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Historic arts district featuring preserved nineteenth-century buildings, artisan shops, galleries, courtyards, cultural events, and scenic access to the River Walk.
General Information
Sunday: 11am to 4pm
Some individual shops and restaurants may have varying hours
How to Get There
From San Antonio (0.5 mi): Head toward downtown and the River Walk, continue along South Alamo Street, and follow signs to La Villita at 418 Villita Street.
Overview
La Villita Historic Arts Village is a one-block pocket of galleries, shops, and restaurants on the south bank of the San Antonio River, an easy walk from the Alamo, the River Walk, and most downtown hotels. It began as one of San Antonio's first neighborhoods — a Native American settlement, then a cluster of brush huts (jacales) for soldiers stationed at the nearby Alamo mission, later rebuilt in adobe after an 1819 flood, and eventually home to German, French, and Italian immigrant tradespeople whose mixed architectural styles still line its streets.
By the early 1900s the neighborhood had slid into a slum, but a Depression-era preservation effort led by Mayor Maury Maverick in 1939 restored it into the arts community it is today, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Things to Do
Browse the Galleries and Shops
Local and regional artists sell oil paintings, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, and folk art out of the historic buildings — a good stop for souvenirs and gifts beyond the usual downtown fare.
Catch a Show at the Arneson River Theatre
This outdoor venue built into the riverbank connects La Villita to the River Walk, with the stage on one side of the water and the seating on the other.
Time Your Visit for A Night in Old San Antonio
Held for four nights each April during Fiesta San Antonio, this festival fills La Villita's streets with themed food booths, papel picado decorations, and roughly 85,000 costumed celebrants — a major fundraiser for the San Antonio Conservation Society.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "La Villita", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
