Villa Finale

Villa Finale, a National Trust Historic Site

The faithful restoration of this limestone 1876 Italianate mansion served as a catalyst for the revitalization of the San Antonio’s King William District. Learn More

An Impressive Collection

The mansion is filled with an impressive collection of items, including Napoleon memorabilia, European furniture, and fine and decorative arts. Learn More

Villa Finale, originally built in 1876, was restored in the late 1960s by preservation visionary Walter Mathis, who lived in the home until his death in 2005. The preservation of Villa Finale led the way for the revitalization of the beautiful and stately King William neighborhood, a National Historic District. Today, Villa Finale houses the extraordinary collection of Mr. Mathis, which includes Napoleonic materials; art and furniture from Texas artists; and American and European fine and decorative arts.

Villa Finale is under development and is not currently open to the public at this time. Keep track of their renovation process on their blog.

Villa Finale is owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

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From Villa Finale's Blog

A Grand Opening..albeit damp.
On Wednesday, October 21st, at 5-ish, the Villa Finale Visitor Center opened to the public with a lovely ceremony, fabulous and touching remarks and delicious food and drink provided by gracious donors. I cannot forget the torrent that occured during the most important bits, but it really didn’t (excuse the cliche) dampen any spirits. I was [...]

The Villa Finale Visitor Center is open!
Last week, at long last, the Villa Finale Visitor Center opened to the public with great fanfare – both natural and manmade! Nearly 300 friends and neighbors turned out to visit, explore our exhibits, and check out the Museum Shop during our opening celebration. We began with a very touching dedication ceremony featuring remarks from [...]

Volunteer Staff: Making it Happen
Orient Me! This past Saturday marked a new milestone for Villa Finale: our very first Volunteer Orientation! Current and new Volunteer Staff members attended a morning session in which safety, security, operational policies and the Volunteer Staff Manual were reviewed. This was also the first time many on the Volunteer Staff had the opportunity to meet one another – and [...]

I Dream of Yard Sales….
..like the kind that Walter Mathis had back in 2002 0r 2003. According to my predecessor, Mr. Mathis, knowing that he was leaving the house to the National Trust, wanted to rid himself of everything that he found extraneous, and so he held a yard sale. He had boxes of antique German Christmas ornaments, rare [...]

An Afternoon in “Havana”
Last Friday some of us took to advantage of the short workday to have lunch at the Cool Cafe downtown. If you have never been to the Cool Cafe, you are missing out on a hidden little gem. The cafe, which specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, is a treat for the riverside patio-dining experience alone. After [...]