Welcome to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, one of over 400 sites managed by the National Park Service.
We're so excited to have you visit us while you prepare for your field trip, please review these important rules to ensure that your visit is fun and safe come on in.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park protects 4 separate Spanish colonial missions.
These include Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada.
Some of these mission communities have had a presence in town for more than 300 years and they're visited by people just like you.
This means that these buildings and ruins are really old and need to be protected so that they can continue to stand for another 300 years.
For your safety and the continued preservation of our past, playing on, climbing, leaning, sitting, or disturbing the walls in any way is not permitted.
Remember, if it's stone, leave it alone.
Did you know that our park is home to over 300 species of animals and nearly 600 kinds of plants?
When visiting, you may encounter wildlife such as insects, squirrels, birds, and even the occasional stray dog or cat.
Just like our historical structures, these critters deserve respect too.
Please do not feed or harass mission animals and make sure all plants, including flowers, are left alone during your visit.
There's a chance you won't be the only ones here.
Each year, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park receives over 1.5 million visitors from around the globe.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these places are special to all who travel here.
And like you, these individuals deserve to enjoy their visit too.
While you and your classmates explore these sites, be respectful of those around you by staying in a straight line, using walking feet, and maintaining an appropriate voice level.
If those walking feet happen to lead you to a really big building, stop for a moment and take a look around.
The churches are often considered to be one of the most striking features of each mission, but they're more than just historical architecture.
They're all active Catholic parishes. Mass weddings, baptisms, quinceaneras, and funerals are a frequent occurrence here, and one of these may be happening when you visit.
Should one of these events occur during your trip, remember to respect those participating and refrain from entering the building.
If the church is open when you visit, feel free to explore the inside.
Just remember to be respectful of potential worshippers by remaining in line, removing all hats, staying silent, and only taking photos of the building, not people.
Finally, while visiting the park, there's a chance you might find cool things on the ground.
Federal law prohibits unauthorized collection of plants, animals, minerals, fossils and historical objects in national parks.
If you do find something special and you want to share it with others, leave it.
Be an alert a Ranger to its precise location.
Remember, leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a special place to so many people and we're so excited that you get to experience it for yourself.
Whether self exploring with your class or joining us for an educational program, we just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for choosing to visit us.
We can't wait to see you.
