San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Lore & Background

The park was originally established in 1975 as the Mission Parkway on the National Register of Historic Places, encompassing 84 separate historical sites along the San Antonio River. The National Historical Park was authorized on November 10, 1978, and established on April 1, 1983, containing many cultural sites along with some natural areas. Portions of the four missions are owned by the Archdiocese of San Antonio and are still run as active parishes. The Carl Levin and Howard P. 'Buck' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 added 137 acres to the park. In July 2015, the San Antonio Missions were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Mission Concepción, established in 1716 in East Texas and moved to San Antonio in 1731, is the best preserved of the Texas missions and was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970. Mission San José was established in 1720, its church constructed in 1768, and was designated a National Historic Site in 1941. Mission San Juan Capistrano was established in 1716 in East Texas, renamed and moved in 1731. Mission Espada was established in 1690 near present-day Augusta, moved in 1731 to San Antonio, and its jurisdiction included Rancho de las Cabras about 22 miles southeast. The Espada Aqueduct, a National Historic Landmark since 1964, is due west of Mission San Juan.

Reader's Guide

The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, which were part of a colonization system across the Spanish Southwest. The park's significance lies in its representation of Spanish missionary efforts to spread Christianity among local natives, with the missions still functioning as active parishes under the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site on July 5, 2015, along with the Alamo, which is not part of the park but is owned by the State of Texas. The Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation project, completed in October 2013, added 15 miles of hiking, biking, and paddling trails connecting the missions to the San Antonio Riverwalk. In 2019, the United States Mint released a commemorative quarter as part of the America the Beautiful series honoring the park. The park also includes the Espada Aqueduct and the Ethel Wilson Harris House on the National Register of Historic Places.

Did You Know?

• The Alamo, the fifth mission in San Antonio, is not part of the park and is owned by the State of Texas.
• The Espada Aqueduct, part of the park, is a National Historic Landmark listed in 1964.