Beginning in 1981, visitors to San Antonio could transverse a walkway lined with waterfalls and fountains to get from the Alamo to the River Walk, the city’s two most popular tourist attractions.
But the link known as Paseo del Alamo gradually fell into disrepair and was closed more than two years ago for repairs and upgrades as part of the $700 million makeover of the historic mission and battlefield.
A construction crane is reflected in a water feature along the newly renovated Paseo del Alamo, which connects the Alamo to the River Walk, in downtown San Antonio on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
People walk through the newly renovated Paseo del Alamo, connecting the Alamo to the River Walk, in downtown San Antonio on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
People walk through the newly renovated Paseo del Alamo, connecting the Alamo to the River Walk, in downtown San Antonio on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
People pass by the new Southwest Corner and 18-Pounder Cannon exhibit after walking up the stairs of the newly renovated Paseo del Alamo, connecting the Alamo to the River Walk, in downtown San Antonio on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
People walk through the newly renovated Paseo del Alamo, connecting the Alamo to the River Walk, in downtown San Antonio on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
It reopened Thursday ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend, marking a milestone in the plaza’s overhaul.
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The paseo now features an outdoor elevator; wheelchair-accessible paths; new landscaping and benches; repaired water features; a rainwater-harvesting cistern; and a welcome center.
An exhibit at the top of the stairs marks the spot where a cannon was believed to have been fired during the Battle of the Alamo in 1836 as Santa Anna’s army attacked. It honors those who died defending the Alamo, such as José Toribio Losoya, a Tejano soldier who was born on the grounds and died during the battle.
At the bottom of the stairs, near the welcome center, sits a model of an 1857 “Napoleon” cannon, a memorial to those who died during the Civil War. Soldiers called the cannons “Napoleons” because they copied French cannon designs, according to a plaque.
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“The Alamo and the River Walk are linked not just through tourism but through history,” Alamo Trust CEO Hope Andrade said in a statement. “The Paseo’s beautiful restoration will make it easier for guests to walk from the energy of the River Walk to the reverence of the Alamo grounds.”
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In the 1800s, a dirt road near the Alamo’s main gate was the primary link between the mission-fort and the river. That road was wiped out as San Antonio’s population swelled and paved streets, alleys, buildings and the River Walk were constructed.
But after HemisFair ’68, which spurred a wave of development on the River Walk, local officials and business leaders re-established the link between the river and the Alamo.
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The city spent its own funds as well as federal grants and private dollars to build the paseo and the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk, which also connected people to the River Walk via its atrium lobby and glass elevators.
The walkway and hotel were dedicated on Dec. 18, 1981, along with a mosaic mural of San Fernando Cathedral and other historic buildings at the hotel entrance near the paseo. A crew worked feverishly through the night in frigid temperatures to finish the mural in time, using hair dryers to treat pigments on the mosaic tiles.
Some of the water features along the paseo gradually started leaking. Restoring it became part of the major public-private redevelopment of the site, which is aimed at telling the story of the Alamo and boosting visitation.
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The centerpiece of the project is the the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, which will be housed in the Crockett, Woolworth and Palace buildings adjacent to the paseo. Scheduled to open in 2028, it’s expected to increase foot traffic at the Alamo from 1.6 million to 2.5 million visitors annually.
The roof of the church is also slated to be replaced.
Other portions of the makeover have been completed, such as outdoor exhibits and a renovated Plaza de Valero next to the Menger Hotel, which the state of Texas bought last year along with the Crockett Hotel.
The Texas Cavaliers Education Center, a $36.8 million building with classrooms, workshops and a theater for students visiting the Alamo, recently opened.
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Most of the funding for the project is coming from the state, which is contributing more than $400 million. The city of San Antonio and Bexar County are providing $63 million combined. The nonprofit Alamo Trust and its affiliate, the Remember the Alamo Foundation, have raised more than $90 million toward their $150 million goal.
Staff writer Scott Huddleston contributed to this report.