Hemisfair

What Hemisfair does

Hemisfair is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit urban parks district redeveloping the 96-acre site of the 1968 World's Fair in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The organization is structured as two entities: the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC), a local government corporation established by San Antonio City Council in 2009 that owns and operates the district under a 13-member board, and the Hemisfair Conservancy, an independent 501(c)(3) founded in 2014 that raises and manages philanthropic dollars for park improvement. The district encompasses three planned parks (Yanaguana Garden opened 2015, Civic Park opened 2023 with Phase 2 in 2025, and Tower Park under design), 23 preserved historic structures, the 750-foot Tower of the Americas, free public access daily from 5 AM to midnight, and an on-site tenant mix that includes local restaurants, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, Magik Theatre, the Mexican Cultural Institute, fitness studios, urban winery, and The '68 Apartments.

The core product is the physical parks and civic district itself, with no proprietary technology platform; the only digital layer referenced is a tree-donor recognition mobile app with augmented-reality tribute pages. Revenue is generated through five diversified streams: donations and philanthropy (one-time, recurring monthly, donor-advised funds, planned giving, gifts of stock), venue and space rentals at hourly rates of $20-$375, parking fees across three lots with 348 total spaces, corporate event sponsorships (H-E-B, Whataburger, USAA, Valero, CPS Energy), and a $7,000-per-tree sponsorship program. The 2012 voter-approved $30M bond provided the initial capital, and the organization has stated a goal of becoming financially self-sustaining through park operations and donations. There are 1-10 employees and no private equity or venture capital backing.

Name

Hemisfair

Legal name

Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation

Website

https://hemisfair.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hemisfair is a nonprofit redeveloping San Antonio's 1968 World's Fair site into a 96-acre urban parks district with three public parks, venue rentals, parking, and community programming, serving residents, visitors, event organizers, donors, and on-site local businesses through HPARC and the Conservancy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Parks District and Civic Space Management

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development) (THAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Urban parks redevelopment
• Public event venues
• Historic preservation services
• Community event programming
• Civic space management

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: Hemisfair accepts charitable contributions through one-time gifts, recurring monthly donations, donor-advised funds, planned giving, and gifts of stocks. The Hemisfair Conservancy manages philanthropic dollars for parks improvement projects.
2. Venue and Space Rentals: Hemisfair generates revenue through hourly rental fees for various event spaces including Eagar Courtyard ($125-175/hr), Kelleher Family Lawn ($300/hr), Central Games Plaza ($300-375/hr), Theatre Courtyard ($20-30/table/hr), The Perch ($120-180/hr), and Peggy Mays Gardens Courtyards ($150/hr).
3. Tree Sponsorship Program: Businesses, foundations, and individuals can sponsor trees at Hemisfair for $7,000 per tree, which funds planting of mature native trees, site prep, irrigation installation, and a tribute page in the augmented reality tree donor recognition app.
4. Parking Fees: Parking revenue at the Hemisfair Garage ($2/30 minutes after first 30 free), S. Alamo St. Lot ($2/30 minutes), and Martinez St. Lot. A portion of parking fees supports park maintenance and free programming.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund specific programs and events including Super Fun Saturday (H-E-B), Future Ready Days (Whataburger), SA Veterans Day (H-E-B Operation Appreciation, CPS Energy, Valero, Shiner, USAA, and others).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hemisfair operates a 96-acre urban parks district in downtown San Antonio, redeveloping the site of the 1968 World's Fair into three public parks (Yanaguana Garden, Civic Park, and Tower Park) with free public access. The organization offers hourly event venue rentals, paid parking, corporate event sponsorships, and community programming such as Super Fun Saturday and Future Ready Days. Revenue and capital are supplemented by philanthropic donations and a tree sponsorship program.

Product overview

Hemisfair is an urban district redeveloping the 1968 World's Fair site in downtown San Antonio into a vibrant, walkable neighborhood with three public parks. The portfolio consists of Yanaguana Garden (opened 2015, the first playground-focused park), Civic Park (opened 2023, the largest iconic greenspace), and Tower Park (currently under development). Supporting offerings include The '68 Apartments for residential living, event venue rentals across multiple courtyards and lawns, community programming including Super Fun Saturday family events and Future Ready Days youth development, managed by two nonprofits: HPARC (responsible for development and operations) and the Hemisfair Conservancy (focused on philanthropy and fundraising). The district also preserves 23 historic structures and hosts diverse food, beverage, and entertainment destinations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yanaguana Garden A public playground and park within the Hemisfair District featuring inclusive play structures, splash pad, gardens, and community gathering spaces. Free to access and open to the general public and families. Recognized by USA Today as one of the best public playgrounds in the country.
• Civic Park The largest and most iconic urban greenspace at Hemisfair, featuring the Great Lawn, The Springs water features, and event spaces. Free to access and open to the public daily from 5 AM to midnight.
• Tower Park The third planned park at Hemisfair, currently under design and development, located near the Tower of the Americas on the eastern side of the district.
• Event Venue Rentals Rental spaces for private and corporate events across multiple courtyards and lawns including Eagar Courtyard ($125-175/hr), Kelleher Family Lawn ($300/hr), Central Games Plaza ($300-375/hr), Theatre Courtyard ($20-30/table/hr), The Perch ($120-180/hr), and Peggy Mays Gardens Courtyards ($150/hr). Capacity ranges from small private gatherings to 600-person events.
• Tree Sponsorship Program A $7,000-per-tree sponsorship program for businesses, foundations, and individuals to fund planting of mature native trees at Hemisfair. Includes a 6-inch-caliper tree, transportation, site prep, irrigation system installation, and a tribute page in an augmented reality mobile app for donor recognition.
• Super Fun Saturday Community Event Series A free monthly family-friendly event series held March through October at Hemisfair, featuring themed activities, live entertainment, crafts, and community partnerships. Presented by H-E-B.

Quantifiable outcome

• Yanaguana Garden recognized by USA Today as one of the best public playgrounds in the country
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, minor and major.

• San Antonio SpurscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Plans for a potential San Antonio Spurs arena and surrounding development could reshape the 96-acre Hemisfair district south of downtown. CEO Melissa Robinson emphasizes that large-scale development must align with the character of the existing district.
• H-E-BflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerH-E-B is the presenting sponsor of Super Fun Saturday, a free monthly family-friendly event series held March through October at Yanaguana Garden. H-E-B Operation Appreciation presents the annual SA Veterans Day at Hemisfair. Partnership provides funding, promotional support, and product donations for community events.
• UP PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUP Partnership collaborates with Hemisfair on Future Ready Days, a series of free community events supporting UP Partnership's goal of increasing postsecondary enrollment of Bexar County high school graduates to 70% by 2030. Events highlight Voice, Healing, and Access pillars through themed programming.
• WhataburgerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWhataburger sponsors Future Ready Days at Hemisfair, supporting youth programming and educational events.
• San Antonio Center City Development & Operations DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Hemisfair on Movies by Moonlight outdoor film series. The city department provides support and resources for community programming at Civic Park.
• San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAACAM partners with Hemisfair for monthly Story Time events, reading books and leading STEAM craft activities at Yanaguana Garden on the first Tuesday of each month.
• FreeCommunityYoga.com / Health TexasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree Community Yoga offers Sunday morning classes in Civic Park, brought to attendees by Health Texas. Partnership provides free fitness programming for the community.
• Morning BookclubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorning Bookclub partners with Hemisfair for Story Time events, reading books of the week and leading STEAM-inspired activities.
• San Antonio Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Antonio Public Library partners with Hemisfair for Story Time programming at Yanaguana Garden.
• CPS EnergyflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCPS Energy is a Colonel-level sponsor of SA Veterans Day at Hemisfair, presenting by H-E-B Operation Appreciation.
• ValeroflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerValero is a Lieutenant Colonel-level sponsor of SA Veterans Day at Hemisfair.
• ShinermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerShiner is a Major-level sponsor of SA Veterans Day at Hemisfair.
• USAAflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerUSAA presents Stars & Stripes on Houston Street, part of the Fourth of July celebration at Civic Park at Hemisfair.
• VIA Metropolitan TransitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVIA provides public transit access to Hemisfair via multiple bus routes including VIVA Culture and VIVA Missions routes.
• The Texas MarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Texas Market curates local makers and vendors for Summer Setlist at Hemisfair, providing shopping opportunities alongside live music.
• Purple Up USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPurple Up USA partnered with Hemisfair for Super Fun Saturday: Bubble Bash to celebrate Month of the Military Child.
• Eva's HeroesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEva's Heroes collaborated with Hemisfair for Super Fun Saturday: Garden Party, highlighting inclusion and community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Friends of the High Line: Nonprofit conservancy that maintains, funds, and programs the High Line elevated linear park in NYC. Comparable civic-asset redevelopment, programming calendar, corporate sponsorship model, and reliance on philanthropy and events revenue.
• Central Park Conservancy: Independent nonprofit that manages, restores, and programs New York's Central Park under a public-private partnership with NYC Parks. Closely comparable to Hemisfair's HPARC + Conservancy model of a 501(c)(3) running operations and fundraising for a major urban park.
• Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy: Nonprofit that partners with the City of Pittsburgh to restore and maintain the city's four large regional parks. Directly analogous structure: a 501(c)(3) conservancy supporting a municipally-owned urban park system through fundraising, stewardship, and programming.
• Fairmount Park Conservancy: Philadelphia-based nonprofit that raises private funds and partners with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation on capital projects, programs, and stewardship across the city's park system. Same HPARC/Conservancy split model with municipal accountability and private philanthropy.
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: Nonprofit that supports the Golden Gate National Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area, raising private funds, running programming, and managing historic and natural resources. Comparable mission of park redevelopment, historic preservation, and donor-driven funding.
• Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Nonprofit partner to Cuyahoga Valley National Park that raises funds, runs education and recreation programs, and supports park operations. Comparable conservancy-plus-public-park structure and reliance on donations, sponsorships, and event programming.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates parks and protects land for people, working with municipalities on urban park creation and conservation funding. Comparable civic redevelopment and parks-financing role, though at a national scale.

Regional players

• Pearl (San Antonio): Adjacent mixed-use redevelopment in San Antonio converting a historic brewery into a culinary, retail, and residential district. Comparable mixed-use civic destination model in the same city, including historic preservation, retail tenants, and event programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/hemisfair
• Xx.com/hemisfair
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hemisfair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hemisfair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hemisfair