San Antonio tourist attractions Ripley’s, Guinness to leave Alamo Plaza early for museum

Three downtown tourist attractions will vacate their buildings early to make way for a major component in the Alamo Plaza makeover.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced on Wednesday that Tomb Rider 3D: Adventure Ride and Arcade, the Guinness World Records Museum and Ripley’s Haunted Adventure agreed to terminate their leases in the Woolworth and Palace Buildings.

The tenants, which operate under the management of Phillips Entertainment, agreed to stop retail operations on Sept. 1 and vacate the property by Oct. 31, a news release states. The tenants have operated there since 2002.

That frees up the buildings — located at 327 and 329 Alamo Plaza and 518 E. Houston St. — for construction of the Alamo Museum and Visitors Center.

The museum and visitors center is among the key elements in the Alamo Plan, which also calls for closing down area streets to vehicular traffic, restoring historic buildings at the site and constructing an Exhibit Hall & Collections Building.

The exhibit hall is scheduled for completion this year, and the museum is expected to launch in 2025.

“This agreement is an instrumental step forward in restoring reverence and dignity to the sacred Alamo grounds,” Bush said in the release.

Phillips Entertainment also operates the Texas Ranger Museum, the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum and the Amazing Mirror Maze downtown.

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