San Antonio, TX
Briscoe Western Art Museum
Compact Western art museum on the San Antonio River Walk with a stagecoach, saddles, historic firearms and Native American artifacts.
- Museum
- Ages 5+
- ~1h
- Paid
Things to Do Under an Hour from San Antonio with Kids
21 kid-friendly adventures under an hour from San Antonio, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (21)
- 1-2 hours (43)
- 2-3 hours (15)
- 3-4 hours (9)
About these times. Each estimate is a straight-line measurement from downtown San Antonio, padded by 17% for winding roads and divided by a 55 mph average — so “under an hour” means roughly that, not a routed time. Traffic, where in San Antonio you start, and the last few miles of park road can all move it by half an hour. Check a map before you load the car.
about 10 min drive
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Eisenhower Park
Observation tower and six miles of trails with playground. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Hiking
- Ages 3+
- ~2h
- Free
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Friedrich Wilderness Park
Free 600-acre Hill Country hiking on the edge of San Antonio. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Hiking
- Ages 4+
- ~2h
- Free
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Government Canyon State Natural Area
40 miles of trails with dinosaur tracks in the limestone. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip. Moderate effort.
- Hiking
- Ages 5+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Natural Bridge Caverns
Largest Texas cavern with ropes course and outdoor maze above ground. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.
- Nature
- Ages 4+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Phil Hardberger Park
Land bridge and world-class nature playscape in San Antonio. Free. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Hiking
- Ages 2+
- ~2h
- Free
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
SEA LIFE San Antonio Aquarium
Small River Walk aquarium in San Antonio with a walk-through ray and shark tunnel plus supervised touch pools, about an hour end to end.
- Aquarium
- Ages 1+
- ~1h
- Paid
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio Museum of Art
Art museum in a castle-like former brewery on San Antonio's Museum Reach, holding mummies, Roman glass and Latin American folk art.
- Museum
- Ages 4+
- ~2h
- Paid
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
The DoSeum
San Antonio children's museum with a multi-story climber, a robot lab, a mock vet clinic and a toddler-scale town with its own market.
- Indoor Play
- Ages 1+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 10 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Witte Museum
San Antonio natural history museum with a dinosaur gallery and dig pit, Texas wildlife dioramas and a four-story body adventure.
- Museum
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 35 min drive
Boerne, TX
Enchanted Springs Ranch
Old West ranch with pony rides and rescued exotic animals. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Nature
- Ages 2+
- ~2h
- Paid
about 40 min drive
New Braunfels, TX
Comal River Tubing
Gentle spring-fed tubing on the 2.5-mile Comal River in New Braunfels TX - tube rentals with shuttle service run about $15-25 per person
- Tubing
- Ages 4+
- ~2h
- Paid
about 40 min drive
Spring Branch, TX
Guadalupe River State Park
Cypress-lined Guadalupe River swimming with guided paddles and hikes. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 40 min drive
Spring Branch, TX
Guadalupe River State Park Camping
Four miles of cypress-lined Guadalupe River frontage with drive-up and walk-in campsites, forty-five minutes north of San Antonio
- Camping
- Ages 2+
- Overnight
- Paid
about 45 min drive
Canyon Lake, TX
Canyon Lake Gorge
Guided tours through a limestone gorge with dinosaur tracks and fossils. Paid entry. Better for ages 6 and up. A half-day trip.
- Hiking
- Ages 6+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 1 hr drive
Comfort, TX
Guadalupe River at Horseshoe Falls
Natural horseshoe waterfall on the Guadalupe River near Comfort. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Dogs welcome.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~2h
- Free
about 1 hr drive
Wimberley, TX
Blue Hole Regional Park
Spring-fed swimming hole with a famous rope swing under bald cypress trees in Wimberley TX - summer swimming requires advance reservations
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 1 hr drive
Wimberley, TX
Jacob's Well Natural Area
Crystal-clear artesian spring near Wimberley TX with three miles of free trails. Swimming is cancelled; the well overlook stays open.
- Hiking
- Ages 6+
- ~2h
- Free
about 1 hr drive
San Marcos, TX
Rio Vista Park
Crystal-clear spring-fed river with natural falls for floating and swimming. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours.
- Swimming
- Ages 4+
- ~2h
- Free
about 1 hr drive
Blanco, TX
Blanco State Park
Small-town river swimming and tubing perfect for young children. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.
- Swimming
- Ages 2+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 1 hr drive
Blanco, TX
Blanco State Park Camping
Compact CCC-era campground under pecan trees on the Blanco River, one of the gentlest first camping trips in the Hill Country
- Camping
- Ages 1+
- Overnight
- Paid