Relearning the Alamo
This last week, our Public History class had the great opportunity to visit the Alamo and see part of Fortress Alamo: The Key to Texas exhibit. I’ll say that even though I have been near the Alamo numerous times over the last decade, I hadn’t made the trek to visit inside. I’m not sure what my expectations were but suffice it to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the new exhibit and the way it tells a part of the Alamo story. Even though I consider myself an Alamo enthusiast, I would say that I learned a lot from this exhibit. If you haven’t been to the Alamo recently, I would encourage you to take the time to go downtown and spend some time learning about this unique part of Texas history.
What is the history of the Alamo as a military post?
The exhibit room has an interactive piece that allows for visitors to share what connection they have to the military history of San Antonio. I enjoyed seeing this as an effective way to engage visitors in seeing the Alamo and its long history of serving as a military outpost that played such a pivotal role in the story of Texas stretching back even farther than the commonly referenced 1836 battle. As you enter the rest of the exhibit, there are many important artifacts that showcase and highlight what battle was like throughout different periods of Texas history. There are guns, rifles, powder horns, knives, bow and arrows as well as shields made of Buffalo hide. While I have photos of these various artifacts, I believe the best way to learn is to go and see these artifacts for yourself and imagine what battle with these weapons might have been like.
The Long Barracks
The second part of our tour as a class was a visit to the Long Barracks of the Alamo which had some interesting window artwork that allow you to imagine different periods of Alamo history. The Long Barracks did two important things at once. First, it reminded you that you were standing in a historic space. Second, it made good use of space to show artifacts and tell the history of the Alamo and also engage your imagination with the use of technology. Towards the end of the Long Barracks there is a space that simulates a 3D image of modern day Alamo Plaza that can quickly switch over to what the Alamo looked like in 1836.
What’s next? Telling more of the story
As someone who has studied the Battle of the Alamo and has recently visited the new exhibit I can confidently say I was pleasantly surprised with how different the experience was from ten years ago on my last visit. Dr. Bruce Winders, Curator of the Alamo and Ernesto Rodriguez III, Associate Curator have done an excellent job of telling the story of the Alamo in the space they have. Although the details of the siege of 1836 have been widely told there is much more story to tell. I enjoyed seeing some of the artwork and photos that were a part of this exhibit including paintings and photos lent as a courtesy of the Bexar Archives as well as the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. These pieces start to help us to more fully understand the history of San Antonio and yet they don’t fully tell the story. The story of Texas is the story of the Alamo and how it has stood the test of time and the many changes that 300 years of history has brought its way. I am hopeful that with the recent interest and debate over the 300 years of San Antonio history that we move forward with a plan to more fully tell the story of the Alamo and San Antonio, Texas.
This trip was awesome. Similar to your experience, I had not been to the Alamo is so long. In fact, as a kid, I think I had only been to the church. I liked Fortress part of the trip aswell; it gave many examples of some of the stuff we have been learning. I think if anything, I wish they would give more credit to the natives who were in the area at the time and the role they played
Great post and a really fun class field trip too! The last time I visited the Alamo was on a school field trip. In our History and Museums course we learned about the wide variety of educational offerings the Alamo has which is very impressive, especially considering they have a tiny staff. I think its an excellent educational experience for all ages and I’m happy to see they are continually evolving to offer better programs for the public. I also look forward to a more fully told story because I think with the renovation they have potential to so much more.
Don’t forget the coconut!!! I was glad we got to talk about our impressions of the Alamo in class, as I do feel that it makes a different impact on each student. While it did have its shortcomings, I totally see the positives you express in your post!
Wow Glory, way to be subtle about it. I actually started laughing a bit reading your comment! Also, you are right. the visit was sure to leave a different impact/impression on each student for sure. I was amazed to see the different pieces that to me had no place in The Alamo’s vast treasury of articles.
This was a great visit to The Alamo for me! Being able to enter the vault and see some of the Alamo treasures made for an interesting story after the fact. It seems the word “vault” causes an awe-effect. Thank you for a recollection of the tour F.