Mission Espada
Mission Espada
4.5
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A Franciscan Mission seen along the Mission Trail.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
484 reviews
Excellent
291
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156
Average
33
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Picture_Perch
Windsor, Canada1,594 contributions
Sep 2022
This was my favourite out the missions we visited. It was just so peaceful and pretty. Wish the church would have been open so we could have went inside. Lots of green plants and flowers made this place even more special. Plus we happen to see a few lizards here which was a treat for us. The lady in the museum part was super chatty and told us little stories about the area. Bathroom on site and plenty of opportunities for pictures
Written October 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lithlith
Michigan924 contributions
Feb 2023
Mission Espada is part of the historic missions of San Antonio. It's worth a visit if in the area. The church is quite small and when we were visiting there was a baptism happening, so it wasn't really tourist friendly inside the church. The fort area around the outside is showing it's wear and tear, but if visiting the missions in San Antonio, you might as well stop and check this one off your list. There was plenty of parking. We also saw many people at this sight getting ready to bike or finish biking from the mission trails.
Written March 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly B
Iowa5,608 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
We spent about an hour exploring this mission.
Although it’s not as grand as San Jose, the rural location made it a very peaceful and uncrowded visit. We started out walking around the grounds, which have several ruins. There’s a paved sidewalk going all around the main part of the mission, so we just followed that.
Unfortunately, we were too early for the church to actually be open, so we couldn’t see inside. The outside is gorgeous though. There’s also a bunch of flowers all around. I took many pictures, just because it was so pretty.
I walked a short ways along the bike path from the mission towards the river. There’s an extremely impressive art installation along the way.
Although it’s not as grand as San Jose, the rural location made it a very peaceful and uncrowded visit. We started out walking around the grounds, which have several ruins. There’s a paved sidewalk going all around the main part of the mission, so we just followed that.
Unfortunately, we were too early for the church to actually be open, so we couldn’t see inside. The outside is gorgeous though. There’s also a bunch of flowers all around. I took many pictures, just because it was so pretty.
I walked a short ways along the bike path from the mission towards the river. There’s an extremely impressive art installation along the way.
Written June 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,478 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Located at 10040 Espada Road in San Antonio, Texas, the Mission Espada was the first Spanish mission built in Texas. Founded in 1690 near present day Weches, between modern day Augusta and Mission Tejas State Park, south or present day Alto, it was moved in 1730 to San Antonio, rebuilt from 1745 to 1756 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is the only San Antonio mission where bricks and tiles were made and where the Catholic faith and Spanish language became the foundation of the new culture. Over a 50-year period, the Franciscan friars taught the principles of farming, ranching, architecture, blacksmithing, loom weaving, spinning and masonry. Its most unique feature is the Espada Aqueduct that is the nation's oldest in continuous service. It still uses the water of the San Antonio River to irrigate local crops. Historically, the mission is known for the unique doorway to its church and the light that shines through St. Francis of Assisi inside the church every year on October 4. Visitors can walk the mission grounds, visit the church and the park museum.
Written April 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tinaNtravel
San Jose, CA2,121 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
When we were visiting, a festival with booths, music and food was at the Mission. The main thing to see is the church which is quite pretty. When we were there, the altar was decorated with a lot of flowers and there are statues to the side and on top of the altar. The wooden ceiling is particularly pretty. The outside architecture, with the three windows for bells, reminds me of some of the Missions in California. The outside walkway, next to the church is quite beautiful as is the garden at the end of the walkway. Ther is also a small enclosure with three bells on top and a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe inside.
Written November 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
volcanogirl
Houston, TX16,386 contributions
Apr 2022
This was the first mission that we visited since we started from the South and worked our way back towards downtown. It's one of the smaller missions, but we thought it was the prettiest of the bunch. The architecture is beautiful with the bells adorning the top of the chapel, very charming. It also seemed the most lush and green and was decorated with pretty gardens and lots of flowers in bloom. If you go, don't miss the nearby aqueduct that was built in the 1700s to bring water to the mission. It's the oldest Spanish aqueduct in the United States. If you only have time to visit a couple of missions, I would put this one on your list.
Written April 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
afnviking36
Schertz, TX29 contributions
May 2021
We rode bikes down the Riverwalk trail to this Mission and it was a beautiful ride! There are some interesting art installations along the ride! The Mission has a grounds area to explore as well as the church. We went on Mother's Day and observed a Priest giving a Mother's Day Service outside with a large attendance so we didn't go into the church. We'll be back, it's worth the ride!
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tatts15
Centennial, CO371 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
We started our Mission Trail experience with this mission, at the southern end of the trail. What a special place! The Park Service has done an amazing job here. The visitor center is small, but well organized and very informative. The site itself is so beautiful and peaceful. A volunteer works the desk. She was a gold mine if information. Highly recommend a visit to this lovely, historic mission!
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tastefullycoco - The Simple Treasures
Warrington, PA522 contributions
Jun 2021
The smallest and farthest south of the San Antonio missions. It is very quaint, but just as worthwhile as the bigger missions on the trail. Very enjoyable and important to see and gain a greater understanding of early Texas life and the civilizations and missionaries who lived here.
Written June 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rduinc
Annapolis, MD2,134 contributions
Sep 2017 • Couples
This was a small mission with some areas needing repair but still very interesting to see. In particular, we really enjoyed the bell towers. Interesting to note that this mission was the furthest from San Antonio and was only manned by two families at some point which would have been quite a challenge I believe. This mission is close to the Espada Aqueduct which if you have time is worth going to, but we could not get there due to road construction.
Written September 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are coming in October and would like very much to see all the missions, but I am not finding any tours of all 4 missions? Am I missing something?
Written August 13, 2016
The self-guided tours are the best! They allow you to go at your own pace, especially if you want to take pictures, which is highly suggested!
Written August 14, 2016
5pm all the info you need is on this website. nps.gov
Written March 29, 2015
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