The Witte Museum, situated between the ancient San Antonio River and San Antonio's historic Broadway, serves as an intersection of nature, science, and culture. The museum's highlights include:
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Campus: The museum occupies a sprawling riverside campus with large galleries, captivating architecture, and lush gardens.
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Exhibitions: The exhibits range from fossilized specimens from the Cretaceous period, artifacts from ancient times, to the 1719 Acequia Madre de Valero and Diversion Dam from the Spanish period. It also hosts multiple blockbuster touring exhibitions annually.
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Accessibility: The Witte has been hosting Free Tuesday afternoons for over 30 years, provides scholarships for field trips, and is a proud participant in the Museums for All program.
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Renovation and Expansion: An extensive 170,000-square-feet renovation and expansion was completed in 2017. Now, the museum is expanding even further, with the Dawson Family Hall and John R. and Greli N. Less Charitable Trust Science and Nature Courtyard set to open in May 2023.
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Visitor Experience: Each year, the Witte welcomes more than 350,000 visitors from around the world.
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Educational Impact: The museum serves as an innovative, primary-source content provider, engaging K-12 students in Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills-aligned curriculum and inquiry-based learning experiences. In 2024, the Witte is launching the Texas Museums 360, a digital and hands-on learning partnership with Space Center Houston.
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Collections: The Witte is a state and federally certified curatorial collection repository, housing around 320,000 artifacts and specimens. Specialties include archaeology, history, geology, and paleontology.
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Accreditation: As an American Alliance of Museum Accredited Museum and a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Witte has maintained its high standards since its first accreditation in 1974.
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Symposium: Its annual event, The Conference on Texas, shares new discoveries about Texas history.
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Preservation: The Witte holds the preservation responsibility for the White Shaman Preserve and offers guided tours from September through May.
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Historical Buildings: The campus houses several historical buildings, including the Ruiz House, Navarro House, Twohig House, and Onderdonk’s art studio.
Founded by Ellen Schulz Quillin in 1926, the museum has been a staple of San Antonio's educational scene. It continues to honor its namesake, Alfred W. Witte, who bequeathed $65,000 in his will for a museum in Brackenridge Park.
The Witte Museum is open year-round except for Easter, the third Monday in October, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Hours of Operation are:
- Monday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Tuesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Wednesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Sunday noon - 5 p.m. Museum
Admission is free every Tuesday from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
The museum’s Free Tuesday hours are extended to 7 p.m. during summer months.
