Having a blast this summer doesn't have to cost you a lot. San Antonio is one of the nation's top cities for an affordable vacation (source Livability.com, 2012). Here are some free or inexpensive ways to explore the city! Note: please check websites to reconfirm pricing and hours.

Museums

San Antonio has many distinct museums that you won't find anywhere else—and you can visit them (at the right times) free of charge.

McNay Art Museum

Free Thursday nights and the first Sunday of the month
The McNay Art Museum is set in a 1920s mansion and has wide-ranging collections, including post-impressionist and modern pieces, medieval offerings and rotating shows.

San Antonio Children's Museum

Up to four children free accompanied by paying adult, third Thursday of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The San Antonio Children's Museum gives youngsters fun ways to explore the world around them. Kids operate elevators with a pulley, create bubbles they can stand in, land a plane, stage a play, mine for diamonds, open a bank account, milk a cow, create an artistic masterpiece and much more.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Free Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in a castle-like building that was formerly the Lone Star Brewery. This museum is noted for its antiquities collections and the Latin American Art.

Witte Museum

Free Tuesdays 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Located on the banks of the San Antonio River, the Witte Museum offers permanent exhibits that include dinosaur skeletons, cave drawings and wildlife dioramas. New this year is the South Texas Heritage Center.

Area Parks

The city has many parks that are free and fun for the entire family. Here are a few favorites!

Brackenridge Park

One of the city's most beloved parks is Brackenridge Park which features alcoves perfect for picnics, a playground, trails for quiet walks and a dog park.

Japanese Tea Garden

A botanical retreat that offers stone walking paths woven through ambient gardens and ponds brimming with Koi—all at no cost!

HemisFair Park

HemisFair Park is a lush, greenscape in the middle of bustling downtown. It's also home to the Tower of the Americas.

San Pedro Park

San Antonio's oldest park and the second oldest park in the United States behind Boston Common, San Pedro Park provides a beautiful and historic setting where you can take a swim in a lake shaded by cypress trees.

The Missions & Alamo

San Antonio began as a community of five Spanish colonial missions built along the spring-fed San Antonio River. Today, all five missions are open to the public and free to explore, including the world-famous Alamo. For easy access from mission to mission, San Antonio's 12-mile Mission Trail is perfect and welcomes hiking and biking. If you don't want to bring your bike on your trip, you can rent one using the affordable B-Cycle program.

The River Walk

The River Walk is all about fun with restaurants, bars, theaters, shops and historic sites. Now there is even more River Walk to enjoy with the Museum and Mission Reaches.

The Museum Reach is full of arts and culture experiences and connects the main part of the River Walk to the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Pearl Brewery entertainment complex, which features a farmer's market on Saturdays. And don't miss the lock and dam system and a bat colony that lives under the I-35 bridge.

The Mission Reach is more of an outdoor adventure, great for hiking and biking, as it is an ecosystem restoration project and links to four of the San Antonio missions.

La Villita and Market Square

Market Square is the largest Mexican market in the nation and always has a festive environment. With great restaurants, working artists, live music, performances and shopping galore, you will want to spend a while walking around and taking in the sites.

Originally established by Spanish soldiers stationed at the Alamo, La Villita has been reincarnated as a historic arts village where beautifully restored residences house galleries and shops.

King William Historic District

Just south of downtown, the King William Historic District — the first historic district in Texas — reflects San Antonio's European heritage in a gracious residential area settled in the late 1800s by German immigrants. Free brochure guides and maps are provided at saconservation.org.