Some of San Antonio's Best Summer Places
San Antonio's Best Summer Places
Texas summers are hot; brutally hot. And San Antonio has already had its fair share of high temperatures and miserable humidity. The kids are out of school for the summer and now it becomes a chore to find things to do in the unbearable heat. Sure, being out in the sun is fun, for a while. But after a couple of hours in triple digit temperatures the fun meter doesn’t move much. Sometimes you just have to find something to do to stay cool. Well, if the air conditioning is calling you and your family, here is a list of favorite places in San Antonio where you can beat the heat.
Witte Museum – 3801 Broadway St.
San Antonio houses some of the best museums in the state, and the Witte Museum is one of them and caters to children of all ages. Featuring an eclectic mix of local art, traveling exhibits, and learning venues, there’s something for everyone here, including an exhibit this summer about the Amazon rainforest. Don’t forget to check out the H-E-B Science Treehouse, which is filled with fun and interactive exhibits revolving around physics and chemistry.
Scobee Planetarium – 1300 San Pedro Ave.
For all the San Antonio stargazers, this is the place to be this summer. During the day, this planetarium, located on the San Antonio College campus, puts on amazing digital shows about our universe. Then at night, the observatory telescope is open for anyone who wants to see the stars in action. Just make sure you go on a clear night for the best views!
Magik Theatre – 420 S. Alamo St.
The Magik Theatre offers all sorts of classes for kids during the summer, including but not limited to musical theatre, movie making, and the School of Rock & Roll. Even if your children aren’t interested in participating in the camps, they can still attend the performances that are sponsored at the Magik Theatre. Events and performances will take place all summer long and keep you out of the heat.
Laser Quest – 606 Embassy Oaks
What’s better than shooting lasers at each other for points? It’s like a video game but with real people. How fun is that? At Laser Quest, you and your family can play arcade games and join sessions of free-for-all laser tag. Thisis a lot of fun for everyone, but especially for the kids. You even get to make up nicknames and then get scorecards to see how you did when the sessions are over. The whole thing takes place indoors where there is plenty of A/C to go around.
Parman Library – 20735 Wilderness Oak
No matter what season it is, it’s always a good idea to encourage your kids to read. Luckily, the new Parman Library in the Stone Oak area makes it fun and entertaining all week long. There is an area just for teens, filled with exciting activities for them to do on Tuesdays, as well as story time for toddlers. But Parman is not the only “cool” library. All of the San Antonio libraries offer great programs all summer. Just visit http://www.mysapl.org/ to find the one closest to you and to find out more about their schedules.
San Antonio Natatorium – 1430 W. Durango
What better way to beat the heat than by going to the pool? How about an indoor Olympic size facility located just west of downtown San Antonio? You don’t even have to worry about sunscreen. The natatorium offers a place for lap swimming as well as water aerobics and swimming lessons year-round. Open swim is scheduled daily from 12:00 noon to 6:45 pm.
The San Antonio Children’s Museum – 305 East Houston Street
With three floors of hands-on, interactive exhibits designed to engage children ages 2 - 10 and their families the Children's Museum introduces children to San Antonio and the larger world by allowing them to explore a multitude of adult roles on their own terms. Kids can be airplane pilots, international chefs, mail carriers, doctors, cowpokes, construction workers, scientists, artists and more! Plus, they can blow giant bubbles, ride a real front end loader and use their own muscles to lift the Kid Powered Elevator. Every week features a new theme and "Make & Take" activity.
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not & Louis Tussaud’s Wax Museum – 301 Alamo Plaza
Right across from the Alamo are two great, affordable places to stay out of the sun. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not thrives on the weird and strange, with fun exhibits that show some extremely unique stuff from Robert Ripley’s own collection. After you visit these quirky exhibits you can then go into Louis Tussaud’s Wax Museum and see some truly lifelike creations of celebrities. Kids will love it!
Natural Bridge Caverns
Why not beat the heat by going underground? Located right outside of San Antonio, Natural Bridge Caverns offers breathtaking sights below the surface. A guided tour will lead you on walkways as marvelous cave structures pop up all over the caves. Try going on a weekday when it’s not busy, as this is a popular attraction!
If you have any suggestions for beating the heat in San Antonio or any favorite "cool" summer activities, please share them with us.
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