SAN ANTONIO (January 6, 2020) – A new year means more to discover in beautiful San Antonio. The travel experts at AFAR have placed San Antonio among its esteemed “Where to Go in 2020” list. The notable travel outlet highlights the destination as a top pick for spring thanks to the season’s bountiful wildflowers and colorful Fiesta celebration in April. Additionally, travelers can enjoy a blossoming arts and culture scene, exciting restaurant openings, abundant family fun, and new hotels and attractions slated to open throughout the year. San Antonio is prime for a visit any time in 2020.

Arts & Culture

Home to an eclectic community of artists, renowned museums and diverse public art, San Antonio continues its rise onto the international arts stage.

  • Throughout the city, visitors can explore the monumental work of legendary Mexican sculptor Sebastián whose citywide retrospective “Sebastián in San Antonio: 50+ Years / 20+ sites / 100+ works” is on display through May.
  • Following a groundbreaking exhibition of 1990’s-era style entitled “Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday” debuting in early 2020, the McNay Art Museum will complete a $6.25 million landscape renovation this summer bringing drought-resistant trees, scenic walkways and plentiful seating to the museum grounds.
  • New contemporary art center Ruby City, will feature new acquisitions by the Linda Pace Foundation from acclaimed artists from San Antonio and around the world.
  • The San Antonio Museum of Art’s 2020 exhibition lineup will reveal new insights about art in Texas with a collection of abstract art by Texan women debuting in February and a showcase of work by celebrated Texas painter Everett Spruce beginning in October.

Culinary

In the year ahead, San Antonio chefs will bring fresh culinary concepts to fruition and expand to new neighborhoods throughout the city.

  • Popular Pearl restaurant and brewery Southerleigh will open a second location featuring its beloved family-style Gulf seafood with Southern flare as well as an expanded brewery operation at Brooks, a mixed-use community in southeast San Antonio.
  • Southerleigh Restaurant Group will also debut a new concept in north San Antonio at The Rim Shopping Center. Southerleigh Bird & Biscuit will feature Southern fried chicken, biscuits, an oyster bar and its locally brewed beers.
  • Celebrated San Antonio chef Johnny Hernandez will open Mexican barbecue concept El Machito this summer. With a focus on live fire cooking, the restaurant located in the Brooks neighborhood will offer grilled cabrito, seafood, pork ribs, quail and chicken prepared using traditional techniques from Mexico.
  • From chefs Jennifer Dobbertin and Quealy Watson of Tenko Ramen at Pearl, Best Quality Daughter will be an all-new Asian-American concept in the Alamo City. Opening Summer 2020, the menu is set to feature items like breakfast taco steam buns, oolong tea-smoked prime rib and shumai made with smoked brisket fat.

Family Fun

San Antonio’s newest family-friendly attractions promise fun for all ages and abilities in 2020.

  • Opening in February, SEA LIFE Aquarium at The Shops at Rivercenter will be home to more than 5,000 marine and freshwater creatures and will feature a show-stopping underwater tunnel.
  • The team behind Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible™ theme park, will open two new attractions in 2020. Morgan’s Wonderland Sports will be a 3-acre, ultra-accessible™ sports complex providing a home for adaptive and Paralympic-style sports programs. Morgan’s Wonderland Camp, a $28 million recreation getaway in north San Antonio, will offer a year-round summer camp experience for those with and without special needs including a multi-platform zipline, horse stable, multiple swimming pools, an archery range and hiking trails.
  • SeaWorld San Antonio will debut the new Texas Stingray wooden roller coaster this spring. The coaster will be the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in Texas with speeds up to 55 miles an hour and 15 airtime hills.

Hotels

With accommodation offerings for a variety of styles and budgets, plus major renovations and new properties scheduled to open in 2020, San Antonio has just the place for a 2020 getaway.  

  • The Marriott Rivercenter will complete a multi-million-dollar remodel in Feb. 2020 with design elements such as white limestone and glass work from local artists reflecting San Antonio’s culture and style.
  • Canopy by Hilton will open downtown in 2020 incorporating the Civil War-era Alamo Fish Market building into its design. The boutique-style, 195-room Canopy will offer 3,000 square-feet of meeting space and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace overlooking the River Walk.
  • The 20-story Thompson San Antonio Hotel and Arts Residences will bring luxurious accommodations to San Antonio’s evolving River Walk in 2020. The 162-room Thompson, located near the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, will feature a stylish restaurant, 5,000 square-foot pool deck and an in-house spa.

For more on what’s new in San Antonio, visit media.visitsanantonio.com.

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About Visit San Antonio

Visit San Antonio is a 501(c)6, and serves as the sales and marketing arm of San Antonio, a leading leisure and meetings destination. San Antonio welcomes 39 million visitors annually. Hospitality is one of the top five industries in the city, contributing $15.2 billion into the local economy and employing more than 140,000. More information about Visit San Antonio can be found at VisitSanAntonio.com