The Torch of Friendship, San Antonio, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Torch of Friendship (La Antorcha de la Amistad) is a large abstract sculpture on Losoya Street in downtown San Antonio, Texas. It was given by Mexico to the city around HemisFair in 1968 and stands as a symbol of the friendship between the two neighbours. It sits close to the River Walk and the Hemisfair area, so it is easy to fit into a downtown stroll.

The story behind it

The sculpture is a gift from Mexico, created by the Mexican artist Sebastián for the 1968 world's fair, HemisFair, which reshaped this part of San Antonio. Its name says what it is for: a gesture of friendship between Mexico and the United States, in a city whose history is tied closely to both.

Like many public artworks, it has been a target for graffiti more than once, and crews have had to clean it and restore its finish. Downtown also has a food footnote. The Church's Chicken chain began in San Antonio in 1952, with its first restaurant in the area near the Alamo, which gives this stretch of the city a surprising place in fast-food history.

What to look for

• The sculpture's angular, abstract shape, where bold geometric forms seem to rise and lean together like a flame.
• The bright painted finish, which stands out against the glass, stone and greenery around it.
• The way the piece changes as you walk around it, so look at it from several sides rather than only the street.
• The mix of old and new in the surroundings, with the River Walk, convention buildings and Hemisfair's 1968 legacy all within a short walk.

Tips for your visit

• It is an outdoor sculpture on a public street, so you can see it at any time, and there is nothing to enter. A stop of 10 to 15 minutes is plenty.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon for softer light and for photos with fewer people in them.
• Combine it with nearby sights: the River Walk, Hemisfair park and the Alamo are all a short walk away.
• Downtown is hot for much of the year, so bring water and wear comfortable shoes if you plan to keep walking.

See it on a quest

Crash the Wedding: Save Lily in Romantic San Antonio passes the Torch of Friendship on foot as one stop of a longer route through downtown. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so the sculpture becomes something to look at closely. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Dorothy’s Quest: The Trials of Oz in San Antonio is another way to reach it, with an Oz theme running through the walk. You move from place to place through the area, hear about each stop as you get there and solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.