Cheap or Free for Kids, Families and Travelers in San Antonio

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On our "Ask Us" Pinterest page we recently had a request for ideas on what to do in San Antonio with kids that's free or close to free.  I've put together a list of several activities for families, kids and visitors to San Antonio that won't break the bank and will keep the kids happy.  There are several that kids of ANY age can take advantage of.  If there are others that you know of or find, please share them in the comments!

Free or discounted summer activities in San Antonio for the kids, families and travelers too.

• The Alamo -- Free admission
• Astro Super Bowl -- Free bowling for kids
• Bandera Bowling Center -- Free bowling for kids
• Barnes & Noble -- Free summer reading program
• Half Price Books -- Free summer reading program for kids 14 & under
• Slab Cinema Movies-- Movies By Moonlight free for ALL on several nights in July & August
• Institute of Texan Cultures -- Buy One Get One admission with printable coupon
• Oak Hills Lane -- Free bowling for kids
• Regal Cinemas -- $1 summer movies for families, Tues & Wed's at 10am
• San Antonio Children's Museum -- Save 20% off admission with printable coupon
• San Antonio Missions -- Kids get in free to Sunday home games with free membership
• San Antonio Parks & Recreation -- Summer youth programs available, sliding-scale cost based on family income levels
• San Antonio Public Library -- Free events calendar (includes summer story-times, craft times, and teen events)
• San Antonio Public Libraries -- Free summer reading program
• San Antonio Zoo -- Save up to $8 off admission with printable coupon
• Santikos Theatres -- Free summer movies for families, Tues & Wed at 10am
• Schlitterbahn New Braunfels -- Save $2 off admission with printable coupon
• Sea World -- Free day passes for military families
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas -- Free kids' passes with adult ticket purchase and printable coupon
• Splashtown -- Save $7 off admission with printable coupon
• Village At Stone Oak -- Free summer movies for families, Tuesdays in June
• The Witte Museum -- Free admission Tuesday nights; save $2 per ticket buying online for any other day

Also, for all Tuesday activities downtown, take advantage of Simple. Free. Parking.
Downtown Tuesday offers parking at city-operated parking garages, parking lots and parking meters every Tuesday evening from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.   In addition to free parking, the city has partnered with dozens of local businesses to provide specials and discounts.

Teri Blaschke is the RV Park operator of family owned HiddenValley RV Park in San Antonio, TX and writer of the park blog “A Little Piece of Country in San Antonio.” Teri contributes to various other blogs with a focus on either travel or social media and how it relates to the outdoor hospitality industry but her passion is serving the RV travel community by providing a memorable RV camping experience and growing the Hidden Valley RV family.  Connect with Teri on Google+, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter@HiddenValleyRV

our RV Country Daily Magazine and don't forget to Say hello to the voice of Hidden Valley 

Weekend Picks, What's A Siclovia?

First Friday Art Walk, Saturday Jazzin' on the River and Sunday's Siclovia, ALL FREE this weekend in San Antonio.  If your San Antonio RV Park stay has an extra day, take advantage of the suggestions below for day trips to nearby Gruene, Helotes or Boerne.  Use the links below or stop by the office for more details on any of these events.

Friday: March 2nd, 2012 Event Time Location CineFestival 2012 9 am Guadalupe Theater If You Take A Mouse To School 9:45 am, 11:30 am & 7 pm Magik Theatre Andy Warhol: Fame and Misfortune 10 am - 4 pm McNay Art Museum Cave Without a Name Tour 10 am - 5 pm Boerne, Tx La Villita 1st Friday Art Walk 3 - 9 pm Maverick Plaza & Shops Jed Zimmerman 4 pm Luckenbach, Tx Texas Independence Day Celebration 7 -11 pm Gruene, Tx The Sea 8 pm Majestic Theatre Chris Kattan & Friends 8 pm & 10:15 pm LOL Comedy Club Almost Patsy Cline Band 8 pm Luckenbach, Tx Doctor G & The Mudcats 9:30 pm San Marcos, Tx Bart Crow Band 10:30 pm Helotes, Tx   Saturday: March 3rd, 2012 Event Time Location Walk MS 8 am AT&T Center Puerto Rico Cultural Showcase 9 am - 5 pm Institute of Texan Cultures Farm to Market 9 am - 12 pm New Braunfels, Tx Pearl Farmers Market 9 am - 1 pm Pearl Farmers Market Int'l Women's Day March & Rally 9:30 am Grand Hyatt Jazzin' on the River 10 am - 7:30 pm Arneson River Theatre Jacob's Well Natural Area Tour 10 - 11:30 am Wimberley, Tx Lehnis Railroad Museum 10 am - 4 pm Brownwood, Tx Andy Warhol: Fame and Misfortune 10 am - 5 pm McNay Art Museum Cave Without a Name Tour 10 am - 5 pm Boerne, Tx Traders Village 10 am - 5 pm 9333 SW Loop 410 CineFestival 2012 11 am Guadalupe Theater Texas Independence Celebration Noon Luckenbach, Tx Jeff Strahan Band 1-5 pm Gruene, Tx If You Take A Mouse To School 2 pm Magik Theatre Miss Fiesta San Antonio Pageant 7 pm Empire Theatre 1st JLSA Fine Wine Auction 7 pm Bright Shawl ComedySportz 7:30 pm 12002 Bandera Rd The Sea 8 pm Majestic Theatre Chris Kattan & Friends 8 pm & 10:15 pm LOL Comedy Club Hayes Carll 9 pm Gruene, Tx Max Stalling 9 pm San Marcos, Tx Chris Knight 10:30 pm Helotes, Tx Sunday: March 4th, 2012 Event Time Location Quarry Farmers Market 9 am - 1 pm Quarry Market Parking Lot Siclovia 10 am Downtown SA Cave Without a Name Tour 10 am - 5 pm Boerne, Tx Traders Village 10 am - 5 pm 9333 SW Loop 410 Empty Bowls 11 am - 2 pm Southwest School of Art Andy Warhol: Fame and Misfortune Noon - 5 pm McNay Art Museum Jordan Minor CD Release 12:30 - 4:30 pm Gruene, Tx Kathleen O'Keefe 1 pm Luckenbach, Tx Jamie Wilson Band 5 - 9 pm Gruene, Tx Cowboy Doug Davis 5 pm Luckenbach, Tx Family Night Dance 6 - 10 pm Helotes, Tx Chris Kattan & Friends 8 pm LOL Comedy Club 210-623-6737 Hidden Valley Website Hidden Valley email

Hidden Valley RV Park | 5706 Coleman Way | Von Ormy | TX | 78073

San Antonio RV SuperShow Free Tickets

"South Texas’ biggest and best RV Dealers have come together to present the South Texas RV Super Sale and expect thousands of families of all ages to come experience the only place in South Texas where you can shop for an RV with virtually every size and shape, make and model."

It’s a fun family outing and is the one place where you can experience what it would be like to become an RVer and how you can make the RV lifestyle a reality for you. For the seasoned RVer it's a paradise full of new RV ideas, gadgets and tips to improve your RV experiences.  If you're in the market for a new RV, this is definitely the place to shop.

Now, here's the fun part for those already RVing. The RV Super Sale entry rates are listed below but if you want to attend and stay in an RV Park convenient to the RV Show location, our San Antonio RV Park is offering a FREE night of camping if you stay any three nights to attend the show. That free night will give you more than enough savings to get tickets at the show for two. Make sure you reserve your site in advance at this link and mention code "RVSHOW" to get your free night.

 JOE FREEMAN COLISEUM, EXPOSITION HALL

3210 East Houston Street San Antonio, TX 78219 (210) 226-1230 Get directions

January 5- 8 , 2012 Thursday 10am - 6pm Friday 10am - 8pm Saturday 10am - 8pm Sunday 10am - 6pm

South Texas RV Supersale Tickets:

• $10, Adults
  $7 Active Duty Military (with ID)
  Children 15 and under free

$2.00 discount coupons available at this link.

Daily Special Pricing:

• Thursday: $ 7.00
  Friday: Seniors 65 + $ 7.00
  Saturday-Sunday: Active RV Club Members (with ID) $7.00
• 
  Discount coupon may NOT be combined with Daily Special Pricing.

FREE PARKING

Joe Freeman Coliseum has thousands of FREE parking spaces. 
Designated handicap parking is available. 

Something New on the River Walk

Not only new, but also FREE.  Check out this new use of your smart phone on your next visit in San Antonio.  Scan this free tag and get a free self-guided tour to explore 12 points along the San Antonio River Walk, a winding, tree-lined linear park that meanders through the heart of this historic city, one block below the street. The cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops and nightclubs that line the River Walk today began as the vision of a young architect, Robert H. H. Hugman, in 1929. Renowed local historian, Lewis Fisher, narrates the tour. To get started, use your smart phone to scan the code on the right.  Download a free tag reader app here.

Be Kind to Your Wallet in San Antonio

Whether you want to stroll through the annals of time at the Alamo or escape to the banks of the River Walk, San Antonio provides the richest of experiences at little or no cost!
Here are a just a few suggestions guaranteed to please and leave your wallet full.
Hunt for History at the Missions and the Alamo
One of our family's favorites are the five Spanish colonial missions built along the spring-fed San Antonio River. Today, all five missions are open to the public, including the Alamo.

Mission Concepcion

The legacy and history of San Antonio and this region began with a simple ceremony when in 1718, Franciscans and Spanish representatives established the first mission. Within 13 years, five were located along the San Antonio River. The missions’ purpose? To acculturate and Christianize the native population and make them Spanish citizens. Today, visitors can retrace the footsteps of the mission Indians and friars.  Each mission is unique, for example at Mission Espada you'll find the Espada Acequia.  Often called a miracle of modern technology, this irrigation system is one of the oldest of its kind and was originally constructed to irrigate the mission’s surrounding farmlands.
For easy access from mission to mission, San Antonio’s 12-mile Mission Trail is perfect and welcomes hiking and biking.

Ramble on the River Walk

The Original River Walk

Looking for a riverside oasis to indulge in cultural beauty, shaded parks and the sounds of lapping waves? Escape to San Antonio’s famed River Walk. This crossroads of culture and commerce offers meandering pathways along the banks of the San Antonio River.

The Museum Reach Expansion

The River Walk’s new Museum Reach stretches north along the San Antonio River, and connects the existing River Walk to the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Pearl Brewery, a vibrant urban village. New larger than life installations line the banks. And don’t miss the lock and dam system, the only one in Texas. And the River Walk will expand to 13 miles to connect San Antonio’s missions with cultural districts and museums in the next few years.
Linger in La Villita
Along the north banks of the River Walk, a visit to La Villita, “the little village,” you'll see beautifully restored residences that house galleries and shops full of interesting sights.  Originally established by Spanish soldiers stationed at the Alamo, La Villita has been reincarnated as a historic arts village where  you may even catch a performance at La Villita’s outdoor Arneson River Theatre or get to talk directly with the local artisans about their creations.

Enjoy Free Live Music
Located adjacent to the River Walk and San Fernando Cathedral, the nation’s largest cathedral sanctuary, Main Plaza is ready to welcome you with a medley of free weekend concerts—from legendary conjunto performers and troubadours to blues and country musicians. Sit back under the centuries-old live oaks, listen to the many fountains and discover what a weekend in San Antonio is really like. This summer Main Plaza is featuring “Heart and Soul Summer” which will feature live music ranging from jazz to country plus “Flamenco Friday’s” and other creative hapenings all for free! More details.


The San Antonio Summer Art and Jazz Festival, an annual free 3-day event held on the first full weekend of June, features 10 great jazz concerts, an Arts and Crafts Fair and delicious Texas cuisine. It's great fun and entertainment fun for the whole family. 

Watch Glass Blowers and Working Artists
San Antonio’s culture thrives in a variety of arts districts. One burgeoning art scene is Southtown. Here you can stop into Garcia Art Glass and watch celebrated glass blower Gini Garcia and her talented staff create one-of-a-kind keepsakes. Not far away, Market Square (the largest Mexican market in the nation) is a haven for working artists. From painters and musicians to wood-workers and a blacksmith, this sanctuary of culture is a San Antonio must-see. 

Explore the First Historic District in Texas
Just south of downtown, the King William Historic District reflects San Antonio’s German heritage in a gracious residential area settled in the late 1800s. These beautiful Greek Revival, Victorian and Italianate-style mansions have been well maintained and are considered to comprise one of San Antonio’s most elite neighborhoods. Take a self-guided walking tour. Free brochure guides and maps are provided at saconservation.org. 

Savor the Splendor of a Mariachi Mass
Every Saturday at 5:30 p.m., San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest (1731) cathedral sanctuary in the nation, offers a bilingual mariachi mass. This is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the culture of San Antonio while marveling at stunning architecture and religious works of art.
 



                                               Get Outdoors for Some Real Fun

Catching Bugs

Nature Trail

 Of course, the great outdoors themselves are always free and while you stay at Hidden Valley RV near San Antonio, you can fish in our private Medio Creek, explore our nature trails, take advantage of our wildlife and birdwatching opportunities and enjoy the quiet and peaceful atmosphere yet be only a few miles from all of San Antonio's attractions.