Brackenridge Park

Brackenridge Park is San Antonio's most beloved public park, a 343-acre green oasis that has been the go-to family destination for local parents since 1899. While tourists pack the River Walk and the Alamo, San Antonio families spend their mornings at Brackenridge feeding ducks along the San Antonio River, riding the miniature train through the woods, and letting their kids run wild on the sprawling playgrounds — all for free. This is the park that locals recommend when visitors ask where they actually take their own kids.

The park's centerpiece for young families is the San Antonio River corridor that winds through the property. The river here is shallow and clear, lined with grassy banks where families gather to feed the resident ducks, geese, and turtles. The waterfowl are famously friendly, waddling right up to children holding food.

Toddlers are mesmerized by the experience, and even older kids who think they have outgrown duck feeding find themselves drawn in by the sheer enthusiasm of the birds. The scene on a Saturday morning — families spread across the riverbanks, children squealing as ducks eat from their hands — is quintessential San Antonio.

The Brackenridge Eagle miniature train is a classic attraction that has been running through the park since 1956. This genuine miniature railroad follows a winding track through a wooded section of the park, passing through a tunnel and alongside the river. At $4.

50 per person, it is one of the most affordable family activities in the city, and the 15-minute ride is long enough to satisfy without exhausting young attention spans. Kids who love trains beg to ride it twice.

The park's playgrounds are scattered across the property, each offering different equipment and settings. The main playground near the Joske Pavilion has modern climbing structures, slides, and swings shaded by massive live oak trees. Unlike many city playgrounds, Brackenridge's play areas feel integrated into a genuine park landscape rather than plopped onto a concrete slab.

The grass-and-shade combination means kids can play for extended periods even in warm weather.

Brackenridge Park also serves as the gateway to several of San Antonio's other family attractions. The San Antonio Zoo occupies the park's northeast corner, the Japanese Tea Garden sits adjacent to the zoo, the Witte Museum borders the park's southeast edge, and the DoSeum children's museum is a short drive east on Broadway. Savvy local families use Brackenridge as their home base, starting with free park activities in the morning and then deciding whether to add a paid attraction based on the kids' energy levels.