Even though the VFW Post 76 is the oldest Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Texas and was founded by veterans of the Spanish-American War, it was hidden from sight until the Museum Reach opened in 2009. The post was one of San Antonio’s best-kept secrets. Not any more.

Strolling along the River Walk from downtown toward the San Antonio Museum of Art or from The Pearl toward downtown, natives and visitors encounter the majestic 1902 Victorian home nestled along the banks of the San Antonio River.

On a Friday or a Saturday night, the festive crowd and live music will draw you in. You’ve got to love an establishment that prominently displays a sign that reads: NO PROFANITY, NO VULGARITY OR ANNOYANCES TO OTHERS. I’m thinking about hanging one at my home.

You don’t have to be a veteran to enter VFW Post 76 or to purchase a brew, but you will have the opportunity to rub elbows with veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq and to thank them for their service. My grandfathers were both veterans of World War I, and my maternal grandfather also served in World War II. My father saw active duty in Europe during World War II, and I know that he would have loved the Post. As the daughter of a veteran, I found out that I may join the Post’s Auxiliary.

When we visited, my husband and I enjoyed sipping beers and people watching when we weren’t taking spins around the outdoor dance floor. Follow the VFW Post 76 on Facebook to keep up with their live music and event schedule. The Post is hosting a Valentine’s Dance on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 8 p.m. to midnight with music by Karizma. The cost is $5 per person, and tickets will be sold at the door starting at 6 p.m.

The VFW Post 76 is located at 10 10^th Street, which runs parallel to Broadway, and their phone number is (210) 223-4581. The post is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at noon. Beginning on February 26, it will open daily at 4 p.m.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!