The improved campus will include a grand entrance to provide a strong presence on Broadway, while the entire campus will be reoriented to embrace the San Antonio River. Open storage and display for the Witte’s prized collection is part of the plan, keeping the entire collection on the campus and well protected, while also assuring that most of it is available to the public at all times.
The Witte was founded in 1926 as the “third entrance to Brackenridge Park” and “along the bend in the river.” Today, it serves a citywide and regional audience of 300,000 people annually, 125,000 of whom are school-aged children and 55,000 of whom are admitted free each year. In addition, when the Witte tells the story of South Texas in exhibitions and programs, it attracts visitors from 225 counties in Texas and all 50 states. A 2008 survey shows that 85% of Bexar Metropolitan citizens have visited the Witte Museum and that 71% intend to visit within a year. These are statistics that most museums strive to achieve.
However, the Witte's ability to serve an increased local and visitor population is limited by the bounds of the campus and facilities. Consider these pressing needs:
- While The Witte serves 125,000 school-aged children each year, the campus has the capacity to serve only 28,000 in special programs of extended learning.
- Blockbuster exhibits such as the Vatican, Leonardo de Vinci, King Tut, and the Titanic, require 10,000-square-foot galleries with 15-foot ceilings. The Witte is the logical place to host such shows, but larger facilities are needed.
In preparation for the Witte campus expansion plan, the City of San Antonio in 2009 completed a 315-car parking garage in Brackenridge Park, adjacent to the Witte Museum. This provides valuable free parking for Witte visitors and events. |
