Alamo expansion hits milestone with new entrance

State of play: The original mission site and battleground were much larger than what generations of Alamo visitors have seen as they wandered through the church and barracks.

• But downtown development in the late 1800s enveloped the original site, Alamo spokesperson Emily Baucum tells Axios.
• The goal of the Alamo Plan, which includes the new gate, is to recapture some of the area.

Zoom in: The gate was constructed by Carlos Cortes, the San Antonio concrete artist who also created The Grotto near the Museum Reach of the River Walk.

• The "layered history" of the Alamo as a Spanish mission and eventually a fort is represented in the entrance, per The Alamo Trust.
• Baucum says panels on the gate's walls chronicle the landmark's history, including how the irrigation system connected the Alamo to the other four missions.

• Bronze reliefs crafted by artist George Nelson will accompany the panels to help visitors visualize how the area looked.

What's next: The expanded area surrounding the church and barracks will be designated as the Alamo District, closed off to vehicle traffic.

• The Alamo Visitor Center and Museum is expected to open in 2027 across the street from the landmark, in the Crockett and Woolworth buildings.