Visit the Best Park in San Antonio, Texas

In the middle of downtown San Antonio, I found a park that features a giant sand box, a splash pad, giant chess and checker boards, climbing structures, swings, and accessible play areas.  Yanaguana Garden and playground is 4 acres full of fun activities for children and parents.  Best of all, it’s free!  In this blog I will write about our wonderful day at Hemisfair Park and Yanaguana Garden.

Hemisfair Park and Yanaguana Garden is in the heart of downtown San Antonio, Texas.  They’re neighbors to La Villita, Tower of the America’s, and The Magik Children’s Theatre.

There is metered parking on S. Alamo street for $1 an hour.  We parked and walked to Hemisfair Park that is a block away.

Yanaguana Garden opened in 2015 and is one of the most frequented parks in Texas.  When we first walked in, we noticed the giant sand area. To call it a sand box is an understatement.  My kids enjoyed playing in the sand with pails and shovels.  There is a water feature in the middle of the sand area. My son Max got a kick out of pressing the water release button over and over.

After the sand area we walked to the other side of the park to play with the swings and slide.  This area has something for everyone, kids and adults.  Our kids played on the swings and climbing structures.  My daughter made a new friend and played in the wooden playhouse.  I noticed an area next to the playhouse that has giant checkers and chess boards. Adults and children can enjoy the stone ping pong and foosball tables and Bocce Ball Court.  That morning, there were a few games going on and it was fun to watch for a few minutes.

My favorite play feature is a giant mosaic blue panther.  This beautiful blue panther was created by San Antonio artist Oscar Alvarado.  The climbable panther is made up of 150 pounds of colorful glass beads.  It’s the most beautiful climbing object I’ve ever seen in a park for kids.

Around 10:15 am the water play area came to life.  The water was turned on and the kids headed in that direction.  We did not anticipate the kids wanting to play in the water, so we just let them run around with their clothes on.  They weren’t the only ones fully clothed.  It looked like a few parents were in the same situation as we were in.

Tip #1- Your kids are going to get messy and soaked.  The water play area is in the middle of the park, so it is hard to avoid.   We forgot to bring swimsuits and towels for our kids, don’t make the same mistake we did.  I noticed right next to the water area there is a diaper changing station, restrooms, and a changing area.  In between the water and sand area there is an outdoor rinsing station.

The water play area was the most popular park attraction that morning.  I saw kids of all ages enjoying the water sprinklers.  There are different sprinkler heights so that it’s safe for all kids to play.  Some of them come up a couple of inches from the ground, and a few sprays 4-6 feet from the ground.  All around that area we saw lounge chairs and reclining chairs.  There is plenty of seating for parents that want to sit back and watch the kids enjoying the water.

Yanaguana Garden in Hemisfair Park is a wonderful play area that can fill up hours of your day.  This park is accessible to all children.  If you are in San Antonio, please stop by and let your kids enjoy this modern and fun play space.