San Antonio, Texas 2001 : The Missions

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The Missions : San Antonio, Texas : Trip Report

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The Other Spanish Missions

Although it's the most famous, The Alamo is only one of five Spanish Missions that were built in what is now the city of San Antonio. The other Missions run south from The Alamo every couple miles never far from the San Antonio River.

If you do visit San Antonio I recommend picking up the brochure San Antonio Missions available from any of the missions. It contains an excellent map and information about each mission.

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Although each mission was self contained they frequently communicated with each other.
A map of the Mission Road.

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Although each mission was self contained they frequently communicated with each other.	A map of the Mission Road.

Mission Concepción

The first mission south of The Alamo is the mission of Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción. This mission was mostly just an old church from the mid-1700s. It was in pretty good shape but there wasn't much else to see on the grounds. The adjacent buildings had some simple displays about life on the Missions.

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What Mission Concepción might have looked like. Viewed: 1 time.	Walking up to the church from the parking lot. Viewed: 1 time.	The view of the church straight on. Viewed: 1 time.
The ornate door to the church. Viewed: 1 time.	And the inside of the church. Viewed: 1 time.	The buildings on the right. Viewed: 1 time.

Mission San José

The next mission south was probably the largest and most impressive. There was a large stone wall around the large grounds. Lining the inside of the wall were houses for the indians that lived at the mission. And finally there was a very large ornate church at the far end. This mission was originally called San José y San Miguel de Aguayo.

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What Mission San José might have looked like. Viewed: 1 time.	Nice stone gate. Viewed: 1 time.	Bronze model of the mission. Viewed: 1 time.
The Indian Quarters lined the wall around the courtyard. Viewed: 1 time.	A sign showing life in the Indian Quarters. Viewed: 1 time.	A view of the church from the far end of the courtyard. Viewed: 1 time.
A sign about The Convento next to the church. Viewed: 1 time.	The nice garden along The Convento.	This church also had an ornate entrance.
The inside of the church.	This ornate window is called The Rose Window.	This sign explains the history of The Rose Window.
Here is the other even more ornate door to the church.	I think this is some of the original stucco.	What the church must have looked like originally.
Behind the church was an old mill.	The inside of the mill.

Mission San Juan

The next mission San Juan Capistrano was also very nice. It also had a stone fence but also had a small church, nice statue outside the church as well as the ruins of an unfinished church.

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Some history about the San Juan Capistrano.	Another nice stone gate.	I think this is an old Spanish flag.
This statue of Fr. Antonio Margil de Jesus was outside the church.	Close-up of the plaque.	Outside of the church.
Inside of the church.	The ruins of the unfinished church.

Espada Aqueduct

On the way to the final mission was this Espada Aqueduct, which I assume was part of the original aqueduct to supply fresh water to Mission Espada. It was the quickest visit and interesting to see.

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All the plaques at the Aqueduct.	Part of the Aqueduct is a bridge over a stream.	Some local boys walking across the top of the aqueduct.

Mission Espada

The final and least impressive mission was named San Fracisco de la Espada. It consisted mostly of ruins around the perimeter and a small church at one side. There was also an apparently working convent on the site.

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A plaque describing this mission.	A plaque describing this mission.	The wall looks like it was a double wall.
A Spanish flag.	Parts of the mission are still in ruins.	A plaque describing the condition of the mission today.
The Mission Espada school.	The Oaks Place, a house that was built on the site in the 19th century.	The church at this mission.
The ornate door to the church.	Inside of the church.	The working convent next to the church.

Comments From People Like You! The Missions : San Antonio, Texas 2001	add a comment
jack 25-Oct-2007 07:38
`Would like to see some actual diagrams or maps of the missions. Daughter studying missions in school.`
A Dominguez 16-Jan-2006 21:43
`My daughter's 4th grade class is studying the missions in Texas and she had to make a replica of the Espada Mission. Thank you so very, very much for the wonderful pictures, we couldn't have made it so "authentic" without them!!`
ME 12-Dec-2005 08:31
`THIS IS KINDA WEIRD`
Anonymous 11-Oct-2005 19:39
`zoom in on some of the pictures`
- 04-Dec-2004 10:25
`great site & good pictures, could you please put some pictures of how it was (mabey some paintings)?`
Anonymous 12-Sep-2004 09:38
`I like all the pictures except could you please add some about the mission as in the surroundings?`
Heather Clement 11-Apr-2004 18:06
`This was a great site- I have been searching for the inside mission pictures everywhere for a graduate school presentation- Thank you!`
Anonymous 08-Feb-2004 14:22
`Thank you for some beautiful pictures. Our students loved your website and had a wonderful visual experience before they went on their field trip. T. Pena`

Next Section: Is there anything else besides the missions? Check out the River Walk.

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