Menger Hotel and the Rough Riders recruiting story

The historic Menger Hotel, adjacent to the Alamo, is frequently mentioned in online travel articles and videos for its claim that Theodore Roosevelt recruited members of the Rough Riders at the hotel bar in 1898. The hotel opened in 1859 and its Victorian-era interiors are commonly photographed and shared on social media. The Menger is a registered historic place and appears regularly in digital guides to San Antonio history.