Preservation Month
Preservation Month
Preserve the past, shape the future. Join us for exciting events and make history come alive this Preservation Month! We've curated a comprehensive calendar of events from our office and our partners: events include scavenger hunts, tours, festivals, hands-on workshops, and more!
About
In San Antonio, May is Preservation Month, a celebration of the built heritage, cultures, ideas and traditions that make our city unique. Each May we host numerous events to celebrate as well as partner with several local organizations to curate events that honor and showcase the city's cultural heritage and traditions.
Thank you for celebrating with us, San Antonio!
Events
Amazing Preservation Race
The Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) Amazing Preservation Race (APR) challenges San Antonio's finest to compete through feats of strength and knowledge. A clever mix of a scavenger hunt, trivia night and obstacle course, APR features the local culture and history of San Antonio in this entertaining competition.
Teams of 4 must follow clues and complete challenges to fill their passports before racing to the finish. The first team to cross the finish line with their completed passport wins! Top prizes include staycations!
Learn more about race rules and register.
Preservation Academy Interactive Studio: Wood Window Repair
Join Villa Finale and the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation for a hands-on, interactive event dedicated to one of the most essential—and often overlooked—elements of caring for older homes: window repair.
Attendees will be able to meet skilled window artisans for an up-close look at the tools and techniques needed to repair wood windows. There will be several craftspeople showing off a variety of window repair techniques, including glass repair, deglazing and reglazing, wood repair, and much more.
Whether you’re a longtime steward of an older home or interested in repair skills generally, this event offers approachable guidance, expert insight, and real, hands-on experience. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and build confidence in caring for wood windows.
Light refreshments will be served. Come for the full three hours or pop in and out.
This event is free and open to the public! RSVP at link below.
Story Collecting for the African American Heritage Preservation Initiative
Join the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) for information about the African American Heritage Preservation Initiative for Preservation Month! OHP staff will present information on the African American Heritage Preservation Initiative landmark designation component and will be available to collect stories about important places in your community.
Picnic & a Movie (in the Eastside Cemeteries)
Picnic & a Movie – FREE in the Historic Eastside Cemeteries!
To honor the tradition of families lunching in the cemeteries, we’re inviting San Antonio to enjoy a free evening in the beautiful Historic Eastside Cemeteries. Bring your own picnics, blankets, and chairs, and enjoy some cinema magic under the stars.
This may we’ll be screening the 1995 adventure classic Jumanji.
The event will take place in City Cemetery #1, located along Paso Hondo Street between S Monumental and S Palmetto Streets, across from the National Cemetery at 517 Paso Hondo. Look for signage and park along the city streets between the cemeteries.
This event is part of San Antonio’s Preservation Month celebrations and highlights the legacy of the Historic Eastside Cemeteries, where generations of San Antonians are laid to rest.
Hosted by the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), this free event also celebrates our ongoing work with the Cemetery Stewardship Program — a dedicated volunteer initiative to care for and preserve these sacred spaces.
RSVP now (register) and we’ll send you an email with all the details closer to the event!
Contact: 210-207-0035 or email info@sapreservation.org
Cost: FREE
Become a Citizen Historian
Are you curious how genealogists and historians find information about historic places, people, and events in San Antonio? Do you want to learn more about the history of your property or neighborhood? Join OHP's Jessica Anderson for a FREE online Preservation Month workshop that introduces the tools of the trade to help anyone become a citizen historian!
All tools discussed in the workshop are available for free online and with your San Antonio Public Library card.
Cost: FREE
Register for the webinar
UPCOMING EVENTS
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In celebration of the City of San Antonio’s Preservation Month, join us for an exclusive tour of that explores the origins of the San Antonio Museum of Art as the Lone Star Brewery. Led by SAMA’s Director of Operations, Scott Sanders, this tour will reveal the 19th-century brewery’s roots and the architectural ingenuity that shaped our Museum’s modern identity. The tour will conclude on our River Pavilion with a cold beer and the opportunity to continue the conversation. Space is limited—reserve your spot today! This tour will involve extensive walking, both inside on smooth gallery floors, and outside on crushed granite and uneven brick surfaces. Please wear comfortable and suitable footwear. 📍 Where: SAMA, 200 W Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215 |
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A panel discussion with noted architects, historians and preservationists about the past, present and future of historic buildings in Hemisfair Park. After the program enjoy a “picnic in the park” and self-guided tour of some of the historic buildings mentioned during the discussions. A map to Hemisfair’ s historic buildings will be available. Don’t forget to save May 2nd for this rare opportunity to revisit the past, enjoy the present and anticipate the future of Hemisfair. 📍 Where: Instituto de Mexico, 643 E Nueva St |
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Our Historic Tours feature a unique behind the scenes look at the theatre's history, architecture and character with knowledgeable tour guides and a trip backstage. 📍 Where: Majestic Theatre, 224 E Houston St |
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Join OHP for the Amazing Preservation Race, a downtown urban scavenger hunt. 📍 Where: Legacy Park |
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Join us for the first public meeting of the River Walk Strategic Plan. 📍 Where: Central Library, 600 Soledad |
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Come and celebrate San Antonio's Westside history, culture and people with Paseo por El Westside on Saturday, May 24, at the Rinconcito de Esperanza (816 S. Colorado). Also get a preview of the Westside's community participatory museum, el Museo del Westside. 📍 Where: Rinconcito de Esperanza, 816 S Colorado San Antonio, TX 78207 |
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Join us for San Antonio’s LARGEST Asian Festival in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! The one-day performance, entertainment, and food event will celebrate the diverse Asian diaspora represented in San Antonio. 📍 Where: Civic Park at Hemisfair |
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Attendees will be able to meet skilled window artisans for an up-close look at the tools and techniques needed to repair wood windows. 📍 Where: Villa Finale, 401 King William |
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Learn about the African American Heritage Preservation Initiative landmark designation component. Staff will also collect stories about important places in your community. 📍 Where: Denver Heights Community Center, 300 Porter St |
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To honor the tradition of families lunching in the cemeteries, we’re inviting San Antonio to enjoy a free evening in the beautiful Historic Eastside Cemeteries. Bring your own picnics, blankets, and chairs, and enjoy some cinema magic under the stars. We'll be showing Jumanji! This free event also celebrates our ongoing work with the Cemetery Stewardship Program — a dedicated volunteer initiative to care for and preserve these sacred spaces. 📍 Where: City Cemetery #1 |
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Do you want to learn more about the history of your property or neighborhood? Join a free online workshop that introduces the tools of the trade to help anyone become a citizen historian. 📍 Where: Virtual |
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This trivia challenge will test your knowledge on local history, culture, and landmarks. Assemble your team and join us at the Metzger Biergarten at Cool Crest Miniature Golf. 📍 Where: Cool Crest Miniature Golf Course, 1402 Fredericksburg Rd |
PAST EVENTS
No past events.