Alamo Plaza in San Antonio is showing signs of the future of the $550 million renovation and restoration of the beloved Texas shrine. Among the new additions is the Palisade outdoor exhibit showing where David Crockett might have fought.
Opened last year next to the Palisade, the Mission Gate exhibit greets visitors at what would have been the southern gate in 1836. The plaques introduce visitors to the historic footprint of the former mission and fort.
The open-air gallery has replica fortifications built by local concrete artist Carlos Cortes, the grand-nephew of Dionisio Rodriguez, the Mexican artist responsible for many of San Antonio’s “faux bois” or imitation wood concrete structures.
Since the 1950s the area in front of the 300-year-old Alamo exemplified its historic roots as a town plaza. Workers relaxed in the shade of oak trees while waiting for a bus. Vendors hawked souvenirs and frozen paletas to tourists wearing flowered shirts and sandals with black socks.
As the No. 1 tourist destination in the state, attracting more than 1.5 million visitors a year, the Disneyfication of the sacred monument was inevitable to protect it and to tell its history.
The Ralston Family Collections Center started the renovation of the Alamo grounds in 2023 when it opened with the Phil Collins Collection of Alamo artifacts.
The Cenotaph is currently wrapped in scaffolding as workmen restore the memorial. Work is underway on a new Visitor Center and Museum in the former Crockett and Woolworth buildings that is to open in 2027.
Beginning in September, the former mission chapel will be closed for construction of a new roof and other major repairs. It is expected to be off-limits until 2027, but Alamo Plaza will be open to visitors.
The Alamo in downtown San Antonio is a touchstone for all Texans. To follow the progress of the construction, go to www.thealamo.org.
1,746th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, ataustinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
This article appears in March 14 • 2025.
