San Antonio – The Alamo. A hallowed place to Texans who can still hear the battle cries coming from the walls of this sacred site in Texas. This place is only part of the reason 1836 resonates in the hearts of those who love our state. But the outcome of the Texas revolution didn’t just play a role in our state’s history, it played a role in our country’s history and the folks who take care of this Texas treasure are able to tell that story better than ever. “Obviously it’s a big responsibility, but we’ve got a great team here at the Alamo, so everybody shares that responsibility together,” said Kate Rogers.
Kate is the Executive Director of the Alamo Trust and leads the reigns of the Alamo’s multi million-dollar renovation plan. “The last time that the Alamo Complex received a major investment of this kind was in 1936 for the hundredth anniversary, and that’s when a lot of the structures that we all remember growing up, so like Alamo Hall, which was an event space for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the current gift shop, which started off as a museum under the Daughters of the Republic leadership,” said Kate. “Those buildings were all added during that time as were the gardens themselves. So this is only the second time in its 300 year history that the Alamo has gone through a major transformation like this.”
While it’s not quite finished yet, the new exhibits and buildings on hand have grown significantly since our last visit. “A $550 million transformation largely funded by the state of Texas,” said Kate. “We received 400 million during the last legislative session. So this new structure, a lot of people don’t realize it’s here. The new Mission Gate and Lunette, the 18-pounder exhibit, the Palisade, the new San Antonio de Valero Park. A lot of people don’t know those are open, and that’s only the beginning.”
Ernesto Rodriguez is the senior curator at the Alamo and he’s been here for over 25 years. He couldn’t wait to show off their newest addition, the Ralston Family Collections Center. “There’s a lot of things that have happened since the last time we spoke,” said Ernesto. “This place is moving and shaking. It’s a dream come true because right now what’s happening is everyone has come together for a common goal, and that’s to be able to tell the story of the Alamo all 300 years in the best way possible.”
While the Alamo itself is the sight that most come to see, there’s a ton of artifacts from the battle and beyond that are important for telling this tale of Texas history. “It allowed us to increase the number of artifacts that are on display by five times,” said Kate. “A lot of our visitors don’t realize that we have a collection this big. And over the last year, our amazing curatorial team has been adding literally hundreds of artifacts to the collection that will help us tell the full story.”
Some of the exhibits showcase the history of the Alamo prior to the battle, featuring works of art and other cultural displays. “So one of the things that we have in our collection is we just acquired this and it’s a painting of Benjamin Rush Milam,” said Ernesto. “And so this is an original painting done in life. He’s wearing his 1812 uniform. And what’s really impressive about this painting is that it lets us tell the story of one of the Alamo’s precursors. Before we got the Alamo, there was a battle in San Antonio called The Battle of Béxar. He’s one of those men that is a hero to Texas history because he leads this charge fighting for Texas independence. Defender paintings are really hard to come by, and even Benjamin Rush Milam’s painting was hard to come by, but we’re really proud to have it. It’s one of those paintings that’s been used in so many books and now the Alamo has it in its collection so that it’ll be protected forever.”
One of the biggest additions to the Alamo is a collection of artifacts donated by Texas history buff and musician Phil Collins. It includes a massive diorama of the Alamo, and Collin’s himself narrates the story about the attack on the Alamo. “The Phil Collins Diorama is definitely a visitor favorite,” said Kate. “So this diorama was part of the Phil Collins collection that he gifted to the state of Texas back in 2014. At the time he gave it to the state, it was valued at 20 million.”
Collins’ collection also includes fragments from the active days of the Alamo. “One of the pieces that really attracts a lot of attention is this cavalry helmet, about 1820s to about 1840s,” said Ernesto. “And so what’s really special is that it still has this horse hair mane. It has the pom-pom on the side and it’s leather. So for it to last this long is really rare with all of its objects that go with it, the chin scales. And so it’s a really interesting piece because it survived so long.”
One of Santa Anna’s swords, several cannonballs, and firearms owned by Alamo defenders are a few things you’ll find here, but the ring owned by William Barrett Travis is a truly notable treasure. “One of the objects in our collection that’s also very, very small is Travis’s ring,” said Ernesto. “Now Travis, right before the end, he takes the ring off and he puts a little string around it and he hangs it on the neck of Angelina Dickinson, the daughter of Almeron and Susanna Dickinson. And he says, ‘Can you make sure my son gets this?’ Unfortunately, Charles will never get it. Angelina will grow up, she’ll give it to her husband, he’ll fight a civil war and it’ll be passed down. And then it comes to us in 1955. Now why 1955? Fess Parkers TV show. It draws a lot of attention for the Alamo and a lot of items start coming in, as does the John Wayne movie in 1960, as does the sesquicentennial in 1986. And so objects start coming in. Right now with our giant project of telling the story of the Alamo’s 300 year history through a new museum, it’s gained that attention as well so people are giving us items that belong to the people of Texas and telling the story.”
The new Mission Gate is now part of the Alamo grounds and showcases what the entrance to the fort might have looked like. There’s also a new augmented reality experience in the long barracks showing how the Alamo has evolved and changed over the years. The cenotaph is undergoing a massive restoration and will not be moved from its current location. And in 2027, the new visitors center and museum are scheduled to open, but the main attraction continues to be the site itself and the story it tells of the Texians who took on Santa Anna and his men nearly 200 years ago. “Most Texans have come here and they’ve checked the box and said, ‘I’ve been there, done that, seen that,’” said Kate. “I would challenge you. So we have people come all the time, every day and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I had no idea all of this was happening.’ So many layers upon layers of history that happened here. And we should all be so proud of it because it’s really the root of our identity as Texans and our great pride as Texans.”