Selena’s Bridge in San Antonio is a nice tribute to the slain Tejano music singer, even though the historic stone-arch pedestrian bridge on the River Walk has no direct connection to the Corpus Christi-based artist other than appearing in a movie about the once-rising star.
Selena Quintanilla Perez was born in Lake Jackson on April 16, 1971. Her fame was spreading beyond South Texas after winning a Grammy Award in 1994, followed by chart-topping albums.
The dream ended on March 31, 1995, when the president of her fan club, suspected of embezzling funds, gunned her down in Corpus Christi. Selena was 23 years old. Her assailant was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years to life.
Selena’s Bridge is on the River Walk at the Omni La Mansion del Rio hotel. In the 1997 movie Selena, Jennifer Lopez (playing Selena) and Jon Seda (playing Chris Perez) pause there to have a romantic moment after their elopement. As far as anyone knows, the real Selena never visited the bridge.
Officially the bridge is known as La Mansion Del Rio Bridge or the Hugman Bridge. A bronze plaque on the bridge honors Robert H.H. Hugman, the architect who turned the neglected river into a destination. The concrete, stone-faced, arched structure was built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration. By popular demand it has become a memorial to the Queen of Tejano Music.
Selena’s Bridge is in the big bend of the San Antonio River off the main corridor of the River Walk between St. Mary and Navarro streets. An easy way to get there is to access the River Walk from Commerce Street.
Another way to celebrate Selena’s 55th birthday is to see “The Selena Effect,” an exhibit on her life and enduring legacy at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in San Marcos through Dec. 6.
1,801st in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/day-trips.
This article appears in April 10 • 2026.
