Ending an occupation that lasted longer than the Texas Revolution itself, the tourist attractions in the buildings directly facing the shrine of Texas liberty have agreed to relocate after two decades in business.
The General Land Office (GLO) announced on Wednesday that the tenants of the historic Woolworth and Palace buildings will terminate their leases. Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, Tomb Rider 3D, and the Guinness World Records Museum will stop doing business by September 1 and vacate the buildings by the end of October to make room for the upcoming Alamo Museum.
The much-anticipated decision is the latest development in efforts to reclaim the original battlefield footprint and invest the site with a more deserving sense of awe.
“We owe it to every Texan to protect the sacred shrine of liberty and independence. Our goal is to tell the story of the battle of 1836 and showcase Texas’ bravest Defenders who gave their lives for freedom,” Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush said.
“This agreement is an instrumental step forward in restoring reverence and dignity to the sacred Alamo grounds.”
Ripley’s Haunted Adventure has operated in the building since 2002. All the businesses are under the management of Phillips Entertainment.
Though the state bought the buildings in 2015 for the museum, the Phillips leases remained active.
The Alamo Museum is set to be completed in March 2026. Local and state leaders of the Alamo Plan broke ground on the Exhibition Hall and Collections Building — the first new structures actually built under the Alamo Plan — in August.
Managing the Alamo is one of the GLO’s duties and has become a key issue in the race to replace Bush as Texas Land Commissioner.
Though the Alamo itself falls under the GLO’s purview, the City of San Antonio runs the plaza and a nonprofit group called Alamo Trust stewards the site.
Cooperation between these three entities has been slow, but the San Antonio City Council approved a plan to redevelop the plaza in April.
Texas lawmakers from both parties have attempted to wrest control of the site, the plan, and the cenotaph from its current bureaucratic milieu.
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