Top Attractions in Galveston

Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier

Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier is a Pleasure pier in Galveston, Texas, United States. Opened in Summer 2012, it has 1 roller coaster, 15 rides, carnival games and souvenir shops. The new Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier was built 1,130 feet out over the Gulf of Mexico waters. It had its "soft" opening on May 25, 2012. The new pier complex is located where the original Pleasure Pier stood from 1943 until 1961, when it was destroyed by Hurricane Carla. The original Pleasure Pier featured rides, an arcade, an aquarium, concessions, a large ball room, named the Marine Ballroom, and fishing at the end of the pier. It was also the site of the USS Flagship Hotel, an over-the-water hotel built in 1965 that was demolished after Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Galveston Seawall

The Galveston Seawall is a seawall in Galveston, Texas, USA that was built after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 for protection from future hurricanes. Construction began in September, 1902, and the initial segment was completed on July 29, 1904. From 1904 to 1963, the seawall was extended from 3.3 miles to over 10 miles long. Reporting in the aftermath of the 1983 Hurricane Alicia, the Corps of Engineers estimated that $100 million in damage was avoided because of the seawall. On September 13, 2008 Hurricane Ike's storm surge and large waves over-topped the seawall. As a result, a commission was established by the Texas Governor following the hurricane to investigate preparing for and mitigating future disasters. A proposal has been put forth to build an "Ike Dike," a massive levee system which would protect the Galveston Bay, and the important industrial facilities which line the coast and the ship channel, from a future, potentially more destructive storm. The proposal has gained widespread support from a variety of business interests. As of 2009 it is currently only at the conceptual stage. Further proposals for a layered network of smaller, local levees and natural protections have been put forward by the SSPEED Center at Rice University and the University of Houston. These proposals include a surge gate at the mouth of the Houston Ship Channel connecting adjacent high ground near the Hartman Bridge, and hard protections for the west shore of Galveston Bay and around the densely developed east end of Galveston Island. Also included is the proposed lower coastal Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area. Texas F.M. 3005 is known as Seawall Boulevard where it runs along the seawall. The sidewalk adjacent to Seawall Boulevard on top of the seawall is claimed to be the longest continuous sidewalk in the world at 10.3 miles long. The seawall is 10 miles long. It is approximately 17 feet high, and 16 feet thick at its base. The seawall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2001. Many miles of the seawall are painted with murals called "wall art". These huge murals are painted by children and depict underwater life. The art is meant to make the seawall more interesting to visitors.

Bishop's Palace

The Bishops Palace, also known as Greshams Castle, is an ornate 19,082 square feet Victorian-style house, located on Broadway and 14th Street in the East End Historic District of Galveston, Texas. The Gresham mansion was made all of stone, and was sturdy enough to withstand the great hurricane of 1900. The Greshams welcomed hundreds of survivors of the hurricane into their home. The house was built between 1887 and 1893 by Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton for lawyer and politician Walter Gresham, his wife Josephine, and their nine children. In 1923 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston purchased the house, and, situated across the street from the Sacred Heart Church, it served as the residence for Bishop Christopher E. Byrne. After the diocesan offices were moved to Houston, the diocese opened the mansion to the public in 1963, with proceeds from tours being used to help fund the Newman Center, operating in the basement, serving Catholic students at the nearby University of Texas Medical Branch. The home is estimated to have cost $250,000 at the time; today its value is estimated at over $5.5 million. The house is owned by the Galveston Historical Foundation and self-guided tours are available daily. A portion of each admission supports the preservation and restoration of the property.

USS Stewart

USS Stewart is an Edsall class destroyer escort, the third United States Navy ship so named. This ship was named for Rear Admiral Charles Stewart, who commanded USS Constitution during the War of 1812. The Stewart is one of only two preserved U.S. destroyer escorts and the only surviving example of her class.

Moody Gardens

Moody Gardens is an educational tourist destination, with a golf course and hotel in Galveston, Texas which opened in 1986. The non-profit destination uses nature to educate and excite visitors about conservation and wildlife. Moody Gardens features three main pyramid attractions: the Aquarium Pyramid, which is one of the largest in the region and holds many species of fish and other marine animals; the Rainforest Pyramid, which contains tropical plants, animals, birds, butterflies, reptiles, and a variety of other rainforest animals including free-roaming monkeys and two-toed sloths; and the Discovery Pyramid, which focuses on science-oriented exhibits and activities. Another major attraction is Palm Beach, a landscaped white sand beach with freshwater lagoons, a lazy river, tower slides, and splash pad play area for children. Moody Gardens also has a RideFilm Theater with motion-based pod seating, the MG 3D Theater features the largest screen in the state of Texas, 4D Special FX Theater, paddlewheel cruise boat, a hotel, golf course and a convention center. The complex attracts many local tourists from the city of Houston and its outlying suburbs. The owners commissioned a landscape design from Geoffrey Jellicoe. It is described in Gardens of the Mind: the Genius of Geoffrey Jellicoe by Michael Spens .

Lone Star Flight Museum

The Lone Star Flight Museum, located in Galveston, Texas in the United States, is an aerospace museum that displays more than 40 historically significant aircraft and many hundreds of artifacts related to the history of flight. The museums collection is rare because most of the aircraft are flyable. Located next to Scholes International Airport at Galveston, Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark, and Moody Gardens, the museum is housed on about 100,000 ft2 of property, including its own airstrip. The museum is in the process of moving to Houston to avoid a repeat of the devastation suffered during Hurricane Ike.

Galveston Railroad Museum

The Galveston Railroad Museum is a railroad museum owned and operated by the Center for Transportation and Commerce, a non-profit organization. The museum was established with funds from Galveston businesswoman and philanthropist Mary Moody Northen and the Moody Foundation. The museum is located at 25th and Strand in Galveston, Texas. The museum has reopened after Hurricane Ike and is raising donations for matching grant money to restore the exhibits damaged. The museum has been approved for $200,000 in grants, but must raise $100,000 to receive them. That $300,000 will result in receiving $3,000,000 in rebuilding funds from FEMA. The donation deadline is September 30th, 2011. It is housed in the former Santa Fe Railroad station, at the head of The Strand.

Moody Mansion

The Moody Mansion, also known as the Willis-Moody Mansion, is a historic residential building in Galveston, Texas located at 2618 Broadway Street. The thirty-one room Romanesque mansion was completed in 1895. The home is named for William Lewis Moody, Jr., an American financier and entrepreneur in the cotton business who bought the home from Galveston socialite Narcissa Willis. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 1994. Tours are offered, and the facilities can be rented out for weddings and other events.

Samuel May Williams House

The Samuel May Williams House is a former museum in Galveston, Texas. The second-oldest surviving residence in Galveston, it is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964. The home was built in 1839 for Samuel May Williams, one of the founders of Galveston. The prefabricated house was shipped from Maine and constructed on 7 feet off the ground, raised on ten piers. The 1.5-story house was topped with a cupola, where Williams installed a telescope so that he could be one of the first to learn when interesting cargo arrived by ship. After Williams death in 1858, the house was sold to his friend, Phillip C. Tucker, and became known as the Tucker House. The Tucker family retained possession of the house until 1953. The house was purchased by, and became the first project of, the newly organized Galveston Historic Foundation. Restoration was partially funded by a grant from the Moody Foundation. In 2007, the executive director of the GHF, stated "I can hardly overemphasize the importance of this house, not only to Galveston and Texas history, but to the history and affections of our organization." The house was opened to the public in 1959, restored to its original look in the late 1970s, and opened to regular tours in 1984. Attendance dropped from 25,000 to 1,000 visitors per year, and the museum was closed in 2007. The interiors were redesigned as part of an interior design showcase, and the house was offered for rent in 2008. It survived 2008s Hurricane Ike unscathed.

Fort Crockett

Fort Crockett is a government reservation on Galveston Island overlooking the Gulf of Mexico originally built as a defense installation to protect the city and harbor of Galveston and to secure the entrance to Galveston Bay, thus protecting the commercial and industrial ports of Galveston and Houston and the extensive oil refineries in the bay area. The facility is now managed by the US NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, and hosts the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Laboratory, the Texas Institute of Oceanography, as well as some university facilities. The area still contains several historical buildings and military fortifications.

Scottish Rite Cathedral

Scottish Rite Cathedral is a historic Scottish Rite Masonic building at 2128 Church Street in Galveston, Texas. It was built in 1928 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

USS Tautog

USS Tautog, a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Tautog a wrasse commonly found along the Northern Atlantic coast.

Saengerfest Park

Saengerfest Park is a small square park located on the corner of Tremont St and Strand St in the Strand Historic District of Galveston, Texas. The location includes a trolley stop, with a Fuddruckers and a Yagas Cafe nearby. A relatively small urban park, Saengerfest is most known for having a large, playable chess set. The park also features a large compass which can be used as a seat, as well as other wooden benches, and old-fashioned London-style phone booths, which are red and relatively small. A stage is available for bands to perform on, and vendors are allowed to set up tents in the park and sell trinkets.

Balinese Room

The Balinese Room was a famous nightclub in Galveston, Texas, United States built on a pier stretching 600 feet from the Galveston Seawall over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For decades a dance hall and illegal casino, the Balinese Room was remodeled and reopened in 2001 without the gambling. Operated by Sicilian immigrant barbers-turned-bootleggers Sam and Rosario Maceo, the Balinese Room was an elite spot in the 1940s and 1950s, featuring entertainment by Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, George Burns, The Marx Brothers and other top acts of the day. Patrons of the private club included Howard Hughes, Sophie Tucker and wealthy oil barons from nearby Houston. In 1997, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the early morning hours of September 13, 2008, the structure was completely destroyed by Hurricane Ike.

Galveston Causeway

The Galveston Causeway is a set of causeways in Galveston, Texas, United States. Two of the routes carry the southbound and northbound traffic of Interstate 45, while the original causeway is restricted to rail traffic. It is the only free roadway access point to Galveston Island. The causeway carries traffic over Galveston Bay and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The original causeway was built in 1912 and carried both rail and auto traffic. The auto traffic was transferred to new causeways built to the west in 1939, leaving the original bridge for rail traffic. The original route was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Grand 1894 Opera House

The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston, Texas is currently operated as a not-for-profit performing arts theatre. The Romanesque Revival style Opera House is located at 2020 Post Office Street in Galveston's Historic Downtown Cultural Arts District. It was named "The Official Opera House of Texas" in 1993 by the 73rd Texas Legislature.

First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church is a historic church building at 1903 Church Street in Galveston, Texas. The Presbyterian congregation was organized in 1840 with the assistance of missionaries from the United States, and it met in a wooden church building from 1843 to 1872, the first church building in Galveston. The current Romanesque building was constructed in 1872 and is considered one of the best examples of Norman architecture in the region. It was designed by Nicholas J. Clayton, a prominent early Texas architect. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Currently, the congregation is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church , the Synod of the Sun, and of New Covenant Presbytery.

Hotel Galvez

The Hotel Galvez is a historic hotel located in Galveston, Texas, United States that opened in 1911. The building was named the Galvez, honoring Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez, for whom the city was named. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 1979. Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Strand Historic District

The Strand Historic District, also known as the Strand District, in downtown Galveston, Texas , is a National Historic Landmark District of mainly Victorian era buildings that now house restaurants, antique stores, and curio shops. The area is a major tourist attraction for the island city and also plays host to two very popular seasonal festivals. It is widely considered the island's shopping and entertainment center. The street labeled "The Strand" is actually named Avenue B, which runs parallel to Galveston Bay. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and further declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Today "the Strand" is generally used to refer to the entire five-block business district between 20th and 25th streets in downtown Galveston, very close to the city's wharf.

Galveston United States Post Office and Courthouse

The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, also known as the Galveston Federal Building, is a post office and courthouse located in Galveston, Texas, USA. The building serves as the federal court for the Galveston Division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Constructed in 1937, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 as Galveston U.S. Post Office, Custom House and Courthouse, the building is home a number of federal agencies, and at one point housed the Galveston Bureau of the National Weather Service.

City National Bank

The City National Bank is a historic building in Galveston, Texas that was built in 1910. The City National Bank became the Moody National Bank. The downtown building is now the Galveston County Historical Museum. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Galveston Orphans Home

Galveston Orphans Home, also known as Galveston Children's Home, was founded in 1878 by George Dealey and moved to this location in Galveston, Texas in 1880. The original Gothic revival building was constructed from 1894-1895 with funding from Henry Rosenberg. It was destroyed by the storm of 1900 and newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst hosted a charity bazaar at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City to raise funds for a rebuild. It was completed in 1902. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1979. It is located at 1315 21st Street.

Michel B. Menard House

The Menard House, also known as The Oaks, is a historic detached-home located at 1605 Thirty-Third Street in Galveston, Texas. Built in 1838, it is the oldest surviving structure in Galveston as recently as 2014 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Galveston County Library System

Rosenberg Library, a public library located at 2310 Sealy Street in Galveston, Texas, United States, is the oldest continuously operating library in Texas. It serves as headquarters of the Galveston County Library System and its librarian also functions as the Galveston County Librarian.

Bryan Museum

The Bryan Museum is located in Galveston, Texas, US. Opened in 2015, the Bryan Museum is focused on the history and art of the American Southwest, and features a collection of historical artifacts, documents, and artwork relating to the Southwestern United States.

Ashton Villa

Ashton Villa is a fully restored, historic home located on the corner of 24th and Broadway in Galveston, Texas, United States. Constructed in 1859, it was one of the first brick structures in Texas.

Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Episcopal Church is a historic church at 1115 36th Street in Galveston, Texas. It was built in 1894 and added to the National Register in 1975.

St. Joseph's Church

St. Joseph's Church is a historic church at 2202 Avenue K in Galveston, Texas. It is the oldest German Catholic church in Texas and one of the oldest buildings in Galveston.

Pink Dolphin Monument

Pink Dolphin Monument is a public monument in R.A. Apffel Park/East Beach on Galveston Island, Texas. The monument is dedicated to celebrating gender and sexual minority communities. It is the first monument dedicated to gender and sexual minorities in the southern United States.

Texas Heroes Monument

The Texas Heroes Monument is located in Galveston, Texas, and was commissioned by Henry Rosenberg to commemorate the brave people who fought during the Texas Revolution. The monument was built by New England Granite Works using Concord, New Hampshire, granite and bronze. The total cost was $50,000, and it was shipped before June 4, 1899. The sculptor of the monument was Louis Amateis. It is located at the intersection of Broadway and Rosenberg Avenue. It was unveiled on April 22, 1900.

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Top Attractions in Galveston

Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier

Galveston Seawall

Bishop's Palace

USS Stewart

Moody Gardens

Lone Star Flight Museum

Galveston Railroad Museum

Moody Mansion

Samuel May Williams House

Fort Crockett

Scottish Rite Cathedral

USS Tautog

Saengerfest Park

Balinese Room

Galveston Causeway

Grand 1894 Opera House

First Presbyterian Church

Hotel Galvez

Strand Historic District

Galveston United States Post Office and Courthouse

City National Bank

Galveston Orphans Home

Michel B. Menard House

Galveston County Library System

Bryan Museum

Ashton Villa

Grace Episcopal Church

St. Joseph's Church

Pink Dolphin Monument

Texas Heroes Monument

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