San Antonio was established in 1718, and 13 years later, it became the first chartered civil settlement in present-day Texas.

A lot has changed over that three centuries of history. Businesses and landmarks have come and gone, new neighborhoods spring up and development continues to alter the character of our city.

Even so, part of San Antonio’s charm is that many of its oldest features remain. Here’s to their staying power!

Oldest Downtown Tourist Attraction: The Alamo 300 Alamo Plaza San Antonio has no shortage of downtown attractions that lure tourists, but the Alamo’s 1718 vintage makes it the oldest. A small band of Texian soldiers held out in the mission before they were wiped out by the Mexican army in one of the defining fights in Texas’ struggle for independence. Credit: Shutterstock / EndeavorMoorePhotography
Oldest Fiesta Event: Battle of the Flowers This parade isn’t just the largest parade in San Antonio’s citywide party — it’s the first Fiesta event. The first Battle of Flowers took place in 1891 when a group of citizens used horse-drawn carriages, floats and bicycles to honor the fallen at the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Credit: Jaime Monzon
Oldest Continuously Functioning Church: San Fernando Cathedral 115 Main Plaza Facing downtown’s Main Plaza, this structure built between 1738 and 1750 was considered the city’s geographical and cultural center. In addition to being the oldest continuously functioning place of worship in San Antonio, it’s also one of the nation’s oldest cathedrals. Credit: Shutterstock / Kit Leong
Oldest Park: San Pedro Springs Park 2200 N. Flores St. Located near San Antonio College, San Pedro Springs Park isn’t just the oldest designated park in the city’s history — it’s the second oldest park in the nation. The land on which the park resides was reserved for public use by the Spanish Government in the 18th century. The park’s best-known amenity is its picturesque swimming pool, which was built in 1922. Credit: Shutterstock / LindaPerez
Oldest School: Central Catholic High School 1413 N. St. Mary’s St. This downtown campus was established in 1852 by the Brothers of the Society of Mary, making it the city’s oldest operating school. It’s still considered one of the city’s premiere private schools, and many of its graduates have held prominent positions in local government and industry. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Darrylpearson
Schilo’s Delicatessen, 1917 424 E. Commerce St., (210) 223-6692, schilos.com Founded in 1917, this South Alamo Street saloon wasn’t phased when prohibition hit San Antonio. The deli quickly replaced its booze kegs for ones filled with the family’s smooth, creamy root beer. Authentic German fare and ambiance have kept this place famous for over 105 years. Credit: Photo via Instagram / kimdparker73
Oldest Theater: The Majestic Theatre 224 E. Houston St. This regal concert venue started life in 1929 as a movie house designed by architect John Eberson for the Interstate Theatres chain. It was the first theater in Texas to be completely air-conditioned, and for much of its history, it was the largest in the state. Credit: Shutterstock / Ayman Haykal
Oldest Library: San Pedro Park Branch Library 1315 San Pedro Ave. As the name suggests, this historic library is located in San Pedro Springs Park. Opened in 1930, it’s the first branch library built in San Antonio and the only one built in a public park. The library was renovated in 2007, restoring it to near its original condition. Credit: Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Public Library
Oldest Museum: The Witte Museum 3801 Broadway Completed in 1926, this Broadway corridor landmark wasn’t just considered the Alamo City’s first major museum, it was the first such institution in Texas. The museum underwent a $100 million renovation and expansion from 2007 to 2017, further cementing its reputation. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Witte Museum
Oldest River Walk Restaurant: Casa Rio 430 E. Commerce St. Alfred F. Beyer established this River Walk restaurant in 1946, making it the oldest business on the heavily trafficked downtown destination. The eatery actually opened before the River Walk became a family friendly tourist lure, which didn’t happen until after HemisFair in 1968. Credit: Sanford Nowlin
Oldest Golf Course: Brackenridge Park Golf Course 2315 Avenue B Designed by A.W. Tillinghast, Brackenridge Park Golf Course opened in 1916, and it’s seen its fair share of golf legends, including Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. The first Texas Open was held at the course in 1922. In 2008, the course underwent a major renovation that included restoring it to be as close to its original design as possible. Credit: Shutterstock / Regan Bender
Oldest Bridge: Commerce Street Bridge Intersection of Commerce and Losoya Streets The first bridge over the San Antonio river on what would eventually become Commerce Street consisted of six wooden beams in 1736, according to Texas Highways magazine. The current — and widely traversed — version of the bridge was erected in 1914. Credit: Sanford Nowlin
Oldest Downtown Structure: Spanish Governor’s Palace 105 Plaza de Armas This downtown structure built in 1749 is the last standing element from the Presidio San Antonio de Bexar, and the only remaining example in the Lone Star State of an aristocratic 18th-century dwelling. Credit: Shutterstock / Barna Tanko
Oldest University: St. Mary’s University 1 Camino Santa Maria Established in 1852, this private Marianist university isn’t just the oldest university in San Antonio but the oldest Catholic university in Texas and the American Southwest. It still has an enrollment of around 4,000 and operates the St. Mary’s School of Law, among other degree programs. Credit: Shutterstock / Mikaela Hurtado
Oldest Existing Irrigation System: Espada Acequia 9045 Espada Road Built between 1740 and 1745, this aqueduct north of Mission Espada is the oldest Spanish aqueduct in the United States and certainly the oldest existing water system in the San Antonio area. Water still flows through the structure on its way to Mission Espada. Credit: Shutterstock / Natalia Silyanov
The Menger Hotel The Gunter isn’t the only downtown hotel with ghostly occupants — there are sightings aplenty at the Menger, too. People say they see the spirit of Sallie White, a chambermaid who was shot by her husband in the 1870s because he thought she was being unfaithful. She’s been sighted wearing a uniform and apron, holding fresh towels in her hands. There’s also the ghost of Capt. Richard King, founder of the famous King Ranch. He died at the Menger and has been seen wearing a bolo tie and black hat in the aptly named King Suite. Apparently, the elevator next to the suite regularly stops there even without being punched. Credit: Shutterstock / 4kclips
Oldest Bar: The Menger Bar 204 Alamo Plaza Stands to reason that the city’s most venerable hotel would also contain its oldest bar, which was built inside the property in 1871. Theodore Roosevelt gathered his legendary Rough Riders in the bar at the tail end of the 19th Century, and the establishment’s Victorian features were modeled after London’s House of Lords Pub. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Nicolas Henderson
Oldest Neighborhood: La Villita 418 Villita St. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this downtown enclave of galleries, restaurants and shops is considered San Antonio’s oldest neighborhood. Its history as a gathering place dates back to when it was a Native American settlement, but many of its current structures were built in the mid-1800s when immigrant craftspeople set up shops and homes there. Credit: Shutterstock / Dani_King
Oldest Store: Penner’s 331 W. Commerce St. Although this iconic men’s clothing store is known for puro San Anto fashions such as Stacy Adams shoes, it started life in 1916 as a second-hand shop. Founder Morris Penner’s family still runs the downtown business. Credit: Shutterstock / JustPixs
Oldest Military Installation: Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is not only the oldest Joint Base San Antonio installation — it’s also among the oldest of the U.S. Army, with its origins dating back to 1876. The base is now home to the Brooke Army Medical Center and San Antonio Military Medical Center. Credit: Shutterstock / Aspects and Angles
Oldest Commercial Building: Albert Maverick Building 515 E. Houston St. This limestone building was completed in 1881 and named for the father of one-time San Antonio mayor and congressman Maury Maverick Sr. Over the years, its tenants have included Alanzo Calloway’s photography studio, the Lewis M. Gregory & Co. toy store and the evocatively named Chicago Painless Dentist, according to the San Antonio Business Journal. Credit: Photo via Google Maps
Oldest Bank: Frost Bank Opened in 1868, Frost National Bank is considered the city’s longest-operating banking institution. These days, Frost operates from the distinctive Frost Tower, the 23-story skyscraper that was the first new office tower in downtown SA since 1989. Credit: Shutterstock / 4kclips
Oldest Broadcast Television Station: WOAI-TV San Antonio’s first television station began broadcasting on December 11, 1949. The NBC affiliate is one of the few stations located west of the Mississippi River that use a call sign beginning with “W.” Credit: UTSA Libraries Digital Collections / Zintgraff Studio Photograph Collection
Oldest High-rise Building: Hotel Gibbs at the Riverwalk 105 N. Alamo St. Built in 1909 by Col. C.C. Gibbs, the Gibbs Building became the city’s first high-rise office building, boasting eight — count ‘em eight — stories. While its days as an office tower are now gone, it lives on as a hotel serving the city’s tourism industry. Credit: Photo via Google Maps
Oldest Business: CH Guenther & Son 2201 Broadway German immigrant Carl Hilmer Guenther established this food company in 1851, creating the oldest business still in operation in the Alamo City. Originally, Guenther operated flour mills, but the business that still bears his name has since expanded into pre-packaged mixes, frozen foods and other products. Credit: Photo via Google Maps