history behind everything you know (and don't) not just about SA Firefighters but firefighting in general. So very well curated and interesting.

Some cute things for kids.
Christina P.

Nice place to beat the heat with my 2 young kids! The volunteers who work here are knowledgeable and love to talk about their experiences. My kids were happy looking through some of the interactive parts of the museum for about 1.5 hours. Paid public parking is close by.

Maria V.

I would like to say that Rick Lopez was great. He educated and informed us. He told stories of most of the retired staff and the development of the neighborhood and the Fire Department. This was the best experience!!!

Photo stand
Kim F.

We took our three grandkids here over Christmas break. We had a retired fireman who walked us thru each exhibit and gave us excellent historical information. The kids favorite part was getting to climb on the fire truck, take pics in the cut outs and watch the videos in the video room. This was all at the end, so left on a high note.

Tim C.

Awesome display of fire equipment past and present, lots of history, they even have an area for kids to learn about fire fighting and first aid, and they have turn out gear for big and little kids. We had a tour guide, Jim Collins, he retired from the San Antonio Fire Department and now does amazing tours. Make sure you check out the gift shop, great shirts and coffee cups, got me a San Antonio Haz Mat shirt and a coffee cup too. The museum is located right behind the Alamo.

The pipe is made out of cypress, and the hose in the back is hand made from leather...
Timothy A.

I stopped by here on my last day in town, and had a very pleasant tour from one of the retired volunteers. I wish I remembered his name, but he was awesome, and I was honored and humbled to have been given a tour by him. The museum is exactly as you would expect. Lots of old trucks and memorabilia, but there is also a special section for the kids to play in and dress up (big kids too). The gift shop is reasonably priced, and I was happy to buy a few patches to share with family back home.

My little firefighter
Sandra F.

We drove to San Antonio with plans to visit the zoo and were rained out. I looked on Yelp for a museum the whole family would enjoy. The Fireman Museum was the only museum with 5*s so we went. We were welcomed upon arrival and informed of everything to see including a newly opened building. I spoke with a volunteer that was wonderful! She told me about her husband's long career with the department and a young man that worked with her husband early on and then became Chief. She was so friendly and informative. Our family all enjoyed the museum and can see why it has 5 stars. Thank you so much for bringing sunshine to an otherwise rainy day.

This was a great museum. We got a full guided tour from one of the volunteers who was a retired fire fighter. He told us lots of information about the fire trucks and equipment that we would never know. This was totally fascinating and I definitely recommend visiting this museum. Also this is great for kids.

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The staff made the museum experience an over the top experience! Learning the history was cool too!

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7 years ago

What a great experience for adults and children. Little bit of SAFD history with education for children. Would recommend stopping in!

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My nephew enjoyed this place. It was cost effective and my only downfall is that it didn't have free parking. The kids center was fun.

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Super friendly staff! Gave us a personal tour and made a wonderful impression. Great exhibits and more to come. Thank you so very much.

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Ask the Community - San Antonio Fire Museum

Review Highlights - San Antonio Fire Museum

We had a tour guide, Jim Collins, he retired from the San Antonio Fire Department and now does amazing tours.

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Hopscotch - Affirmation mirror

Hopscotch

4.5(296 reviews)
0.4 miDowntown
$$

My fiancé surprised me with a date night at Hopscotch this weekend and it was the perfect start to…read moreour San Antonio weekend. We arrived at our designated ticket time and walked in through the gift shop. There a staff member showed us to the ticket check in desk. After checking in we stopped at the bar for a little drink to accommodate our interactive gallery. We went with the seasonal adult capri sun and the year round capri sun. The bartender was very friendly and made delicious drinks. Upon arrival I was a little nervous about the experience as some have noted that there aren't many rooms to explore and that it didn't take long for them to go through the gallery. After we finished we can say with confidence that it's worth it. We spend about 55min- 1 hour within the gallery. The staff was friendly, the rooms were fun and interactive, and overall we were really pleased with the atmosphere.

Recommend: No. I…read morechecked out Hopscotch with a group of people. There are several different rooms and exhibits to walk through. Some were really cool, while others I probably could have skipped. I do think it helps going with friends because it makes the experience more fun and interactive. My favorite was the secret room where you pick up phones and listen to anonymous secrets from other people. That one was pretty unique. I also liked the room with all the changing lights--it looked really cool and was fun to walk through. There's also an area filled with balls that reminded me a bit of Chuck E. Cheese, and another section that's basically a maze made out of clear plexiglass panels. When you first walk in there's a bar, and they also have a gift shop. The bar was really backed up as a think there was only one bartender but she was very friendly. The entry process was easy since I bought my tickets online. Overall, if you go by yourself you could probably get through everything in about 35-40 minutes. It was a fun outing with a group, but personally I'd probably save my money and try something else next time.

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Hopscotch - Blue Drink

Blue Drink

Hopscotch - Plexiglass maze

Plexiglass maze

Hopscotch - Unicorn mocktail

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Unicorn mocktail

McNay Art Museum - Architecture  2/2026

McNay Art Museum

4.5(251 reviews)
4.4 miTerrell Heights

Absolutely beautiful museum! Perfect for a day out and not overwhelming one bit. I happened to luck…read moreout and observe this museum on one of their free entrance days- the first Sunday of the month. Best to arrive around opening time to get parking up close. A sculpture garden surrounds the museum so there's plenty of areas to stroll and take photos. This museum resides in a gorgeous 1920s Spanish colonial revival residence built by Marion McNay. The building itself is art with its wood detailing, arches, and intricate tile ceilings and floors. The actual art collection consisted of over 20,000 items, but only some are displayed and occasionally on rotation. The collection embodied European and American art of the nineteenth century, twentieth, and twenty first centuries. Sooo much to see- paintings, special exhibits, vase collection, Angelica Raquel Mystic Threads, sculptures, and a lovely garden/pond/fountain containing koi. The museum has a gift shop, restrooms, and a special collection of art displayed by many artistic school children. My new found artist I discovered here was Carl Rice Embery. A pure Texan, his art was amazing ! Initially I thought the pieces were photographs, but up close they are actual paintings. That's how realistic they are. Simple Texan scenery. We had a great time and would definitely come back!

Beautiful collection, architecture, landscaping and grounds at this museum. Their garden in the…read morecourtyard is so peaceful and stunning. We enjoyed visiting on a weekday, it wasn't crowded and nice to walk around to see their permanent collection. They have a small gift shop but I wish they had a cafe! Maybe I missed it but I didn't see one. Worth the visit and would love to come back. They seem to have different events. Parking in their connected lot.

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McNay Art Museum - 2/2026

2/2026

McNay Art Museum - 2/2026

2/2026

McNay Art Museum - Sandy Skoglund: Enchanting Nature

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Sandy Skoglund: Enchanting Nature

Wonder Chamber

Wonder Chamber

3.7(58 reviews)
6.7 mi

I just have to take a moment to shout out Wonder Chamber Selfie Museum I had been here before with…read moremy daughter but when talking about the selfie museum a young lady close to my daughter has been going through a really difficult time. She's a high school senior currently experiencing homelessness, and her mom wasn't able to celebrate her birthday this year.. As someone who runs a nonprofit, I reached out to a few places hoping someone would be willing to help make her day special. When I say they were absolutely amazing, I mean that with my whole heart. They were kind, welcoming, and so accommodating. They helped create a beautiful space where she and her friends could celebrate, laugh, and just be young for a moment. And listen... it wasn't just pictures. It was joy, confidence, and memories. Watching these girls light up, feel beautiful, and enjoy themselves in such a fun, creative environment meant everything. You could literally see their spirits lift. Everybody deserves to feel special, especially on their birthday and especially a young woman pushing through life and still showing up and doing her best. Because of this experience, I will always support and recommend them. If you're looking for a place that brings fun, creativity, and positive energy, this is definitely a spot you should check out

We didn't have any expectations of this place when we came in and with the $40 for two people I was…read moreon the fence. However, it was just so silly and fun I couldn't help but enjoy it. All of the rooms are very immersive and great to just be a kid again. Worth every penny!

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Wonder Chamber
Wonder Chamber
Wonder Chamber

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Briscoe Western Art Museum - Full size chuck wagon

Briscoe Western Art Museum

4.5(135 reviews)
0.4 miDowntown

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is a great and intimate museum in the heart of downtown San Antonio…read more:) ! The staff is super friendly and helpful, and is willing to speak with you regarding anything that has to do with western art. If you really love western art and history, and especially would like to learn more about Texas history, this is a fantastic place to visit :) ! The artwork varies from unique paintings, sculptures, artifacts and photos :) ! There also happened to be a great talk going on about Texas mapping history :D ! I also happened to visit here during the holidays :) ! So both the inside and outside of the museum were beautifully decorated for the holiday season :D ! I have visited a lot of well-known museums in the United States. And although this one is not a huge name nationwide, I liked the fact that it was small to medium-size that it made it easy and stress-free for me to get around and enjoy the various art exhibits :) ! I like visiting all kinds of museums. But for sure, it definitely is meaningful to visit these smaller museums as well because they do feel much more personal and engaging, compared to larger museums that have so many tourists that it can get overwhelming.

My wife and I love exploring the area and today we took a trip to the Briscoe Western Art Museum…read morewith two other friends who grow up in San Antonio. I have visited many Museums such as the Huntington Library, the Getty and the Gene Audrey Western Museum. We really enjoyed ourselves. The museum is a perfect size, not too big and not too small. There is a nice mix of what is on display, from an excellent collection of spurs, paintings, and artifacts. My favorites were the paintings. Most museums have very old famous painting, but the Briscoe has a large number of paintings which have been painted recently. Now don't get me wrong, Blue Boy at the Huntington is an amazing painting but the paintings at the Briscoe were so vivid and captivating. I wish I could have purchased at least a dozen of them. The colors were bright, which made me wonder if this is what it would have been like looking at a Van Gouh a year after it was painted? Even though there were contemporary painting, the subject matter was distinctly western capturing a style unlike anything I have seen before. The staff was super friendly and very helpful. For instance, we asked what's the best way to go through the museum. Start one the 3rd floor and work your way down. We highly recommend making a day of it. If you get hungry, take a break and come back. If your budget is tight, the first Sunday is open the Bexar county residence for free. Enjoy the experience.

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Briscoe Western Art Museum
Briscoe Western Art Museum - One of my favorites

One of my favorites

Briscoe Western Art Museum - The Basket Dance

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The Basket Dance

The DoSeum - Shadow work

The DoSeum

4.2(339 reviews)
2.0 miMahncke Park

What a great space to get kids energy out! Met up with some of my TLG mamas and their kiddos to…read morehave a little playdate here and I honestly didn't know what to expect, so we went with doing the day pass ($18 per person ages 1+) yes it's pricey, but I also can see how much these kids can do! You can probably guess that we upgraded to the family of 4 year pass ($180, but used our day pass cost to include into that membership). Thinking ahead here, when it will get stupid hot later in the summer time, great way to take the kids to burn their energy and not get stir house crazy being inside all day - great way to break up the day from all the screaming and jumping around. The exhibits: wow, SO much variety! It's basically 2 stories, downstairs is the main floor area, and options! When you first enter, there's giant toy puzzles shaped as gears, then another room that takes you to a full on pretend city arena where there's little tykes cars for these kids to drive around in this pretend city, a HEB store front, airplane simulation, trolley, car wash, vet office, etc. so fun for these kids! Then another room where there's instruments like a giant piano and other fun things for kids to explore. Outside, there are 2 areas, one is a bubble play area to explore ways to play with bubbles in SO many different ways. Another outside area, playground with a giant slide, water play area with boats and things that you can imagine with water. For over stimulated kiddos, there's a room downstairs that's called a "calming room" where it's much quieter than out in the open if you need time to decompress from the chaos. Upstairs, there's a pretend to play with tools and right next to it and where you can assemble flowers. Now food wise, there's a Café Bakery Lorraine downstairs which include their macaroons, sandwiches, snack platter, crossiants, etc. It's a little pricey, but at least it's good! You are allowed to bring snacks, water inside, but not outside food like actual meals. Parking: it's free and first come first served out in the front area. Overall, we'll be back since we're now members! Excited to keep taking the kids here as there is so much to do here!

We love the Doseum. We have a membership, which pays for itself after 2 visits. I guide my kiddos…read moreand follow their lead through each activity. The staff is always super helpful. We only visit M-F 10-4 ish.

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The DoSeum - Upstairs with the tool area

Upstairs with the tool area

The DoSeum
The DoSeum

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San Antonio Fire Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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