11 Best Attractions in Galveston TX

Established about 50 miles south of Houston, the city of Galveston TX is located in Galveston Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. With just over 200 square miles and approximately 47K habitants, Galveston is the second largest town in Galveston County behind League City. This article brings you 11 best attractions in Galveston TX.

History Of Galveston TX

There is a lot of history that can be sensed when you visit the town. Its first sign of documented chronicles was dated back to 1528, when pirate Cabeza de Vaca and his crew shipwrecked there. These were the first acknowledgments of Europeans in the Island, then populated by Akokisa and Karankawa Indians. But it wasn’t until the late 1600’s that the French claimed the land to then, King Louis. 

In 1830 Galveston became the capital of the Republic of Texas and the most active port west of New Orleans. Galveston also brought many firsts to the state of Texas. The first Post Office, the first Opera House, the first Hospital, the first Country Club, and the list goes on.

Everywhere you go you’ll be surrounded by beautiful architecture related to its background. But with all that said, Galveston TX is also full of art galleries that display talented local artists, many antique shops that will impress you with their uniqueness and plenty of renowned restaurants for your enjoyment.

11 Best Attractions in Galveston TX

The Strand

The Strand Historic District is a five block business district from 20th to 25th in downtown Galveston. It houses two of the major festivals in Galveston, MardiGras and Dickens in the Strand. Also considered the shopping and entertainment district, with many of the Victorian architecture buildings serving as restaurants, antique stores, bars and art galleries.

Old Victorian Building on The Strand

Museums

When it comes to museums, Galveston has an array of them for you to choose from. All you need to do is find the one that interests you or visit them all. They are located close to each other which makes it easy on your decision.

Ashton Village – used as Galveston Island Visitor Center

The Historic Post Office District

Within walking distance from the strand, the historic post office district attracts many visitors with their diversified vibe. The boutiques will enlighten you with the variety of items offered. The restaurants are abundant for your amusement and the art galleries will leave you speechless with the talent of the artists. When walking around the Post Office street, you can witness the local artists performing at the restaurants patios located in that area.

Old City Cemetery

Some of the most affluent people in Galveston are buried here. Also, some of the indigents that died on some of the Galveston’s unfortunate disasters back in the 1800’s and 1900’s. It’s a somber but beautiful place to pay a visit. A good number of tours are offered that visit the cemeteries around town.

Old City Cemetery – 1839

Beach

Galveston TX has 32 miles of beach for you to bask in. For sure you’ll find one that will be the right one for you. The warm weather from Spring to early Fall, there is a wide window for you to visit the beach. But, you can visit during winter months for the festivities and surf. Among them are:

Stewart Beach,

A family-friendly destination with playground, restroom, showers, beach chairs and umbrellas rentals, souvenirs shop, etc.

East Beach,

With some of the same amenities as Stewart beach, East beach is a favorite for the party people, with a stage to host concerts and a beach bar, this is the only beach in Galveston that allows alcohol consumption.

Galveston Island State Park,

Located on the west end of the island, the Galveston Island state park offers great opportunities for fishing, crabbing and kayaking on the bayside. Additionally, the bird watching around the park is phenomenal.

West End Pocket Parks,

These are some of the less crowded options. They are located on the west end, a few miles down the road from the seawall. They are great for families picnics.

Parked on the Beach

Seawall Urban Park,

This is a 10 mile stretch of beach along the Seawall Boulevard. Great for the active community, with a extensive boardwalk great for bike riding, roller blading, jogging and beach lovers alike

If you are interested in the 20 beaches along the Texas coast click here. And for a list of 15 free activities to do at the beach click here.

Ferry from Galveston to Bolivar Peninsula

A fun inexpensive way of spending some time on the water and maybe see some dolphins while at it, it’s the ferry from Galveston to Bolivar Peninsula. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes between loading/unloading and cruising time (of course it will depend on your wait time). Once on the ferry you can come out of your car and head upstairs where you get a better view of the water and a chance to spot the dolphins. You also have a chance to feed the seagulls on the back of the ferry.

Galveston Island Trolley

Running on the streets of Galveston since 1891, the trolley was damaged by hurricane Ike in 2008 but the effort to bring it back is still on the way. In the meantime, Galveston has put some rubber wheel trolleys in service, another inexpensive activity in Galveston. The price of the admission is $1 and please, have the exact amount since the driver can’t make any change. The trolley runs 2 routes and you can ride both of them on the same ticket. One runs in the Galveston Seawall and the other in the Downtown area making frequent stops along the Seawall, Moody Gardens and more.

Moody Gardens

The Moody Gardens is a great way to entertain your little ones for a long period of time. The activities are bountiful and with lots of different selections. From the rainforest pyramid where you’ll see monkeys roaming free, macaws and other endangered species to the penguins, sharks and other sea life at the aquarium pyramid, to laying on the sand or just floating around the lazy river at the Palm Beach, to a paddlewheel boat cruise. You can even stay at the beautiful Moody Gardens Hotel and enjoy a round of Golf at their great course.

Ghost Tours

There is so much history attached to Galveston that it’s just natural for them to have ghost tours. Rumor has it that the great storm of 1900 killed over 6000 people, with so many bodies to bury at once, they were thrown in the gulf, but later washed by the shore. To remedy that, history says that the bodies were burned by the beach or where they were found. No wonder all the ghost stories and tours around Galveston’s past.

Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier

A perfect family-friendly attraction right on the heart of the seawall, the Galveston Island historic pleasure pier is another must in Galveston. With amusement rides for every age group, the pier is sure to delight your family for hours. Besides the rides, you can enjoy terrific food and awesome entertainment with the fantastic gulf of Mexico view.

View of Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier at sunrise

The Grand 1894 Opera House

Worth the visit for its resilience. The Grand is listed in the National Register of Historical Places and is recognized as “The Official Opera House of Texas”. It has survived the Storm of 1900 and many others after that. It’s full of character and still brings many acts to life in its splendor.

Even though these 11 best attractions in Galveston TX can keep you busy for a while, there is still a lot to see and do there.

Fun Facts:

Galveston was once known as the “Wall Street of the South”.

It has 60 structures listed in the National Register of Historical Places

Galveston is also known as Oleander City and in 2015 the month of May was declared Oleander month

It is home of Rosenberg Library, the oldest library in the state of Texas

If you like the list of 11 Best Attractions in Galveston TX or if you have any questions please feel free to email me. Also, don’t forget to sign up for my email so you don’t miss any upcoming articles.

“To Travel is to Live” – Hans Christopher Anderson

Patricia M.

25 thoughts on “11 Best Attractions in Galveston TX

  1. Galveston sounds nice, didn’t know much about it. Love the fact that it has 60 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and that it’s so rich in history.
    Beaches wouldn’t hurt either. 😀

  2. I poked into Galveston for a minute last year to catch a Carnival cruise but it looks like such a wonderful place. I had a chance to walk around the historic area near the port, which was really fun.

  3. I’d love to visit the museums and the old cemetery in Galveston. I’d probably be singing the Glen Campbell song the entire time I was there : )

  4. Although I spend a fair amount of time visiting family on the south side of Houston, I haven’t explored Galveston as much as I’d like. Such a great seed list for my Galveston bucket list!

  5. Wow, I would definitely be in for a ghost tour! I’m sure you can learn plenty of history while doing it, and it’s such a quirky way to get to know a place.

  6. Sounds like there is tons to experience with these 11 best attractions in Galveston, TX. It’s kind of sad but I have never actually been over to Galveston despite not being that far living in New Orleans. I have heard of several people from Louisiana heading over there for the beaches rather than the Florida Gulf coast and they always love it and rave about the entire area. The historic Pleasure Pier reminds me of the Santa Monica Pier in California and I bet Darcee would love to ride that ferris wheel. Plus her dad is from Northern Texas, so I think it would be a real treat for her to check out the Rosenberg Library, since it is the oldest library in the state of Texas. Plus I googled it and the stained glass windows inside are really cool!

  7. I’ve never been to Galveston, but I love its architecture and it sounds like there are so many great things to do, so I’ll definitely have to add it to my bucket list!

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