Tower of the Americas Observation Deck

Came here for happy hour with a few friends. The mango mojito was the best. A must try at the bar!!! It was so good I forgot to take a photo to post… oops! Lol.
I gave it 3 stars because the gold lounge chairs and the carpets when you walk in. That was a turn off, it’s time to change out the old furniture and improve the ambiance.

The view was breathtaking. Once you are up it is a quick walk around the observatory. Would be nice if there was staff on top to answer questions. There was the opportunity to take a group photo and see a 4d movie which was way too violent for children under 6. The elevator attendant was not overly thrilled.

With ticket prices at just $ 12, this is one of the cheaper observation decks across America.
The night I went the ticket lady was warning everyone that 180 degrees of the interior observation deck was closed for a private party. The good view is from the outside deck however so this wasn’t an issue.
Inside there were a couple text displays with audio narration. Maybe there were more in the closed part I didn’t now. There was also an image of the city in the wall numbered and labeled so you knew what buildings were what. However there were chairs and tables in front of it so that wasn’t really usable.
I may be slightly obsessed with visiting high rise observation decks as they always make my to do list when I travel. Comparing this one to the countless others I have been to I would rank the Tower of the Americas as not among the best, but above average. The view here was good and it was worth visiting! However, better informational signage could be added.

View was ok from the observation deck, but it was quite small compared to other observation decks. The free 3 D show was pretty poor, it looked like it was filmed many years ago. Not worth the price of the ticket.

This was quite an experience! The employees were all very nice and seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs. They offered to take our pictures and were always helpful when needed. The observation deck can be vomit-​inducing if you look down. But to say you did it is SO worth the stomach knots. Very fun!

If there is one thing this place deserves its a negative five star review and maybe it should just be closed. Overhyped and 11 $ for parking which takes almost 20 min. to get into even with just 4 cars ahead of you. The worst customer service you can experience and wait time to go up is way over an hour since they take hardly 5 people on elevator.
Here is the worst part, once you pay for the parking and go in there is no refund. If the deck is full they will simply come up and tell you that they are not selling tickets for an hour. So now you will sit there watch the dumb waterfalls and waste your whole evening until you can even get the tickets forget about another hour and a half wait in line to go up.
Like some other reviewers said if you want a view there are tons of better places all over US space needle in WA, top of the rock in NY, CN tower in toronto, I have been to so many but had never an experience like this.
A solid zero star for tower of america and the service.

On a semi-​busy day, they only had one ticket window open creating a 30 minute wait. The ticket also includes a 4-​D movie but we didn’t have time after all the time wasted waiting for a ticket. Moreover, the $ 8 admission fee is a little much considering the new Hyatt Place blocks a significant amount of the old city. Don’t waste your time or money an do something else instead.

It’s not one of the better observation decks in the US. A simple layout with stairs to the outer ring. The views are okay. There is a reference map to note key structures. The’re info boards and snack options. Even though it opens till 11pm most of the services are closed by dinner. The actual tower itself is more interesting than when you’re at the top. We didn’t get a chance to do the 4D ride.

I’m glad I went, but this is a poor imitation of the Space Needle with far worse customer service and or pride in the history and visitors then any other landmark of it’s type I have ever been too.
One and done. The Missions and River Walk is where it’s at in San Antonio

The Tower of the Americas is a great landmark for San Antonio. I was here when it first opened at Hemisphere in 1968.(yup…its true I“m that old) The panoramic views are totally amazing. The ride to the top is a visual treat… so don’t close your eyes kiddos.

To me this place is Great. I’ve been here many different times. This place is a great stop. If you are visiting and sight seeing. Now if you have lived here all or most of your life. It’s a must go place. You can see the whole city and surrounding areas. But look at the weather. If its too cloudy, it most likely won’t be a good view of everything. I suggest during the day. But at night its a good view of the city lights.
I lived in San Antonio for 13 months. But that has been sometime now. But I have visited 50 or more times since my brother moved there. So I know my way around this place. This place has changed a lot since they remodeled it and The Chart House came in. There is only one way up. The elevator. You will have to pay to go up. But lets be smart about it. We need to eat also. Why not do both. Yes you can pay 11 dollars a person just to go up. And I believe it’s worth it. But this is Unilocal.I need to tell you a better way. And it’s up to you.
I have found it better not always cheaper. But it can be. It doesn’t cost anything to go up to The Chart House. And since you were going to pay 11 dollars a person. Why not use that to get an appetizer. You can do that and then go up to the Observatory Deck after. The Chart House is below and you can see the city while sitting down at a table and walk around also. The line to the restaurant is smaller. And they usually try to get you up as soon as possible. The best time is during lunch. Not many people are there during lunch. Dinner sometimes you need a reservation. And there are people downstairs taking reservations. Get with them.
Now that I have helped you get up there. You must walk all around. Look at all the displays. Yes a lot of reading. But very informative. Whether you are a visitor or a local. Lots of history and things you need to know. Like why the names of cities are what they are. Why some sound French, German, English and of course Spanish. It shows you where the missions are at. And there are a lot in this area. Talks about the river walk. Tells you about the politics and How Texas has been a State and a country. But there is a lot more. That’s for you to read.
Now that you have read and looked at the displays, Go out side. If its cool down below it will be cooler or cold out side up there. But there is glass. Walk around. Look at the different parts of San Antonio. See how the city mixes. See where the river goes. Look south and see the land. Look north and see the Skyline. There is something to see all around.
Now I have to teach you to get down. Well all I can say is that get in line. It’s like anywhere you go. You need to stay in line. It takes a while sometimes. But if you are lucky there will be no one there.

One and done.
This is one of the weirdest landmarks that I’ve been to in the sense of how commercialized it is. It is somewhat of a mix of part tourist sight seeing place, part restaurant, part pay for game entertainment.
For $ 10.95 + tax for an adult, you get to ride the elevator to the top. The ride to the top is relatively quick, it’s about 90 seconds. Once up there, you can circle the top from either the inside or an semi enclosed outside. The walk around can take less than 5 minutes. There is also some points of history listed along the walls on the inside.
One the main level is more of a touristy trap. The gift shop is rather large and has a varied selection of goods. There are also a hand full of arcade games for play. Hands down, the best «attraction» at the Tower is the Skies Over Texas: 4D Theater Ride. It is can best be described as a Texas style Soarin’.
Other highlights of the Tower:
+ A Chart House high above the San Antonio Skyline
+ In the spring and summer months, they have concerts outside on the Friday nights
+ There is a Zoltar Fortune Teller machine on the observation level. All you Tom Hanks «Big» movie fans can live out the dream of getting your fortune to, for a price of course.
+ Has pretty late hours for a landmark

This tower wasn’t very impressive to me. It had some nice views up top but the overall organization was a turn off. The ticket booth would close without notice on their site so it took me 3 tries to actually get tickets for the observation deck.
The surrounding area was pretty with some waterfalls and park-​like area where you can walk around and take pictures. There is a parking lot for $ 11 all day parking. But you can find cheaper parking on the street or in nearby lots.
The observation deck does have a nice view of the city of San Antonio. There are 2 levels, one it enclosed and it houses some tables and chairs for you to sit at. There is also a small concession stand where you can buy popcorn and some drinks. It also has these random carnival like machines like «fortune telling» which I thought took away from the overall atmosphere of the tower. There are so good historical stories printed on the walls that you can read.
There is an outer ring that lets you get a closer look at the sights — it has windows that go halfway so it’s open at the top. Which means during the colder and windier nights, it makes it almost impossible to go outside because your fingers will freeze off. I don’t really see the draw of having half windows.
The bottom of the towers also has a 4D feature film which was 10 mins. and really basic.
Overall, it was nice to go up once just to do it but it’s not something I would want to do again.

Nice View of San Antonio!
We arrived first thing in the morning when it opened to beat the crowds. We decided to go up to the observation deck first. It was a cold morning and very windy on the outside observation deck but the view was worth it. There was an indoor area to look onto San Antonio also.
We then watched the Skies Over Texas 4D Theater Ride. It was an interesting film about San Antonio. We didn’t enjoy it as much as we enjoyed the observation deck.

This was a great activity to do and my son and I really enjoyed it! We were able to park 10 minutes away and just walked here as parking can be hard to find when it’s busy downtown.
We got here a little after 12:00 and was told there would be a two hour wait for the elevator ride up. We didn’t mind the wait since we already waited almost an hour just to get tickets. They have military discounts also, active duty and veterans, and it was only $ 20 for me and my son to do the observation deck and the 4D ride, so it’s very affordable.
We were able to go straight into the 4D ride and it was pretty cool! You do get squirted in the face a few times, though:) bAs soon as that ride was over, to our surprise, we immediately got in the elevator line and went up, so it definitely was less than a two hour wait.
The views from the observation tower are amazing! We walked the whole way around just to see the city from all sides. My son loved it!
If you’re visiting this would definitely be a must on the to do list, especially if you have children.

Can you be any more inept at operating an elevator? The elevator loads from two sides. The attendant loads more people from one side, then only a couple can load from the other. The result, more than a 40 minute wait to get on the elevator. That’s unacceptable. You should be able to add an equal number of people from both sides of the elevator. What’s worse is how long it takes the elevator to make a round trip. SO NOT WORTH IT.
Now we find out half of those on the elevator where going to the restaurant and bar. Very poorly operated.
Thank you Molly for taking the time to speak with me.

Parking Fee: $ 11
Ticket to go up the elevator: $ 10.95 (Adult)
Experience: Not worth the money
Cool idea to overlook San Antonio, but I thought the view was just okay — definitely not worth $ 22. It’s thrilling to be high up and walk around a bit, but I was bored 10 minutes later. I don’t get bored easily and I try to make the most of every situation that I’m in, but I was not impressed. There was nothing that really stood out.
Some of the staff didn’t give off a friendly vibe either.
Save your money!

A must go for sure. The observation desk even has a partially open area which allows you to enjoy the view while the winds gush in.
Hack: When going into the elevator, go to the left side of the elevator which is a glass wall. That gives you a view of the city while you are going up to the observation desk.
Hack: Do see the 4 D theatre. Its a 15 minute ride which you will enjoy to the core

I must admit I was very excited to come here after finding a fantastic deal on groupon, 2 tickets for $ 11. Ttickeline wait was about 40min and line continually kept growing with large groups of people.
Now, about an hour later I’m still standing in a line to go up the elevator to the observatory. Which we have been informed there is still about a 30 to 40min wait. Ughhhh, there goes my Saturday and I am starving. I’ll update this review once I get to the top.
For people with kids, come back on a non-​holiday weekend. It is very boring standing in long lines for over an hour or two.
Alright, got to the top after waiting almost 2 hours. San Antonio views are nice but not very exciting. Just a lot of construction views and blank roof tops. I have no idea why they were only allowing about 10 – 15 people in groups at a time. The observatory can clearly accommodate 50 people or more without feeling overly crowded. Anyway, would I go back? Probably not unless it was free. Have fun if you go.

Not worth the money. It’s $ 10.50 to go up to the observation deck to look out over San Antonio. It takes you about 10 minutes to walk all the way around the observation deck if you take your time. The view isn’t that impressive, it just looks like a city. you are basically paying for a $ 10 elevator ride. Spend your money somewhere else.