Visit San Antonio, the city’s official tourism marketing organization, continues to expand “Virtual San Antonio,” a robust site full of San Antonio virtual tours, educational resources, DIY demonstrations, stories of local heroes, cool downloadable tools, and more. As many people “armchair” travel from home, there’s time to dream about the next vacation, the family getaway, the joy and freedom of future travel.

“Virtual San Antonio is a fantastic resource during this time. It is a one-stop round-up of virtual offerings, experiences and creative approaches from our hospitality community. As people work from home and connect digitally through social media, it offers San Antonio-themed tools, and reminds folks of all that our city has to offer, how scenic and unique San Antonio is, and the philanthropic heart of our industry and community,” said Casandra Matej, President & CEO, Visit San Antonio.

Virtual San Antonio welcomes visitors with a section on Art & Culture. Here, visitors can delve into museums and cultural institutions with digital art, online tours, interactive virtual experiences and more. Walk the San Antonio Museum of Art exhibitions, explore the galleries of the McNay Art Museum, get “hands on” virtually with children’s activities at The Witte Museum, story time at the DoSeum children’s museum, just for starters. Delve into the American West virtually the Briscoe, walk room by room taking in fine and decorative art at Villa Finale, on the National Trust for Historic Preservation. History comes alive with portals to a digital battlefield at the Alamo, “Parks to Go” and Junior Ranger activities at the San Antonio Missions National Park.

The Attractions section offers everything from online chats with animal specialists at the San Antonio Zoo to the San Antonio Botanical Center’s #BloomstoYou digital programs, kid’s nature activities, fresh-picked recipes and tips for creating a beautiful landscape at home. Crafts and lessons from Natural Bridge Caverns, wildlife and educational resources at SeaWorld San Antonio, story time at Morgan’s Wonderland are just a sample of resources in this section.

Virtual Celebrations and Events – Visitors love the non-stop fiesta spirit of San Antonio and this section is a calendar of activities ranging from virtual art shows, open mic poetry sessions, distance learning, even music and dance lessons from traditional favorites such as the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and more.

The Virtual Wellness section invites all to San Antonio-style offerings in self-care with virtual yoga and meditation sessions. Some of the city’s peaceful and picturesque parks and wide open spaces are featured, including Confluence Park, San Pedro Creek Culture Park, San Antonio Missions National Park, the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas, among others and feature a unique Zen Zoo Live yoga with animals at the San Antonio Zoo. A pastoral blooming backdrop at the San Antonio Botanical Center offers at-home workout routines, and virtual walks through its scenic grounds.

DIY Demonstrations is a one-stop resource for great recipes, and even a step-by-step demo on how to make the perfect San Antonio margarita at home.

Local Heroes – a heart-warming round up of stories on how the San Antonio community has stepped up in mutual support and citywide efforts during this time of COVID-19. Those featured include one company that went from a devastating fire to creating the “In This Together” citywide movement, all proceeds benefitting front line workers. Local Heroes showcases restaurateurs like Chef Johnny Hernandez who transformed one of his restaurant spaces into a grocery market providing essentials with special hours for medical professionals and first responders, and other programs with a focus on how the hospitality community serves hospitals, those on the front lines, and supports their own as well. For example, local chef Jason Dady opened HospitALLity House, providing free meals for hospitality workers; Maverick Whiskey went from producing fine spirits to crafting hand sanitizer. Centro San Antonio’s creative team has placed more than 50 hand-crafted heart shaped signs around downtown claming “Si se puede SA!” (Yes, you can, SA).

Downloadables is a handy Virtual San Antonio section where visitors can download scenic backdrops for video calls like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and fun emojis of local icons such as the Alamo, a margarita and more. Video conference meetings as if one is sitting on the famous River Walk or at the Alamo will serve as reminders as to why the city is a favorite for leisure and business travelers. Visitors can nab the “In This Together San Antonio” frame for their Facebook profile photos.

Virtual San Antonio is continually being updated, so visitors should check back often for the latest information and options to experience San Antonio from home, as the city looks forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy its renowned mix of family fun, historic and cultural attractions and delicious cuisine in full capacity once the current precautions are lifted.