You don’t have to go to a museum to get your fill of art in San Antonio. The city is rich in public art.

If you’re looking to show visiting friends and family what the Alamo City has to offer, or just need a good excuse to get out of the house for a breath of fresh air, these local murals and public artworks are all worth a visit.

Take a public art tour While San Antonio is known for its colorful murals, that’s not the extent of its public art. From towering sculptures to public art gardens to installations at public parks, these destinations are a great way to take in culture while exploring the city — and they’re all free. Let our roundup of where to find San Antonio’s coolest murals and outdoor art guide your way. Credit: Photo via Instagram / acdc_bc
Neon Drive 401-405 Nolan St. Artist: Iker Muro A mural spanning 300 feet on the Nolan Street underpass, the art has an abstract focus on reflected light in a variety of colors. Created by Canary Islands-based artist Iker Muro, the mural complements another mural project on a different section of the underpass, by artist Alex Rubio. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
La Antorcha de la Amistad (The Torch of Friendship) 351 Losoya St. Artist: Sebastian Certainly the most iconic piece of art San Antonio has to offer, La Antorcha de la Amistad (The Torch of Friendship) was commissioned as a gift, a token of goodwill between the Mexican government and the City of San Antonio. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Secrets of the Wild Woman 6th Street and Avenue B Artist: Angela Fox Based on a previous painting commemorating the passing of her beloved cat (title: Kevin in Heaven), Angela Fox’s Secrets of the Wild Woman conjures a surrealist dream sequence starring a female figure, a flying orange feline, a scorpion and snakes. Credit: Photo by Bryan Rindfuss
Nessie Tom Slick Park, 7400 TX-151 Artist: Elizabeth Carrington You don’t have to go all the way to Scotland to glimpse the Loch Ness Monster, because Nessie is also in residence at Tom Slick Park. Artist Elizabeth Carrington took inspiration from the park’s namesake for the sculpture — Tom Slick was known for his passion for cryptozoology. Credit: Courtesy Photo / City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
F.I.S.H 200 West Jones Ave. Artist: Donald Lipski These models of long-eared sunfish hang under an overpass on the River Walk’s Museum Reach near the San Antonio Museum of Art. Credit: Photo via Instagram / jenhamiltontx
And yet, we bloom Corner of E. Houston and Navarro streets Artist: Kat Cadena This work by artist Kat Cadena was voted Best Mural in the Current’s 2020 Best of San Antonio Issue. Credit: Photo via Instagram / kat.cadena
Árbol de la Vida: Memorias y Voces de la Tierra (Tree of Life: Memories and Voices of the Land) 10040 Espada Road Artist: Margarita Cabrera For this piece located near Mission San Francisco de la Espada, Margarita Cabrera collaborated with community members to create 700 clay sculptures that adorn a steel tree-like structure. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Alas de México (Wings of Mexico) Tower of the Americas, 739 E. César E. Chávez Blvd. Artist: Jorge Marín While we’re not sure how effectively Jorge Marín’s sculpture will inspire visitors to “pause and reflect on the relationship between San Antonio and Mexico,” we’ve seen its selfie strengths successfully at play, with tourists patiently waiting to climb atop its pedestal and pose as a gold-winged angel beneath the Tower of the Americas. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
La Veladora of Our Lady of Guadalupe 1315 Guadalupe St. Artist: Jesse Treviño This spectacular mural features a 3D votive candle (veladora) with an eternal flame facing Guadalupe Street. Intended to serve as a beacon for the neighborhood, this mixed media mural is truly magnificent. It was created by revered San Antonio artist Jesse Treviño, who died in 2023 following a battle with cancer. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
River Walk Public Art Garden 849 E. Commerce St. Artists: Various Artists This open-air art garden located on the San Antonio River Walk at the intersection where Market and Alamo Streets meet features permanent and rotating sculptures and art pieces by local and international artists. For those that need help finding the entrance, look no further than the colorful “Welcome to the River Walk Public Art Garden” sign by San Antonio artist Gary Sweeney. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture
Chris Park 111 Camp St. Artist: Teresita Fernández Located near Ruby City, Chris Park features “visual experiences” conceived by artist Teresita Fernández. Credit: Photo via Instagram / rubycity
Touch Herweck’s Art Supply, 300 Broadway Artist: Suzy González You can draw inspiration from Suzy González’s vibrant mural Touch then get supplies at Herweck’s to make art of your own. Credit: Photo via Instagram / soozgonzalez
Innature and Lightbox Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 N.W. Military Highway and 13203 Blanco Road Artists: Ashley Mireles (Innature) and Cade Bradshaw (Lightbox) Located on the Land Bridge crossing over Wurzbach Parkway in Phil Hardberger Park, Ashley Mireles’ Innature and Cade Bradshaw’s Lightbox serve as wildlife viewing blinds for park visitors to take a break from their hikes and experience a glimpse of Texas plants and wildlife. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Dream Song Tower I-35 Access Road at S. Zarzamora St. Artist: Cruz Ortiz Cruz Ortiz’s dramatic sculpture recalls a strange hybrid of a radio tower, a rocket ship and a tepee tricked out with his graphic signatures and visual nods to Selena (the words “Siempre Dreaming of You”) and the urban legends of the Donkey Lady and the chicken-footed Dancing Devil. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Canopy Fulton Railroad Underpass, 729 Fulton Ave. Artist: Joey Fauerso Playfully rendered in a palette of cool blues and greens, San Antonio artist and educator Joey Fauerso’s Canopy mural brings a sense of serenity to a railroad underpass in Alta Vista. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Grotto 1277 Camden St. Artist: Carlos Cortés Located at a bend in the San Antonio River between the Camden and Newell Street Bridges, this three-story sculpture made by Carlos Cortés is one of the most popular public art projects on the River Walk’s Museum Reach. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
PLAY Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St. Artists: Various Artists The PLAY series at Hemisfair’s Yanaguana Garden adds an artistic touch to the popular playground. Of particular note are Alex Rubio’s YANAGUANA, Stuart Allen’s Reflect, Oscar Alvarado’s Yanaguana Triad, Jennifer Khoshbin’s Sideshow and Karen Mahaffy’s PLAYhouse. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Open Hand, Open Mind, Open Heart 1101 Iowa St. Artist: Douglas Kornfeld Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of nonviolence, this 32-foot tall sculpture in Sullivan Park faces San Antonio’s downtown skyline. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
The Last Parade Kress Building, 311-315 E. Houston St. Artist: Rudy Herrera Rudy Herrerra’s massive mural The Last Parade adorns one side of the Kress Building downtown. Credit: Photo via Instagram / rmhworks
Golden Age Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 N.W. Military Highway Artist: Anne Wallace Anne Wallace’s Golden Age springs out of the ground at Phil Hardberger Park. The piece is made up of six wheels made from parts of side roll irrigators, which are used to manage and restore grasslands, with sparkling gold sequins that are meant to evoke the look of a prairie wildfire. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
La Puerta de Igualdad (Doors of Equality) 700 San Pedro Ave. Artist: Sebastian Mexican artist Sebastian’s La Puerta de Igualdad, a 33-foot-tall gateway installed at the San Pedro roundabout a block north of the San Antonio Central Library, emblematizes the ongoing struggle for justice via a pair of tightly wound cobalt blue pillars. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Miraflores Sculpture Garden 1234-1366 E. Hildebrand Ave., San Antonio This decaying wonder near Brackenridge Park is hidden behind a fence but still visible from Hildebrand, guarded by a beautiful gate titled “Monumento a la Ciudad de México.” Created by local physician and art collector Aureliano Urrutia, the green space is full of sculpture, tiled benches and fountains, all falling into graceful disrepair. The garden is now owned by the City of San Antonio and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as designated as a State Archaeological Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. Credit: Photo by Michael Karlis
Illuminados Hays Street Bridge, 803 N. Cherry St. Artist: Los Dos This mural by married El Paso duo “Los Dos,” Ramon and Christian Cardenas, is tucked beneath the Hays Street Bridge. Credit: Photo via Instagram / seeninsananto
Aguas Onduladas (Rippling Waters) Elmendorf Lake Park, 3702 W. Commerce St. Artist: RDG Dahlquist Art Studio Designed by Iowa-based RDG Dahlquist Art Studio in response to the “natural beauty” of nearby Elmendorf Lake, the project takes shape in three ripping waves cut from stainless steel. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Najo Jām (Our Home) Comanche Lookout Park, 15551 Nacogdoches Road Artists: Carlos Cortés and Doroteo Garza The peak at Comanche Lookout Park has always been known for its stunning views, and was made even more beautiful with the installation Najo Jām in early 2021. Its title means “Our Home” in the Coahuiltecan language Pajalate. Credit: Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
Spineway 1401 Cincinnati Ave. Artist: Marc Fornes French-born, New York-based artist Marc Fornes created Spineway as his first outdoor public art installation in the United States. The illuminated sculpture is 20 feet tall and roughly 70 feet wide. Credit: Photo via Google Maps
Spirit of the Phoenix Fire Station 18, 1318 S. W.W. White Road Artist: Cathy Cunningham-Little Ever-inventive local artist Cathy Cunningham-Little’s Spirit of the Phoenix is optimized for nighttime viewing in a fairly unusual spot. Credit: Photo by Bryan Rindfuss
Windows to Our Heritage Hwy. 90 Underpasses at S. Presa St., Roosevelt Ave., Mission Road and Steves Ave. Artists: David Blancas and Oscar Alvarado Painter David Blancas and sculptor Oscar Alvarado’s Windows to Our Heritage successfully breathes life and color into otherwise nondescript underpasses, and also wins with its thoughtful mixture of icons and locales both the essential and unexpected — from Mission Espada and Hot Wells Hotel to Sunshine Amusement Park and the Ghost Tracks. Credit: Photo by Bryan Rindfuss
7 Rabbits Freight Gallery, 1913 S. Flores St. Artist: Ernesto Ibañez Ernesto Ibañez adorned the side of Freight Gallery with a mural depicting seven rabbits in his iconic art style. Credit: Photo via Instagram / ernestoibanezz
Midtown on Blanco: The traffic circle with the sculpture in the middle that drunks keep plowing into. How can anyone not notice a giant metal pylon surrounded by concrete in their path? Credit: Photo via Google Maps
Whispers West River Bank, North of Mission Road Artist: Arne Quinze Whispers was imagined as a portal between Mission San Juan and the River, placed along the walking path and created with colors that reference local wildflowers. Credit: Instagram / nothingbutroomblog
Life Cycle of the Gulf Coast Toad 987 E. Mulberry Ave. Artist: Diana Kersey Inlaid in the guard rails of this bridge on Mulberry Road at Brackenridge Park are 24 ceramic panels depicting the life cycle of the gulf coast toad, a Texas native species commonly seen in the park. Artist Diana Kersey also made the ceramic artwork adorning the Millrace Bridge in Brackenridge. Credit: Photo via Google Maps