The Old Lone Star Brewery Bridge spans a scenic and lush portion of the San Antonio River on the upper reaches of the River Walk.
The bridge originally connected the two towers of the Lone Star Brewery. The open-air walkway allowed kegs to be rolled from the brewery in the east tower to the shipping department in the west tower.
Adolphus Busch, co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. of St. Louis, Mo., built the brewery in 1884 along with local investors. It is often touted as the first large, mechanized brewery in Texas. What we know as Lone Star Beer was not created until 1940 and was brewed elsewhere.
Katie Luber of the San Antonio Museum of Art told Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio that the brewery closed in 1920 when Prohibition halted beer production.
The buildings were abandoned for the next 50 years before SAMA renovated the structures into a world-class art museum that opened in 1981. The unique single-span truss bridge was replaced by a bridge enclosed in black glass.
When the River Walk added the Museum Reach in 2009, engineers found the brewery bridge in a field. It was installed as a footbridge at the end of Roy Smith Street within sight of SAMA. At either end are small brick towers meant to mimic the museum’s twin towers.
In a beautiful span on the gardenlike River Walk, the bridge is a short stroll from the Pearl Brewery complex, another repurposed brewery full of hotels, restaurants, and shops. Along the walk are The Grotto and F.I.S.H. art installations.
Now through Sept. 3, SAMA celebrates its past with a special exhibit, “Still Brewing Art.” The show features historic photographs and posters exploring San Antonio’s history as a beer city.
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This article appears in July 14 • 2023.
