May is Preservation Month, and the Alamo is giving the public an inside look into the preservation work taking place on the iconic Church and Long Barrack with a new, after hours tour, The Past Revealed. On this tour, visitors will see the 300-year-old painted frescoes appear almost out of nowhere, visible only with state-of-the-art equipment. Impossible to see with the unaided eye, the frescoes inside the Sacristy date back to the 1700’s, when the Church and Long Barrack were built. This is important because the frescoes may shed light on what life was like at the Alamo well before the famous battle in 1836.
“When we illuminate the walls with high-wattage blacklight, we truly see the past revealed,” Pam Jary Rosser, Alamo Conservator, said. “Nearly-hidden frescoes masterfully crafted by artisans who lived and died right here – you feel something; you feel a connection to that past, to that history. It’s incredible.”
You will have the chance to talk about the Alamo’s past, present and future preservation work with Rosser in Alamo Church and with Director of Archaeology and Collections, Kristi Nichols in the Long Barrack. The tour will conclude with a beer and wine reception in Convento Courtyard to celebrate Preservation Month, and is open to adults over the age of 21. This tour is currently sold out, but if you'd like to be added to the waitlist, contact tours@thealamo.org.