• Home
  • popular
  • News
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Home + Design
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • Innovation
  • Sports
  • events
  • submit-new-event
  • subscribe
  • about
  • Charity Guide
  • series
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • Visit Frisco SA
  • First-time Homebuyers San Antonio 2021
  • Dogfish Head SA
  • Claire St Amant podcast SA
  • The Listing Firm SA
  • Visit Boerne SA
  • South Padre SA
  • Opera San Antonio
  • Pioneer SA
  • Texas Restaurant Association SA
  • Nasher SA
  • Kuper Neighborhood Guide SA
  • San Antonio Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • Luck Springs SA
  • Realty San Antonio
  • Milan Laser
  • Port Aransas SA
  • Bandera SA
  • Proximo Spirits SA
  • Highland Park Village SA
  • SA Cattle Barons Gala
  • Balcones SA
  • Gift Guide SA 2021
  • Music Lane SA
  • Blue Circle Foods SA
  • 2022 Tastemaker Awards
  • Athletic Brewing SA
  • San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
  • Attic SA
  • El Paso SA
  • Visit Lubbock
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Travel Texas
  • Central Market SA
  • Neighborhood Guide
  • Where to Eat
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Minibar Lift Your Spirits
  • San Antonio Charity Challenge 2016
  • Texas Wine Talk San Antonio
  • Okay to Say
  • Tastemaker Awards 2016 San Antonio
  • Texas Traveler San Antonio
  • Soldiers' Angels
  • Okay to Say San Antonio
  • Bob's Steak and Chop House San Antonio
  • Top Texans Under 30 San Antonio
  • Kuper Sotheby's San Antonio
  • Soldier's Angels San Antonio
  • Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino San Antonio
  • Tastemakers San Antonio 2017
  • PSW Real Estate San Antonio
  • Galveston.com San Antonio
  • Reliant Bright Ideas San Antonio
  • Brown Forman Cocktail Chronicles San Antonio
  • Visit Houston Gift Guide 2017 SA
  • Grayce Ln Fashion
  • Ethan's View San Antonio
  • San Antonio Tastemakers 2018
  • Visit Houston 2018
  • San Antonio Charity Guide
  • Visit Houston spas San Antonio
  • GiftingMap San Antonio
  • Aztec Theatre
  • Woodchuck Cider San Antonio
  • San Antonio Auto & Truck Show
  • Fresh Arts San Antonio
  • Holiday Happenings San Antonio 2018
  • Opendoor San Antonio
  • Galveston 2019 San Antonio
  • San Antonio Tastemaker Awards 2019
  • Visit Plano
  • Lake Charles 2019 SA
  • Westin San Antonio Zocca
  • Omni Barton Creek SA
  • Woodford Reserve SA
  • Visit Fredericksburg
  • Valencia Group Hotels SA
  • Summer Getaways SA
  • BestHotelRates.com SA
  • Fairmont SA
  • Hyatt Regency Lost Pines SA
  • Oskar Blues Wild Basin SA
  • Deep Ellum Brewing Co SA
  • Cigar City Margarita Gose SA
  • Krewe San Antonio
  • Getaways SA
  • San Antonio Tastemaker Awards 2020
  • COTA MotoGP Houston
  • COTA MotoGP SA
  • CBD Take Out SA
  • Father's Day Gift Guide 2020 SA
  • Matthews and Associates SA
  • Travel Juneau SA
  • Grandes Vinos SA
  • RV Share SA
  • Cutwater Spirits SA
  • Babe Wine SA
  • Brixos SA
  • Gift Guide 2020 SA
  • Texas Original
  • LovBe SA
  • Bourbon Takeover
  • Jobs
  • Advertising Inquiry
  • Media Sponsorship Request
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Suggestions
  • Authors
  • Log in

On the Road

Walk on the wild side with 750+ species at San Antonio Zoo

CultureMap Create
Jul 21, 2022 | 12:00 pm
At San Antonio Zoo, you can feed the giraffes.
At San Antonio Zoo, you can feed the giraffes.
Photo courtesy of San Antonio Zoo

Get in touch with your wilder side at San Antonio Zoo, which is home to more than 750 species — some of which are endangered or extinct in the wild.

When you visit, don’t miss these top 10 things to do.

1. Ride the Zoo Train
The zoo's two miles of track run through Brackenridge Park, where you can also hop on and hop off near the Japanese Tea Garden, Sunken Gardens, and the Witte Museum, which explores South Texas history, culture, and natural science.

In 2021, the zoo unveiled a new train experience called the C.W.T. Express, which reintroduces a historic, diesel-style engine to the fleet.

2. Visit the Reptile House
Even if snakes are not your thing, the Reptile House is still a fascinating stop thanks to its wide array of species from all over the world, including turtles and lizards.

3. Watch jaguars walk overhead
The Pantera Walk presented by Texas A&M San Antonio is a literal catwalk in the sky for jaguars. Gaze up and watch the giant cats wander between habitats at this special feature.

4. Visit Timothy the hippo inside Africa Live!
You can get up close and personal with one of nature’s largest mammals — and even feed the famous Timothy — during the zoo’s unique, behind-the-scenes interaction.

5. See the rhino trio in the Savanna
Another one of nature’s largest mammals is the rhino, and there’s a trio of them in the Savanna area. You can sign up to go behind-the-scenes here, too.

6. Feed flamingos at Flamingo Mingle
Meet and greet a flock of Caribbean flamingos during this immersive experience, where you’ll learn that they are filter feeders, which is more like whales and oysters than most birds!

7. Take a spin on the carousel
With 60 stunning, hand-painted animals, the custom-designed carousel is fun — and a work of art. Texas favorites like the endangered whooping crane, the white-tailed deer, the Texas horned lizard, and the jackalope are joined by a menagerie of real and imaginary animals, including the white ostrich, a sea dragon, the hummingbird, a tiger shark, and a polar bear.

8. Feed the world’s tallest animal
One of the most beloved zoo experiences is the giraffe feeding, where you can gaze eye-to-eye with the world’s tallest land mammal. Grab some lettuce and get set to be impressed by these majestic creatures.

9. Get face time with baby kangaroos
Cue all the "awwwws." At the Kangaroo Krossing, you’ll see red ’roos of all ages in this extension of the zoo’s Wild Australia realm. There’s more to love in the Snack-A-Roos snack stand and upgraded experiences, where you can get up close with the cute creatures.

10. Stop by the country’s oldest children’s amusement park
Established in 1925 and renovated in 2009, Kiddie Park is the oldest children’s amusement park in the country. And while modern updates have been made, the nostalgic style has been preserved with the park’s old-fashioned Ferris Wheel, famous hand-carved Herschell Spillman carousel, flying saucers, and more.

Find more to do at the San Antonio Zoo here.

Mingle with flamingoes.

Flamingo Mingle
Photo courtesy of San Antonio Zoo
Mingle with flamingoes.
promotedpetsvacationtexas
news/travel
series/travel-texas-sa
promoted

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get San Antonio intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

most read posts

H-E-B scoops new Spurs-inspired ice cream flavor to honor 50 years of hometown team

Real-world events make the message of Call Jane all the more relevant

San Antonio museum's popular Sips and Sounds series returns with night of Norteño music

Nonprofit news

San Antonio nonprofit breaks ground on new West Side campus

Katherine Stinson
Oct 31, 2022 | 4:37 pm
SA Hope Center
Courtesy of SA Hope Center

SA Hope Center is expanding to San Antonio's West Side with a new campus.

The SA Hope Center is expanding to the West Side of the city with a brand new campus. The aim of the new campus is to continue the SA Hope Center's mission to assist families experiencing major crises like poverty.

The new campus will be an expansion at the original SA Hope Center location on N. General McMullen Drive. Thanks to generous donors like H-E-B and Valero, the SA Hope Center will be able to provide a new assortment of services at the exanded campus to help more families in need of assistance.

SA Hope Center CEO Megan Legacy summed up the non-profit organization's excitement over the campus expansion in an official statement, explaining that, "This campus is a place of hope and new beginnings for the people of San Antonio who need assistance, guidance, and compassionate support. This expansion will allow the SA Hope Center team to help families overcome poverty and thrive. We are so grateful to all of our major donors who are making this possible."

So what services will the SA Hope Center be able to provide at the new campus expansion? According to a release, the expanded services will include mental health services, drop-in childcare, and a renovated family assistance center that will provide healthy, nutritious food for families, clothing assistance, and expanded case management offices.

The SA Hope Center's campus expansion will also give the nonprofit the opportunity to provide more immediate and long-term services for San Antonio families in need.

For those unfamiliar with other services the SA Hope Center typically provides, here's a general overview: They offer financial literacy classes, workforce development, parenting education, spiritual services for those who are interested, and many other supportive services. The aim of the nonprofit's services as always is to help families develop enough financial stability and long term monetary planning to evade poverty and live happy, fulfilled healthy lives.

For more information on the SA Hope Center's services and update information on the opening, visit SAHopecenter.org.

city lifewest sidenonprofitcharity
news/travel
series/travel-texas-sa
promoted

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get San Antonio intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

most read posts

H-E-B scoops new Spurs-inspired ice cream flavor to honor 50 years of hometown team

Real-world events make the message of Call Jane all the more relevant

San Antonio museum's popular Sips and Sounds series returns with night of Norteño music

Bon Voyage

San Antonio chef invites locals to explore Europe on guided culinary adventures in 2023

Hannah J. Frías
Oct 31, 2022 | 11:50 am
Tim the Girl curated travel
Courtesy of Tim the Girl
Chef Tim McDiarmid is hosting two curated trips through Europe in summer 2023.

Good news for San Antonio natives who have been enviously binge-watching From Scratch lately: One of San Antonio's best chefs is inviting locals along on a delicious, food-filled adventure through Europe next year. Founder of The Good Kind Hospitality Group (which includes Tim the Girl Catering, The Good Kind restaurant, and the Ivy Hall Events venue), chef Tim McDiarmid is hosting two curated trips in summer 2023.

Born in British Columbia, the award-winning chef is a James Beard Fellow (2019) and former Chopped competitor got her start in New York City, where she worked in restaurants for over 20 years before moving with her son to San Antonio in 2011. As a single mother in need of a flexible schedule, she founded Tim the Girl Catering that same year.

In 2017, McDiarmid opened her first retail outpost, The Good Kind, in the Historic Pearl’s Bottling Department food hall. She went on to open a second Good Kind location in 2018 and took over the management of Ivy Hall Events venue space in the King William district before closing the Pearl location of the Good Kind in 2020. In 2019, she was selected as a James Beard Fellow for the James Beard Foundation's Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program.

Along the way, McDiarmid has guided numerous groups through Italy in collaboration with a travel company, ItalianFix, which curates tours for those seeking to experience a place, rather than just pass through. McDiarmid is the perfect guide for these adventures, weaving her culinary and hospitality experience into a highly curated itinerary. In turn, she pulls from her travels as inspiration for her catering company and restaurants back home in San Antonio.

In 2023, McDiarmid will host two trips. The first will be a woman-only getaway to the The Cinque Terre, exploring picturesque seaside villages along the Italian Riviera for eight days and seven nights between June 24 and July 1, 2023. The second is open to all adults and spans three countries, traveling through the the Italian & French Rivieras for nine day and eight nights from July 3 to July 11, 2023.

Reservations for these one-of-a-kind trips are already open, and payment plans are available after a small initial deposit. Space is limited, so interested travelers should scurry over to italianfix.com to sign up and start planning for the adventure of a lifetime.

news/travel
series/travel-texas-sa
promoted

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get San Antonio intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

most read posts

H-E-B scoops new Spurs-inspired ice cream flavor to honor 50 years of hometown team

Real-world events make the message of Call Jane all the more relevant

San Antonio museum's popular Sips and Sounds series returns with night of Norteño music

Let's Talk about Bruno

Disney debuts immersive, family-friendly experience in San Antonio in 2023

Hannah J. Frías
Oct 31, 2022 | 10:53 am
Disney Animation: Immersive Experience
Courtesy of Lighthouse Immersive Studios
Disney Animation: Immersive Experience is coming to San Antonio in 2023.

A family-friendly immersive experience is coming to San Antonio in 2023. From the same team that brought Immersive Van Gogh to cities around the world, Lighthouse Immersive is bringing Disney classics to life, including The Lion King, Aladdin, and newer favorites such as Encanto, Frozen, and more.

"Like so many of us, I have a life-long love of Disney films,” said Lighthouse Immersive founder Corey Ross in a release. “I’ve grown up with them since childhood and so has my family. The work lends itself brilliantly to the immersive experience and I am confident this program will give our guests the opportunity to be engulfed in the world of Disney, making them feel like they’re standing next to their favorite characters and seeing the world through their eyes.”

Ross captures the excitement both Disney and Lighthouse Immersive feel for the project as he describes how it begins:

“Just imagine journeying through Zootopia with Judy Hopps, diving to the ocean floor with Ariel, flying on a magic carpet with Aladdin, and stepping into Casita with Mirabel and the family Madrigal. This is where the Disney Animation: Immersive Experience will take you.”

Oscar-winning producer J. Miles Dale (2018 Best Picture: The Shape of Water) is leading the creative team on the production, a collaboration between Lighthouse Immersive and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

“Trailblazing in a new medium is always exciting, and this is truly going to be the most challenging and rewarding project of my career," Dale shared in a release. "Being entrusted with Disney’s rich archive of animation is a great honor, but also a tremendous responsibility. With such a wealth of material and a treasure trove of memorable characters, it will be a thrill to bring the work of all the great Disney animators and performers to life in a 360-degree immersive environment.”

Coming to Lighthouse ArtSpace venues in late 2022/2023, the show will debut in just nine North American cities. San Antonio's opening date is set for February 28, 2023, and tickets (starting at $39.99) are already on sale at disneyimmersive.com.

news/travel
series/travel-texas-sa
promoted

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get San Antonio intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

most read posts

H-E-B scoops new Spurs-inspired ice cream flavor to honor 50 years of hometown team

Real-world events make the message of Call Jane all the more relevant

San Antonio museum's popular Sips and Sounds series returns with night of Norteño music

Loading Next Story...