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Local Art, Flavor, & Fun

All signs point South for local art, flavors, and fun. Just past the hustle and bustle of downtown, you’ll find Southtown Culture. Southtown encompasses a large creative community and is unique with a mix of artists, locally-owned bars, coffee shops, boutiques, museums and art galleries. It also includes King William, a Victorian-inspired neighborhood filled with history and charm. Perfect for urban exploring, the area boasts micro-distilleries, parks, exploration along the San Antonio River, public art, and plenty of mixed-use spaces where artists welcome all with open arms. Come explore what’s new and historic down South.

Historical Significance

King william.

In the mid-1800s, enterprising German immigrants began buying land and building homes in this part of the city. The main thoroughfare was named King William, in honor of King Wilhelm I of Prussia, which remains the area’s name today. In July of 2011, King William was designated a Cultural Arts District by the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Southtown originated as a part of a neighborhood revitalization project in the early 1990s and, over time, grew to encompass five neighborhoods: King William, Collins Garden, Lavaca, Lone Star, and Roosevelt. Talk about a big success. Southtown is home to First Friday and Second Saturday, the City’s longest-running art walks, and “A Day In Southtown,” their annual community event.

Neighborhood Favorites

Take a stroll through King William or book a tour of grand mansions that date back to the late 19th century. Stop by the Guenther House, built in 1859, for traditional breakfast and brunch served up in a Victorian parlor.

A must-see in the arts district is the crimson-hued Ruby City, which presents works from the Linda Pace Foundation Collection of more than 900 artworks. The museum was designed by renowned architect Sir David Adjaye. Two hidden gem galleries are the Contemporary at Blue Star, the city's first and longest-running nonprofit space for contemporary art, and the San Antonio Art League & Museum, housing over 600 works in its permanent collection.

Don’t miss the Blue Star Arts Complex in Southtown – a 160,000-square-foot collection of studios, art galleries, retailers, bars, and eateries, including a microbrewery. Every First Friday, catch the area’s monthly nighttime street festival for unique art finds. On Second Saturday, meet the artists at local galleries and grab a gift from a local vendor. These events are free and family-friendly while allowing the discovery of unique art finds. Head to Garcia Art Glass, Inc. for exciting glass-blowing demonstrations and shop the colorful gallery.

For food and drinks, locals love Rosario’s ceviche and margaritas, Burgerteca for burgers that capture the taste of Mexico, and Bar 1919 for classic cocktails. Southtown also boasts having the most micro-brewers in one area.

Endless Attractions & Fun Things to Do in the Alamo City

It's endless fun when you're in the Alamo City. Discover the best things to do during your time in San Antonio.

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The best options for accomodations, hotels, & more in the Alamo City! Match your style and budget with these incredible stay recommendations.

Places to Eat in Southtown

Restaurants and eats as charming as their neighborhood, find the best dining option in King William and Southtown.

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King William Historic Area

Stroll through the picturesque streets of the King William Historic Area, a neighborhood renowned for its beautifully preserved Victorian architecture. Dating back to the 19th century, this district showcases elegant mansions, tree-lined avenues, and a blend of cultural influences. Explore the area’s history and charm as you wander through one of San Antonio’s most beloved historic districts.

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King william historic district.

Bus: VIVA line 11

San Antonio’s first suburb, King William was settled in the 19th century by prosperous German merchants who displayed their wealth through extravagant homes and named the 25-block area after Kaiser Wilhelm of Prussia. (Other residents of San Antonio were less complimentary, dubbing this German area “Sauerkraut Bend.”) The neighborhood fell into decline in the middle of the 20th century, as the affluent abandoned the inner city for prosperous neighborhoods and suburbs to the north, but you’d never know it today, as tour buses ply its revived streets. If the weather’s agreeable, I suggest skipping the bus tour in favor of strolling around the tree-lined streets, gawking at beautifully landscaped mansions in a variety of architectural styles. Outside the gate of the San Antonio Conservation Society, 107 King William St. (www.saconservation.org; tel. 210/224-6163 ), you can pick up self-guided tour pamphlets covering three separate historic districts within the neighborhood. To see some of the homes’ interiors, you can tour Villa Finale and the Steves Homestead Museum, or have a meal at the Guenther House . The neighborhood is a pleasant 15-minute hike from downtown, following the Mission Reach extension of the River Walk .

- Edie Jarolim

Note : This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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Frommer's only recommends things we think you will enjoy and that will make your trip both authentic and unforgettable. Our experts personally appraise each choice in terms of their overall enthusiasm for it.

Our star system does not denote hotel amenities but it does denote the level of our approval. A place with one star is worth a look—after all, it made the list. A rating of two stars means it's excellent, and three stars is the highest praise we give.

King William Carriage Tour

Named after the grand and historic King William District in the south area of San Antonio it tours, the one-hour King William Carriage Tour San Antonio will have you feeling like royalty as it takes you and yours exploring in an elegant white Victorian carriage. Fun and a history lesson for the kids, the tour can accommodate up to seven passengers, or for an evening of romance, you can plan this something special for just the two of you.  Upon arrival, you can choose between a narrated or a non-narrated tour.

Relax and enjoy the clip-clop of horse hooves echoing through the streets as your horse gracefully takes your carriage on this outstanding tour.  Along the 25-block tour, you pass palatial homes built in the 19th century by German immigrants.  You'll want to snap photos of these charming Victorian homes lining the streets with their finely manicured gardens and their meticulously landscaped acreage that once irrigated mission farmlands.  Taking in this part of San Antonio's culture and history in this peaceful carriage ride, you will spot restaurants, museums, and shopping to explore. 

 Stop at    King William Historic District Though the area was originally just farmland, today the King William Historic District has become a diverse and abundant neighborhood. The King William area was owned by the 1718 Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo). By the early 19th century, however, those missions were fully secularized and the land was bought, sold and divided into tracts.

With this magnificent carriage ride, you can learn more about the culture and history of the King William District, or simply treat yourself and a loved one to a quiet, romantic ride through this marvelous neighborhood. Enjoy many other things to do as well for the best San Antonio vacation!

• What is included in the admission price? Includes carriage ride and tour.
• What methods of transportation does the King William Carriage Tour use? Professionally-trained gentle horses take you on the carriage ride.
• Is there any walking involved? You may want to walk to and from the departure location.
• Approximately how long does the King William Carriage Tour last? It lasts approximately 1 hour.
• For what ages is the tour appropriate? Great for all ages.
• What type of dress & footwear are recommended? Comfortable clothing.
• Will there be time allotted for dining on the King William Carriage Tour? Plan to eat before you arrive, or after you finish your ride.
• Where does the King William Carriage Tour depart from? It departs from 204 Alamo Plaza, nearby many paid public parking and parking garages.
• What sights will be seen from the motor coach? You will see palatial Victorian homes built in the 19th century by German immigrants.
• Is photography / video recording allowed on the King William Carriage Tour? Yes.
• Are any meals included? No.
• Is transportation to the departure location available for the King William Carriage Tour? No.

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• KING WILLIAM

KING WILLIAM DESCRIPTION - Details & Booking   

Victorian Architecture, influential German families & stories, unique River Walk views. SA’s only ongoing in-depth King William tour of those at the apex of San Antonio' society in the mid to late 1800's.

"TOURS MADE THE TRIP"

We were in San Antonio over Thanksgiving weekend and took three of Gary's tours - History, Missions and King William . Each tour was very different but they were all very informative and enjoyable. We could not choose a favorite as they each added so much to our San Antonio experience. If you want to know all there is to know in a very interesting format, San Antonio Walks is a must! 

MarriedACanadian96  Raleigh, North Carolina  11/27/2016   TripAdvisor

TOUR DETAILS

WHEN:   9am 12pm 3:30pm Daily 

WHERE: Meet at 205 E. Guenther, just outside the Guenther House property on the sidewalk /entrance at this address.    

COST:    $25 per person. This tour must remain a “walk”, there is no drive option.  Cash Only.  2 Guest Min.   

LENGTH:  Under a mile / 1hr 45min

BOOKING  -  be sure to provide ALL of the following:

(1) Name of tour:  King William

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(4) Day & Date, e.g., Thurs. / 11th:

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TOURS SAN ANTONIO Ph: (210) 214-3109 email: [email protected] Tours requests must be received by 7pm of the previous day to be guaranteed a spot and is still based on availability. However, we will certainly consider same day requests.

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King Charles Is Opening New Doors to Royal Palaces, Including Family's Summer Retreat, to Public for First Time

Visitors will be able to tour Balmoral Castle, where Queen Elizabeth died, and new nooks of Buckingham Palace, including the room that leads out to the iconic balcony

Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy

Balmoral Castle and Buckingham Palace are welcoming visitors in new ways.

It was revealed this week that both royal residences will welcome visitors into previously unseen spaces through ticketed tours this summer. In fact, Balmoral Castle in Scotland is opening "for the first time since the castle was completed in 1855," its website says.

Balmoral is famed as the royal family's cherished summer sanctuary in the Scottish Highlands, but it also holds sad memories for the group. Prince William  and  Prince Harry were spending time there in August 1997 when their mother, Princess Diana , tragically died in a car crash in Paris.

Queen Elizabeth , who her granddaughter  Princess Eugenie  once said was "most happy" at Balmoral, died there in 2022. Sources told PEOPLE at the time it was fitting she spend her last hours there because it was such a special place for her and her family — and now, the public can step into the castle in Aberdeenshire for themselves.

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty

The Castle Internal Guided Tours experience is touted as a "historical journey" through "several of the beautiful rooms," comprised of a private guide that talks visitors through its history from acquisition by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1845 to a peek at how King Charles , Queen Camilla and other royal family members continue to use the space today. 

The royal family has previously permitted tours at Balmoral around the grounds and gardens, but access inside the castle was limited to the ballroom, making the Castle Internal Guided Tours the most intimate yet.

The tours are set to run from July 1 to August 4, capped at 10 people per session. The general guided excursion currently costs about $126 a person, while tickets with afternoon tea are about $189 — and are open to adults only.

Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty

While many of the internal Balmoral Castle tours have already sold out, there’s still plenty of availability for the Balmoral General Admission, featuring a trove of artwork by King Charles plus some royal fashion. The Ballroom promises "His Majesty The King's watercolor collection depicting scenery at Balmoral, Highgrove and Sandringham" and a "collection of outfits worn by Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, the late Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother."

While Buckingham Palace has been a popular stop for royal watchers since 1993 when Queen Elizabeth opened its gates as a fundraiser after a devastating fire ripped through Windsor Castle in 1992, new areas of the famous London residence will be available to tour for the first time this year.

The East Wing of Buckingham Palace, where the King filmed his Christmas broadcast in December 2023, will be toured for the first time come summer. On April 3, the Royal Collection Trust announced that the iconic palace will open the wing via the Principal Floor following five years of restorative work.

Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool /Getty

The East Wing includes the front façade and iconic palace balcony, "where the monarch and members of the royal family have gathered for public appearances during special occasions or historic moments since 1851," including royal weddings, coronations and Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of the monarch's birthday.

The Royal Collection Trust said that the royal family still uses the wing today for official meetings and events.

Royal watchers can save the date for East Wing Highlights Tours held daily in July and August starting July 15, booked in addition to standard admission to the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.

Chris Jackson/Getty 

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The palace will be open seven days a week in July and August for the first time since 2019 before scaling back to five days a week in September.

While Buckingham Palace is synonymous with the British royals and serves as the hub of the monarchy’s operations, King Charles and Queen Camilla don’t actually live there! The palace is in the middle of a $460 million renovation reportedly not due to be complete until 2027 .

Stuart C. Wilson/Getty

As King Charles, 75, invites the public into new nooks for the first time this summer, The Times cited royal biographer Robert Hardman’s prediction that the King would open up Balmoral during his reign.

"Balmoral is private property. However, it needs public footfall not just to help pay the bills but to bring benefits to the wider community and to remain in step with other stately homes," the outlet quoted Hardman as writing in Charles III. New King. New Court. The Inside Story 2024 , which was published under the title The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy in the U.S. in January.

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How King Charles Is Breaking With Royal Tradition in a Major Way

K ing Charles III has piqued the interest of royal fans by offering tours of private rooms at Balmoral Castle for the first time since its completion.

The lucrative tours , taking place between July 1 and Aug. 4, set buyers back £100 ($126.34) or £150 ($189.51) for a package including afternoon tea. Highlighting the demand, tickets sold out in a single day . Sets of 40 tickets per day were first advertised on Wednesday, and by Thursday they had all gone. 

Balmoral Castle , located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is an intimate site for members of the royal family; it’s the monarch’s summer home, it’s where Prince William and Prince Harry learned of their mother’s fatal car crash in 1997, and it’s the beloved residence where Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, after 70 years on the throne.  

Before now, tours had only offered a glimpse of the ballroom, as well as the castle grounds and gardens. But with King Charles’ permission, history buffs can expect an interior tour that spans the Victorian era to the present day. Groups of 10 people per tour will “learn about the origins of the Castle and how it has been loved by generations of the Royal family,” according to Balmoral’s ticketing page. 

The tour will still include a visit to the ballroom, where the King’s watercolor collection is on display, which depicts scenery at Balmoral, Highgrove, and Sandringham. Visitors can also explore outfits worn by the King and Queen Camilla, Queen Elizabeth II, and the Queen Mother.

Balmoral is the private property of the monarch, and it is not attached to the Crown estate. The tours are scheduled to end just before the King and Queen arrive for their 2024 summer break at the residence.

The Highlands home has been a royal haven since 1852, when it was officially purchased by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, for £32,000, which equates to £3.7 million today ($4.7 million), according to the Bank of England calculator . The royal couple decided to expand the castle, believing it to be too small for their family. The works were completed sometime between 1855 and 1856, and the old building was then demolished.

As it currently stands, the estate covers 50,000 acres and consists of 150 buildings, including the King’s house at Birkhall, Craigowan Lodge. The granite castle itself reportedly has 167 rooms, with 52 bedrooms, according to the Guardian , which estimated in 2023 that the estate could be worth £80 million ($101 million).

The tour comes as Buckingham Palace also prepares to welcome visitors to its East Wing for the first time . Special guided tours will take place throughout July and August, following five years of improvement renovations.  

Like Balmoral, the East Wing carried significance for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as it was first occupied by their family after its creation between 1847 and 1849. It is now used for official meetings and events, and includes the palace’s facade and balcony, where monarchs have appeared alongside their family for historic appearances since 1851.

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King Charles opens Balmoral Castle to tours for the first time

Visitors will be able to see parts of Scotland's Balmoral Castle used by the British royal family for the first time this summer.

Guided tours of the royal family's beloved private Scottish retreat will be available from July 1 to August 4, before the King and Queen arrive for their summer break in Aberdeenshire, with each group restricted to 10 people.

Tickets for the "castle interior tour," priced £100 ($126) or £150 ($188) with afternoon tea included, are limited to 40 tickets per day and are already selling fast.

The Balmoral Castle website said the tours were the first since the castle was completed in 1855.

The website said: "They will take you on a historical journey through several of the beautiful rooms within Balmoral Castle.

"You will learn about the origins of the castle and how it has been loved by generations of the royal family.

"Travel through time from the purchase of the Balmoral by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, through to present day, where you can see how rooms within the castle are used today by their Majesty's The King and Queen and other members of the royal family."

The tour also includes access to the ballroom with a collection of Charles' watercolour collection depicting scenery at Balmoral, Highgrove and Sandringham as well as a collection of outfits worn by Charles and Camilla, the late Queen and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Previous tours, which will continue, have concentrated on the grounds and gardens with access to the castle limited to the ballroom.