Downtown San Antonio and the River Walk offer a plethora of dazzling holiday photo opportunities. However, I find it is very hard to get Instagram-worthy photos of my family with twinkling lights in the background. The pics never seem to come out right. Someone has red eye, the lights don’t show up whether I try the flash on or off, and strangers lurk in the background. So here is a list of some holiday photo opp locations that I suggest trying during the “golden hour” at dusk on a slower weekday night. Use your phone’s burst mode for several options, and try angles high and low. Start snapping and tag us in your photos (@AlamoCityMoms #alamocitymoms) so we can see all the fun!
Note: these are suggestions for non-professional photos. If you opt for a professional photo shoot, some locations may have fees or requirements, so plan in advance.
1. SeaWorld San Antonio’s Christmas Celebration—In addition to NINE MILLION lights, “the largest Christmas light display in Texas,” SeaWorld has designated interactive photo opp spots featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and friends throughout the park.
2. Six Flags Fiesta Texas’ Holidays In the Park—Santa’s Cottage provides the ultimate walk-through experience, where you can see the elves hard at work preparing toys for good girls and boys.
3. San Antonio Zoo Lights—The Zoo turns on its lights at 5:00 P.M., giving you plenty of time to snap photos before it gets too dark. Selfie stations, larger-than-life snowmen, a snow globe that can fit the entire family, camel rides, and of course the iconic lion sculpture at the front all offer fabulous holiday photo opportunities.
4. Holidays in Bloom at San Antonio Botanical Garden—Garlands, red ribbons, a bit of sparkle, and other holiday decorations jazz up the already picturesque Garden grounds.
5. Devine Acres Farm—It is always Christmas at Devine Acres! They have more than 20 acres of Christmas tree fields, rustic barns, and other picture-perfect setups.
6. Santa’s Railroad Wonderland at the Texas Transportation Museum—Pretty much everything on the 40-acre site is decorated for the holidays, from the model trains to the real locomotives. Perfect for the kids who love Thomas!
8. Magic Time Machine’s Christmas Booth—Our favorite special occasion restaurant for kids includes a Christmas booth area set up year-round. The fun and campy vibe would work perfectly with an ugly Christmas sweater theme.
9. Natural Bridge Cavern’s Christmas in the Caverns—For a super unique holiday photo, go underground in Texas’ largest and most spectacular cavern.
10. Mi Tierra Cafe in Market Square—Here, it looks like the holiday season year-round. Since Mi Tierra is open 24/7, try going for an early breakfast with the kids and take pictures in the morning before it gets too busy.
11. Morgan’s Wonderland’s A Wonderland Christmas—In addition to gorgeous decorations, Morgan’s Wonderland offers photos with The Wonder Squad (superheroes who turn their disabilities into super abilities), juggling elves, or therapy dogs who love a good holiday snuggle.
12. Old West Christmas Light Fest—Enchanted Springs Ranch is a quaint Western village with beautiful scenery, making it the perfect backdrop for holiday photos. It is usually reserved for private events and movies, but for Christmas, it is opening up to the general public. (Click here to read more about this awesome family-friendly event.)
13. The Texas Hill Country—Gruene, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Boerne, etc. all have stunning downtown decorations. Fredericksburg’s six-foot German Christmas pyramid at Marktplatz will totally dazzle your Instagram followers and serve as the perfect background for a gorgeous family photo.
14. The Pearl—The Pearl is an obvious choice, with many options for beautiful holiday photos including the tree on the main lawn, Hotel Emma, and funky storefront designs.
15. Any Spurs mural—Put on some Santa hats or elf ears and show some holiday love for the Spurs! San Antonio has several murals dedicated to our boys in silver and black, including the “I Love My Spurs” mural at 2202 Broadway St.