Vintage Video Shows Texas Tourist Attraction 80 Years Ago

It's always fun to get a glimpse of the past, especially when you can see it alongside a direct comparison of what things are like today. And videos showing exactly the way things used to be are quite rare.

My San Antonio reported that one family's video shows what the San Antonio River Walk looked like 80 years, and the difference is definitely noticeable. Generations of tourists have strolled along the River Walk for years, as the attraction has evolved over time.

So what did it look like 80 years ago?

The footage shows a much less-populated area than today. Popular spots along the River Walk are highlighted in the four-minute video, like the Arneson River Theater.

The Texas Archives website explains that the video was a home movie shot in the early 1940s by the Mayer family. The family toured old Spanish buildings and then walked along a nearly-empty River Walk.

You can check out the vintage footage on the Texas Archives website.