Trinity University was founded in 1869 by Cumberland Presbyterians in the tiny town of Tehuacana, moved to Waxahachie in 1902 and to San Antonio in 1942, and finally settled in 1952 on an abandoned limestone quarry north of downtown. Architect O'Neil Ford, working with Bartlett Cocke, turned that rugged site into a hillside village of red brick and exposed concrete, and in 2018 the campus was listed on the National Register as a historic district of mid-century modern design. This walk follows the campus from the top of the old quarry cliff down to the lower campus, taking in the bell tower, the chapel, the library and the arts buildings. Expect some stairs and a loop of about a mile.
Trinity University's campus is a work of architecture in its own right. After moving from Tehuacana to Waxahachie and then to San Antonio, the school settled in 1952 on an abandoned limestone quarry north of downtown, and architect O'Neil Ford, working with Bartlett Cocke, turned that rugged ground into a hillside village of red brick and exposed concrete. In 2018 the whole Skyline Campus was listed on the National Register as a historic district of mid-century modern design, and this walk is the best way to see why.
The old quarry still shapes everything: a cliff about 20 feet high splits the grounds into upper and lower levels, and Ford stacked buildings along the slope so walkways and native plantings stitch them together. Rising from the quarry's edge is Murchison Tower, a 166-foot brick bell tower with English-cast bells and an octagonal copper cap that was for a time the highest point in San Antonio. Look, too, for the thrifty lift-slab construction of the earliest buildings, where concrete floors were poured on the ground and jacked into place.
The emotional high point is Margarite B. Parker Chapel, whose parabolic brick arches soar about 57 feet. Its hammered lead doors, stained glass by Ruth Dunn and Charles Umlauf's sculpture "Christ of the Open Arms" make it a small museum of mid-century craft, and its pipe organ is often called one of the largest in South Texas. The walk also takes in Coates Library and the Ruth Taylor Fine Arts Complex.
Expect some stairs, a loop of under a mile, and some of the finest modernist campus design in Texas.
It is a self-guided walking tour: 8 stops, about 0.8 miles, ~50 min. Go at your own pace; the app keeps your place.
Where does it start?
In San Antonio, Texas. The exact starting point, the full stop list and turn-by-turn directions are in the TexasRoam app.
How do I take this tour?
Download TexasRoam for iPhone or iPad from the App Store. The tour is included with TexasRoam+. It is not available on the web map.
When is the best time to go?
Walk in daylight and allow for stairs between the upper and lower campus; for a look inside Parker Chapel or Laurie Auditorium, check Trinity's events calendar, since many concerts and lectures are open to the public.
Take the “Trinity University Campus Tour”
Texas Roam guides you turn by turn through San Antonio with maps, audio narration and check-ins as you go — plus all 8 stops on this tour and every guided tour, hiking trail and historical marker across Texas. Get it on the App Store.
Guided tours & hiking trails are available only in the TexasRoam app for iPhone & iPad — not on the web map. Free to download; unlock with TexasRoam+.
