Tower of the Americas.

Project brief

The Tower of the Americas is a 750-foot observation tower with a revolving restaurant in Hemisfair, on the southeastern edge of downtown San Antonio, Texas. Owned by the City of San Antonio, it was designed by O'Neil Ford of Ford, Powell & Carson, with structural engineering by Feigenspan and Pinnell, for HemisFair '68, the 1968 World's Fair. Its top floor sits at 579 feet, its roof at 622 feet and its antenna spire at 750 feet, making it the tallest observation tower in Texas. Landry's has run most of its operations with the City since 2004, when it opened a Chart House restaurant in the top house.

Construction started in August 1966, and the tower was built in 18 months for $5.2 million, opening in April 1968. The top house was first proposed as a nightclub and private club. After public objections, it became a revolving restaurant with observation decks. A 2019 engineering study found corrosion and cracking in the concrete shaft. In December 2024 the City Council approved a $19.4 million repair and renovation, funded jointly by the City and Landry's. Work began in April 2025 on shaft repairs, building systems and safety upgrades, along with a refresh of the observation deck, restaurant, theater and retail spaces. The City has estimated the work will run into fall 2026.

In 2020 BOGZA produced interior and exterior renderings and a film of the tower for Landry's. One exterior view shows the tower at night, lit red, with fireworks bursting over the downtown skyline.