The Mission's of San Antonio

The Alamo is the most famous mission in Texas, everyone has heard about it and has seen the movies! But did you know that San Antonio boasts many other missions as well? San Antonio is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and therefore is full of history, beginning with the five missions! In this article we will list San Antonio’s missions and talk about their history as well as visiting them during your trip to San Antonio!

Mission Concepcion was founded in 1716 and is the oldest unrestored church in America. To the delight of many history buffs, it looks the same as it would have looked in its early days! The mission was founded to help convert Hasinai to Catholicism, however the mission was moved to San Antonio in 1731.

The mission is the site of one of most famous battles between the Texian army and the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. On 1835 the Battle of Concepcion was found at the site of the mission. The famous James Bowie along with James Fannin led the Texian soldiers, and the victory went to the Texians.

Today mass is still held at the Mission on Sundays. The mission is on 807 mission road, not far from downtown San Antonio!

Founded in 1716 mission San Juan was relocated in 1731 to its present day location. There was a lack of labor due to population decline which caused the construction of a larger church on mission land to be uncompleted. San Juan’s farms as well as the farms of the surrounding area, provided the mission inhabitants and nearby settlements with food, as well as the missions livestock.

The missions church was reconstructed in the 1960s but other areas on the mission grounds are still original. This mission is located at 9101 Graf Road.

Mission San Jose was founded in 1720 and it is the largest of the San Antonio missions. The church that stands on mission grounds today was built in 1768 and an outer wall was built around the mission with rooms for the natives built into it. Some of the grounds have been rebuilt and restored but the church still stands as it was built in 1768.

This is a great mission to add to your list of stops during your visit to San Antonio, especially if you love history! The mission today serves as a parish and is located on 6701 San Jose Drive.

Mission Espada was founded in 1690 and is the oldest of the San Antonio missions, though the mission moved its location closer to the San Antonio River in 1731. The mission helped to serve as a place for the Natives to learn different skills including blacksmithing and carpentry.

To the north of the mission is the Espada Aqueduct, another great site to visit. We recommend you add the Mission Espada to your list of stops during your visit because there is a lot to learn at this mission, its full of history! This mission is located at 10040 Espada Rd.

These four missions, as well as the Alamo have been designated as world heritage sites by UNESCO and are some of the more famous historical sites in San Antonio. Adding these sites to your trip is definitely going to be worth your time! You aren't going to regret visiting and learning about how San Antonio got it's start!