SeaWorld San Antonio

If you are visiting San Antonio, one of the popular tourist attractions is SeaWorld. SeaWorld San Antonio opened its doors in 1988 to much fanfare and has been a tourist staple every since. It is a popular San Antonio destination for families, visitors and local residents.

The park was opened by Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich (HBJ), a text book seller who also had SeaWorld theme parks in Ohio, San Diego and Orlando. Due to the threat of a hostile takeover, HBJ sold their theme parks to beer brewers Anheuser-Busch.

Under the new ownership, SeaWorld San Antonio went from an educational and entertainment park to a full-blown theme park. SeaWorld San Antonio currently has several first-class roller coasters and water rides, in addition to a popular water park and of course, the animal shows.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Hours and Location:

SeaWorld San Antonio is open from early March to late December, but hours vary. Generally the park is open 10:00am – 8:00pm during the week in the summer with extended hours on the weekend. Check theirs park hours and schedule for details.

To get to SeaWorld San Antonio, follow the directions and check out the map on the SeaWorld website.

SeaWorld San Antonio Admission:

• Adult One Day Ticket: $56.99
• Child One Day Ticket: $48.99 (ages 3-9)

There are always specials from SeaWorld San Antonio, including 4-packs, season passes, group discounts, two-day discounts and online ticketing. Visit the ticket page of their website for details.

SeaWorld San Antonio Rides:

SeaWorld San Antonio has four roller coasters –- The Great White, the Steel Eel, Shamu Express (kids coaster) and the Journey to Atlantis, which is half roller coaster, half water ride. It is the first of its kind anywhere in North America.

Water rides include the Texas Splashdown, the Rio Loco raft ride, and several water slides in the Lost Lagoon water park.

SeaWorld San Antonio Exhibits:

Everyone knows about Shamu, but SeaWorld has several other animal exhibits that do not include performance shows such as at Shamu Stadium. These include the aviary habitats (flamingo, ducks, geese and more), Clydesdale Hamlet featuring the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses, Dolphin Cove where you can pet and feed the dolphins, Penguin Encounter, Seal and Sea Lion Community, Sharks/Coral Reef habitat and more.

SeaWorld San Antonio for Kids:

There are several attractions at SeaWorld San Antonio meant for the little ones. They include Jumpin’ Jungle where two tots are slowly bounced up and down on a two-story ride, a Ferris wheel called Pete’s Pinwheel, the Shamu Express mini roller coaster, the sea and tropical-themed Shamu’s Happy Harbor playland and Virgil’s Paint Mixer, a teacup-like ride for kids and adults to share.

More About SeaWorld San Antonio:

The Boardwalk area has an arcade and a variety of cash games for prizes that mirrors traditional boardwalks with such games as skeeball and basketball.

The Sea Star Theater is a 4-D movie theater that plays the Pirates! 3-D movie continuously and is a good way to get out of the sun for a little while during the day.

The Lost Lagoon is a water park within SeaWorld San Antonio that features water slides, an activity pool, a wading pool specifically for little ones and a wave wash pool. The Lost Lagoon is only open from May-September and may have different hours than the rest of the park during that time.

There are many other additions to SeaWorld San Antonio that can be explored. For example, you can purchase the Ultimate Seafari Tour that allows you to get into the park early before the crowd to begin your day, and to forgo long lines for rides with a special pass.

You can also dine with Shamu buffet-style for an extra fee at Shamu Stadium, take a behind-the-scenes tour and even a backstage tour of Shamu and the Beluga Stadiums. Prices vary for these additional tours and they are seasonal in nature.

SeaWorld San Antonio Vacations:

SeaWorld San Antonio works with several hotels in the area. You can choose from one of their vacation packages that allows kids to play free at SeaWorld and stay free at the participating hotels and resorts.

SeaWorld San Antonio this Summer:

During SeaWorld Summer Nights 2009, you can enjoy two new shows and several favorites from June 12 – Aug 9, 2009. Shows include:

• Shamu Rocks Texas
• Sea Lions Tonight
• Cool Vibrations
• Pirates Plunder
• Haunted Lighthouse
• Viva! Show (featuring beluga whales and Pacific white side dolphins)

They also have special 4th of July Celebrations happening on July 3 and July 4, 2009. Get more details and order tickets from the SeaWorld website.