Little Church of La Villita, San Antonio

Little Church of La Villita, San Antonio

Built in the 19th century in the middle of La Villita, the first settlement of San Antonio, right off the River Walk, this church has been the best known local landmark. With its cornerstone laid on March 2, 1879, the Little Church of La Villita was established by the local community out of need to have a place for worship, weddings and baptizing. Over the years, several denominations have held services here. Today, this is an active non-denominational temple, welcoming all visitors. Lovingly restored and maintained, this little gem in the heart of downtown San Antonio still features the original Neo-Gothic exterior introduced by European settlers.

While small in appearance, the limestone walled church with its beautiful stained glass backdrop
really isn't that small, capable of holding up to 50+ people comfortably. The surrounding area is a festive compound with art shops and the entrance to the nearby beautiful San Antonio River Walk. Right across the street is Hemisphere Park and Convention Center, and three blocks away is the Historic Alamo mission.

The first full weekend of each April, the Little Church puts on the Annual Starving Artist Show. Church services are held here every Sunday at 11am, and Prayer Service on Thursdays at 11am.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Antonio. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Little Church of La Villita on Map

Sight Name: Little Church of La Villita
Sight Location: San Antonio, USA (See walking tours in San Antonio)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in San Antonio, Texas

Create Your Own Walk in San Antonio

Create Your Own Walk in San Antonio

Creating your own self-guided walk in San Antonio is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
King William Historical District Tour

King William Historical District Tour

San Antonio’s first “suburb” and the very first historical district in Texas, revitalized during the 1960s, the King William District encompasses 25 blocks south of downtown and east of the San Antonio River.

Back in the late 1800s, it was the most elegant residential area in the city. Settled by German immigrants, the neighborhood was named after Kaiser Wilhelm of Prussia and...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
River Walk Tour

River Walk Tour

The San Antonio River Walk (also known as Paseo del Río or simply The River Walk) is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of the city. A successful special-case pedestrian street, this walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting major tourist draws and attractions that add to its...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles
San Antonio Introduction Walking Tour

San Antonio Introduction Walking Tour

San Antonio, one of Texas' major cities, boasts rich colonial heritage. The city was named by a 1691 Spanish expedition for Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is June 13. At the time of European encounter, the area near the San Antonio River Valley was inhabited by Payaya Indians who called it Yanaguana, the "refreshing waters".

In 1709, Spanish Father Antonio de Olivares...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles