River Walk Doubles in Size

La Prensa .- For decades, the San Antonio River north of the popular downtown River Walk was overgrown and blighted. Not anymore. A $72 million overhaul has essentially doubled the size of the River Walk. In doing so, it transformed a dry, weed-choked eyesore north of the River Walk into a 1 1/2-mile manicured waterway.

The so-called museum reach of the River Walk opens May 30 and connects visitors from the busy convention center and Alamo area to the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Pearl Brewery retail project. Beyond that, this fall, a path will allow pedestrians and cyclists to keep going north along the river to Brackenridge Park, home of the Witte (WIH’-tee) Museum and the zoo.
The River Walk is already the most popular tourist attraction in Texas, just ahead of the nearby Alamo. But beyond the River Walk, much of the other 11 miles of riverbed had been neglected over the years.
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IF YOU GO: Water taxi barges charge $10 for 24 hours of unlimited use. You can hail one from any of the landings in the downtown River Walk or the new museum stretch and pay aboard. The taxis are operated by Rio San Antonio Cruises, which also offers guided tours of the River Walk: http://www.riosanantonio.com
OTHER RESOURCES: The San Antonio Museum of Art is open 6 days a week, closed on Mondays: http://www.samuseum.org
VFW Post 76 is open every day, starting at 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at noon on Sunday: http://vfwpost76.org
The Pearl Brewery has a few restaurants and shops open but is still under development. An amphitheater on the riverbank is expected to open next year, but the farmer’s market is open every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring seasonal produce, bread and other products: http://www.pearlbrewery.com/