Historic
Preservation
Upcoming Programs at Villa Finale
PROGRAMMING AT VILLA FINALE
Please call Visitor Services during regular business hours at (210) 223-9800 for all program reservations or more information.Architecture-based tour of Villa Finale and its construction history. Light refreshments will be served concluding the tour.
May
5/2 - Villa Finale and King William: History through architecture with preservation architect, Lewis Fisher (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
Join us at Villa Finale for an engaging presentation by respected San Antonio preservation architect, Lewis Fisher as he discusses the interior and exterior architecture of Villa Finale, including the evolution of its construction. Mr. Fisher will also provide his unique insight on the architecture of King William’s residences and their historic preservation. Guests will be treated to a reception with light refreshments concluding the tour.
Lewis Fisher, AIA, is one of the founders of Fisher Heck Architects. His
efforts to revitalize commercial districts have lead to the
transformation of urban corridors, renewing their economic vitality and
restoring their urban and architectural character. Mr. Fisher is a past president of the King William Association and founder and first President of the Main Street Alliance that created Southtown. Fisher Heck, along with Main Street Architects, was one of the firms responsible for the most recent rehabilitation and repair-work at Villa Finale.
$15.00 members
$20.00 non-members
To create art is human! To create a drawing is to express yourself and have a good look at your subject! Villa Finale invites ten people to take a short tour of the house, choose an object in the museum’s vast collection, have a seat at a table with the object and draw it at their own pace and in their own style. Museum staff will be on hand to give information about the objects. All skill levels welcome.
The program is designed to allow participants to examine museum objects close at hand and learn about their structure, care and importance. Materials will be provided.
Drawing on Experience is free and open to the public, but reservations must be made no later than 4:00 pm, Friday, May 3rd. We encourage all participants to bring a brown bag lunch to enjoy on the grounds of Villa Finale after the program. Lawn blankets are welcome.
Donations to Villa Finale always appreciated!
5/11 – Mathis and Ford Homes: A grand tour for the historic preservation enthusiast (10:00am - 2:00pm)
Join Villa Finale’s Curator, Meg Nowack, for a grand tour of preservationist Walter Mathis and architect O’Neil Ford’s homes. Ford and Mathis forged a friendship over historic buildings, a shared venture about which they both were very passionate. The day will begin at 10 a.m. at the front gate of Villa Finale, Mathis’s beloved home in the King William National Historic District, where the group will take a tour of the house and learn about the influence Mathis and Ford had upon each other. After which, Nowack will guide the group down the street to Ford’s former office at 526 King William to tour the interior of the now private residence.
The grand tour will conclude with a drive to O’Neil and Wanda Ford’s fantastic and historic former residence at 7 Willow Way, near the Mission San Jose. The unique house is now the home of native San Antonian and local real estate developer, James Lifshutz, who restored it in 2005. Guests will be provided with drinks and a boxed lunch to enjoy in the intriguing gardens of Willow Way. Lifshutz will conclude the afternoon with an anecdote-filled tour of the Ford estate, and special guest Mary Lance will discuss the craft of Ford’s brother, Lynn. What better way to spend a Saturday during Preservation Month!
$50.00 members
$60.00 non-members
5/18 - Amazing Preservation Race for Kids! (Registration: 9:00am; Race begins: 9:30am)
Presented by San Antonio's Office of Historic Preservation, The Amazing Preservation Race for Kids will be held on Saturday, May 18, from 9:00 am to noon, in the King William Historic District! This scavenger hunt for elementary-aged kids includes a morning of fun activities, while participants learn about history, architecture, and preservation. With adult chaperones, kids will use clues to solve riddles as they search for destinations throughout the King William neighborhood. At each destination, an activity will be required in order to get the next clue. Food and drinks will be provided at the finish line. Free and open to elementary-aged children. Registration and starting line at the Villa Finale Visitor Center, 122 Madison Street.
Click here for the Office of Historic Preservation's website.
5/30 - The Architecture of Villa Finale tour (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
Come join us for this informative tour focusing on Villa Finale's history and architecture. Guests will have further time to enjoy the grounds with light refreshments following their tour.
$12.00 members
$15.00 non-members
June
6/21 - Al Fresco at the Villa (5:30pm - 8:00pm)Among the delights of summertime are picnics. Come celebrate the first day of summer with a refreshing outing on the beautiful grounds of Villa Finale, located along the San Antonio River in the historic King William District. Enjoy the shaded gardens as you feast on light hors d'oeuvres and chilled beverages while you relax to the sounds of live musical entertainment. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Guests are invited to bring picnic blankets, additional food items, and are strongly encouraged to wear their summer whites.
This event is for persons 21 and over only.
$25.00 for members per person or $45.00 per couple
$30.00 for non-members per person or $55.00 per couple
6/27 - Music for Your Eyes tour (6:30pm - 7:30pm)
Our most popular tour is back! Walter Mathis enhanced Villa Finale’s world of visual beauty by filling his home with the sounds of music. Guests to his home were treated to a unique visit as they toured Villa Finale’s collections while their ears were entertained by the musical delights of antique machines. In this popular tour, we recreate this experience by treating today’s visitors to demonstrations of some of the rare music machines in the Mathis collections including the automated 1921 Bechstein-Welte reproducing piano, located inside one of the home’s lavish parlors.
$10.00 members$20.00 non-members
More exciting programs coming soon - please check back with us!
Bring Your Brown Bag Lunch!Come enjoy your brown bag lunch on the beautiful grounds of Villa Finale beginning on January 4, 2013. Located along the San Antonio River, Villa Finale's grounds offer a quiet place to relax and eat away from the workplace. Bring a towel or blanket for lawn seating or sit on one of the many cast-iron chairs located throughout the gardens. The grounds are open daily (excluding major holidays) on Tuesdays, 12:00pm - 4:00pm and Wednesday - Saturday, 9:30am - 4:00pm. (Admission into the home sold separately. Alcohol and smoking not permitted on Villa Finale's grounds.) Please call (210) 223-9800 during regular business hours for more information.
Like us on Facebook to participate in a special scavenger hunt contest every first Friday! Click here to find out more.
Cell Phone Audio Tour
The King William Homes of Preservationist Walter Mathis
Villa Finale is proud to introduce its first cell phone audio tour, The King William Homes of Preservationist Walter Mathis. The tour, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, provides historic information and restoration details of each of the homes restored by Walter Mathis in the King William National Historic District. The cell phone tour is free - callers need only use their own cell plan minutes.
People interested in experiencing the tour can pick up a complimentary cell tour card at the Villa Finale Visitor Center (additional locations coming soon). The rack card provides the tour's phone number, a map of the neighborhood, and general instructions.
Villa Finale would like to thank our King William neighbors who graciously donated their voices to this project, and Amy Unger for researching the properties and providing many of the original scripts.
Access the tour through your mobile web! Click here
CELL TOUR NOW IN SPANISH!
¡Nuestro recorrido por celular ahora está disponible por la red móvil en español! Haga click aquí.
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