Free previewStop 4 of San Antonio River Walk Tour: The Alamo to Main Plaza
A Stage With a River Running Through
You're down on the River Walk now, at the Arneson River Theater. Look across the water at the stage on the far bank, with its row of stone arches behind it. Then look at where you are: grassy steps climbing up the bank behind you. That's the seating. The river runs right between the performers and their audience.
This theater was built between 1939 and 1941 by the Works Progress Administration, the New Deal program that put out-of-work Americans to work building things. The design was supervised by Robert Hugman, the architect whose river plan you heard about a few minutes ago. Hugman put the stage on the north bank and the audience on the south. The crowd sits on 13 rows of grass-covered steps that hold more than 800 people. It's a strange idea when you think about it. Most theaters work hard to bring the audience closer.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 4 of San Antonio River Walk Tour: The Alamo to Main Plaza (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
