Name

• Originally a mission, this fortress was called Alamo in the 1800s to honor "Alamo de Parras," the hometown of the Mexican soldiers stationed there.
  
  

Basics

• The complex occupies 4.2 acres at 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas. It's open every day except Christmas Eve and Day. Admission is free.
  
  

Defenders

• Among the defenders Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and William Travis, we know only how the last man died. Travis' slave, Joe, who survived the battle, was with him. Travis died defending the north wall.
  
  

Shrine

• Once an old church, the Shrine commemorates the lives of the defenders with artifacts like Crockett's vest, Travis' ring and a rifle used in battle.
  
  

Long Barrack Museum

• The Long Barrack Museum contains exhibits showing how the mission evolved into a fort and a theater that plays a History Channel film about the Alamo.