Tower of the Americas, Observation tower in downtown San Antonio, United States.
The Tower of the Americas is a concrete observation tower in downtown San Antonio, United States, rising 229 meters (750 feet) above the city. The structure contains three floors with viewing decks and a rotating restaurant at the top.
The construction arose for HemisFair '68, a World's Fair event in 1968 that established San Antonio as an important urban center in Texas. The structure remained the tallest observation tower in the United States for 28 years until 1996.
The Chart House restaurant at the summit prepares regional Texas dishes while diners enjoy continuous views through the slowly rotating platform. The name recalls San Antonio's role as a gateway to the American continents and was chosen for the 1968 World's Fair.
Three glass high-speed elevators carry visitors to the viewing decks, which remain open until 10 PM Sunday through Thursday and 11 PM on weekends. The ride takes about 60 seconds and offers an initial glimpse of the surroundings through the elevator walls.
The base of the tower measures only 30 by 50 feet (9 by 15 meters), while the top reaches over 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter. This inverted design gives the structure its distinctive mushroom-like silhouette visible from large parts of the city.
Location: Texas
Inception: 1968
Architects: O'Neil Ford
Official opening: April 6, 1968
Floors above the ground: 3
Elevators: 3
Made from material: concrete
GPS coordinates: 29.41890,-98.48360
Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:58
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