America's 'most disappointing' tourist attraction is getting a $550M makeover - ... trends now
The birthplace of Texas liberty is getting a $550 million makeover after being dubbed one of the America's most disappointing tourist attractions.
Work is underway to restore the famous Alamo to what it looked like during the time of the 1836 Texas Revolution and enhance the visitor experience.
But the project has sparked uproar among business owners who have since built on top of and around the site.
Some have shut up shop, selling their precious real estate to developers only for it to be torn down. One was forced to leave through the use of eminent domain when the city took him to court.
The Alamo, where some 200 heroes died after refusing to surrender to the Mexican Army in an effort to gain independence for Texas, attracts a huge 2.5 million visitors every year.
But many are surprised there isn't much to do after a quick visit to the Alamo church and a stop inside the gift shop for a Davy Crockett coonskin cap.
The Alamo most visitors know is actually just the church, whose façade is known around the world, and the neighboring Long Barracks
The Alamo was under siege by the Mexican Army in 1836, who promised to crush rebellious American settlers in Texas. After 13 days of fighting, every Texas rebel fighting for Texas independence was killed on March 6, but their deaths helped give birth to the fight for Texas independence from Mexico
Construction has been underway at the Alamo in recent years to bring new structures to life
A rendering of what the Alamo complex looked like in 1836
The average person spent just eight minutes at the historical site in 2016, prompting the state and City of San Antonio to reimagine the space.
'The Alamo has been consistently listed as one of the most disappointing landmarks in our nation,' said George P. Bush in 2017, who was then the commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, the custodian of the Alamo.
'It is our simple goal to improve the visitor experience for guests and all Texans.'
The Alamo Plan was hatched that year with the three goals in mind.
The first is to preserve the 300-year-old church and existing Long Barrack - which is what most people who have been to the Alamo have seen in years past.
The mission itself was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 and is actually a shrine - the most sacred and revered place for most Texans.
The Long Barracks were originally quarters and offices for Spanish missionaries.
Phase 1 of the Alamo Plan calls for the Alamo Church and Long Barracks to be preserved
The Alamo Trust has amassed $504 million to bring the Alamo into a new era
An aerial view of what the Alamo will look like after work is completed in 2027
During the Battle of the Alamo, many Texas defenders ended up in the barracks and made their last stand against Santa Anna's soldiers there.
The second pillar of the Alamo Plan aims to recapture the original footprint of the 4.5 acre compound in 1836 that includes homes, schools and was a full community.
After securing $550 million in funds for the renovation, construction started in 2016 to dig up the original perimeter.
An immediate problem is that modern-day San Antonio has been built on top of the Alamo's ruins.
Some structures have been added while the state and city got to work clearing the way in places where existing businesses and buildings were located.
Anyone visiting the monument today can see the Palisade, the defensive wall fortified with canons where it's believed Davy Crockett and others from Tennessee were positioned during the final battle.
The Palisade, the defensive wall fortified with canons where it's believed Davy Crockett and others from Tennessee where positioned during the final battle of the Alamo, was added in 2021
Alamo commander Col. William B. Travis led the rebels in the famous battle
An 18-pounder canon exhibit now stands at what would have been the southwest corner of the complex during 1836.
There is also an 18-pounder canon exhibit at what would have been the southwest corner of the complex during 1836.
The canon was famously fired when the Mexican army, which greatly outnumbered the Texas rebels, flew a flag of no quarter, which means surrender or die.
Colonel William B. Travis defiantly opened fire from that spot in response.
The new additions are interpretations, not recreations, "explained Dr. Kate Rogers, the executive director of the Alamo Trust.
'Its means that these are modern interpretations of what these structures would have looked like,' she added.
'It takes a lot of time and research on the work of Alamo historians, alongside, outside experts and archeologists.
The final part of the new vision calls for the creation of a five-story visitor center
