Things To Do

Things to Do in Galveston: 14 Island Picks Beyond the Beach

Date Published

Illustration of things to do in Galveston: tall ship, Strand storefronts and sea turtle at night

At a glance

  • Where: Galveston Island and Pelican Island, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Houston via I-45
  • Hours: Vary by attraction; many museums close Monday or Tuesday. Check each official site before you go
  • Cost: Seawall, Strand, tree sculptures, Turtles About Town and ArtWalk are free; museums and ships charge admission
  • Parking: Paid Seawall parking by app; street parking and lots downtown; park once for The Strand and harbor
  • Time needed: A full day for the highlights; a weekend to add the state park and Seawolf Park

Galveston is the island Houston grew up visiting, and most of us know it as a beach, a seawall and a pier full of rides. That's the front porch. Walk a few blocks inland and the island turns into something else: Victorian iron storefronts, a 19th-century tall ship that still sails, a museum built inside an offshore drilling rig, and front yards full of sculptures carved from oak trees that a hurricane killed.

In Galveston, the storm-killed oaks became sculpture, and a ship pulled from a Greek scrapyard became the Official Tall Ship of Texas.

This guide is the broader list: the things to do, the places to eat and the events that come back every year. If you want the beach-day logistics (the drive, the beach parks, Pleasure Pier, Moody Gardens and the Bolivar ferry), start with our Galveston day trip guide and use this page to fill the rest of the day.

What we mean by "Galveston"

For this guide, Galveston means Galveston Island, the barrier island at the end of I-45, from East Beach on its eastern tip to San Luis Pass at its western end, plus Pelican Island just across the harbor channel. The City of Galveston covers both islands. A few small beach communities on the West End, such as Jamaica Beach, have their own city governments, but we count them as part of the island. The Bolivar Peninsula, across the ferry, is not included.

Five things even regulars don't know

  • The street names are a code. The original grid lettered the east-west avenues and numbered the cross streets, counting up as you go west. The Strand is Avenue B and Broadway is Avenue J, so 61st Street is well west of 25th.
  • You can fish from shore at Galveston Island State Park without a fishing license, a rule that applies in Texas state parks.
  • The submarine at Seawolf Park isn't the Seawolf. It's the USS Cavalla, berthed there as a memorial to the lost USS Seawolf. Locals mix the two up all the time.
  • Fifty sea turtles are hiding around town. Turtles About Town is a free scavenger hunt of painted Kemp's ridley statues, the state sea turtle of Texas.
  • You can ride a horse on the beach at Galveston Island State Park, but only from November through February.

The best things to do in Galveston

1. Walk the Seawall at sunrise or sunset

The Seawall was built after the 1900 Storm and runs for more than 10 miles along the Gulf, with a wide walkway on top. Go early or late, when the light is soft and the sidewalk is cool. Our day trip guide covers the beach parks, parking apps and beach rules.

2. Look up on The Strand

The Strand was the commercial heart of the island when Galveston was one of the busiest ports in the country, and it keeps a long run of Victorian iron-front buildings. The trick is to look above the shop windows: the cast-iron facades are the show. Duck into the Galveston Arts Center at 2127 Strand, a free contemporary art space in the 1878 First National Bank Building. It's typically open Wednesday through Sunday afternoons.

3. Board the tall ship Elissa

The 1877 tall ship Elissa was rescued from a scrapyard in Greece by Galveston Historical Foundation, towed to Galveston in 1978 and restored by 1982. The foundation says she is one of only three ships of her kind in the world that still sails. Your ticket at the Galveston Historic Seaport (Pier 22, 2200 Harborside Drive) also covers the Ship to Shore immigration exhibit, with a searchable database of passenger records for anyone whose family came to Texas through this port. Typically open Tuesday through Sunday.

4. Climb aboard an offshore drilling rig

Next door on the harbor, the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum at 2002 Wharf Road is a retired jack-up rig built in 1969 and opened as a museum in 1997. You walk the rig itself: crew quarters, drilling equipment and an outdoor deck over the harbor. For an energy town like Houston, it's a fitting stop. See Visit Galveston for hours.

5. Ride the rails at the Galveston Railroad Museum

The Galveston Railroad Museum at 2602 Santa Fe Place has historic rail cars to walk through and train rides on the Harborside Express. It's typically open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In November and December it runs The Polar Express, and its Rail Hotel lets you spend the night in a vintage train car.

6. Tour a Broadway mansion

Broadway was where Galveston's cotton and banking fortunes built their houses. The Moody Mansion at 2618 Broadway is a four-story, 28,000-square-foot house completed in 1895 and restored to its turn-of-the-century look. It's typically open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last tickets at 4. The 1892 Bishop's Palace, a stone mansion that survived the 1900 Storm, is a short drive away.

7. Walk where Juneteenth began

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, informing enslaved people in Texas that they were free. That is why the island is called the birthplace of Juneteenth. Visit Galveston publishes a self-guided Freedom Walk you can do any day of the year: from the harbor and the Middle Passage marker to the Juneteenth historical marker, the Custom House, Reedy Chapel AME Church and Ashton Villa. Ashton Villa, built in 1859, has a 9-foot bronze statue of State Representative Al Edwards outside. Look for the "Absolute Equality" mural downtown too.

8. Hunt down the tree sculptures

Hurricane Ike's storm surge in September 2008 killed thousands of the island's old oaks. Instead of grinding the stumps, residents paid artists to carve them. Many of the sculptures are in the East End Historic District, often in front yards. A few to look for, from the Visit Galveston tour: the "Island Totem Pole" at 1923 Sealy, "Birds of Galveston" (17 of them) at 1620 Sealy, and the Tin Man and Toto at 1702 Winnie. They are on private property, so admire them from the sidewalk.

9. Find the Turtles About Town

Turtles About Town is a public art project of 50 painted Kemp's ridley sea turtle statues installed around the island since 2018 by Turtle Island Restoration Network and Clay Cup Studios. There's an interactive map, no set route and no cost.

10. Get a Texas history fix at the Bryan Museum

The Bryan Museum at 1315 21st Street is devoted to Texas and the American West, with permanent galleries and rotating exhibitions. It's typically open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

11. Visit Texas's oldest continuously operating library

The Rosenberg Library at 2310 Sealy Avenue is described by Visit Galveston as the oldest continuously operating library in Texas. Beyond the books, it has a history center and museum with archives on the island's past, including the 1900 Storm and Juneteenth. It's closed Sundays.

12. See a WWII submarine at Seawolf Park

Cross to Pelican Island for Seawolf Park, home to the submarine USS Cavalla and the destroyer escort USS Stewart, plus a fishing pier and a playground. According to the Cavalla Historical Foundation, the Cavalla sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku on her first patrol in 1944. The remains of the S.S. Selma, a World War I-era tanker, are visible from the pier. There's a parking fee and a separate ship admission, and after dark every visitor needs a fishing band, fishing or not.

13. Paddle, fish or camp at Galveston Island State Park

On the West End, Galveston Island State Park at 14901 FM 3005 has a Gulf beach on one side and bay marshes and paddling trails on the other. Rangers lead nature programs and star parties, and the nature center is typically open weekend mornings. The park often reaches capacity from March through October, so reserve a day pass online before you drive down.

14. Save the big three for the right day

Moody Gardens' pyramids, Pleasure Pier's rides and Schlitterbahn Galveston, now run by Enchanted Parks, are the headliners. The waterpark is seasonal; Moody Gardens is the rainy-day save.

Where to eat and snack

  • Gaido's, 3828 Seawall Blvd. A Galveston tradition since 1911, built on Gulf seafood, with its pecan pie as the house finale. Reservations are taken online.
  • The Original Mexican Cafe, 1401 Market St. Tex-Mex on the corner of 14th and Market, billed by Visit Galveston as the longest continually operating restaurant on the island still at its original location.
  • Maceo Spice & Import Co., 2706 Market St. A spice shop and Italian import grocery that serves lunch. Lunch typically ends at 3 p.m., so plan it into the middle of your day.
  • La King's Confectionery, 2323 Strand. A 1920s-style candy shop and soda fountain. On weekends and through the summer you can watch saltwater taffy being pulled. It scoops Purity Ice Cream, which the shop calls the oldest ice cream in Texas.
  • Galveston's Own Farmers Market, 3304 Market St. A year-round Sunday market with regional produce, meats, prepared food, crafts and live music.

Back home? See our best seafood restaurants in Houston.

Events that come back every year

  • Mardi Gras! Galveston, late January into February. Organizers bill it as Texas' largest Mardi Gras, with 20-plus parades and concerts over several days.
  • ArtWalk, the second Saturday of most months, 6 to 9 p.m. Free, self-guided, in downtown galleries and studios. There's no ArtWalk in February, during Mardi Gras.
  • Juneteenth, June. Celebrations across the island where the holiday began.
  • The Polar Express, November and December, at the Galveston Railroad Museum.
  • Dickens on The Strand, the first weekend in December. Galveston Historical Foundation turns downtown into Victorian London, with costumed vendors, street stalls and stage shows.

Save this: a one-day Galveston history-and-snacks loop

Do it Wednesday through Sunday, when everything below is typically open.

  1. 10:00 a.m. Galveston Railroad Museum, for the rail cars and a train ride.
  2. 11:30 a.m. Walk to the harbor for the Elissa and the Ship to Shore exhibit.
  3. 1:00 p.m. Lunch at Maceo Spice & Import before lunch service ends.
  4. 2:00 p.m. Walk The Strand: look up at the iron fronts, stop at the Galveston Arts Center, then La King's for taffy.
  5. 3:15 p.m. Moody Mansion on Broadway, before the last tickets at 4.
  6. 4:45 p.m. Drive or walk the East End tree sculptures.
  7. 6:00 p.m. Sunset on the Seawall, then dinner at Gaido's.

Tips and best time to visit

  • Spring and fall are the sweet spots. Summer is hot and crowded. See our best time to visit Houston for the region's weather month by month.
  • Hurricane season runs June through November. If a storm is threatening, stay home. I-45 is the island's evacuation route; our evacuation routes guide explains how it works.
  • Downtown is walkable; the island isn't. Park once for The Strand and the harbor, then drive to the Seawall, the state park and Seawolf Park.

Getting there and parking

Take I-45 South, the Gulf Freeway, until it ends. It crosses the causeway onto the island and becomes Broadway. Galveston is about 50 miles from downtown Houston, roughly an hour in normal traffic, longer on summer weekends. Check traffic and the forecast before you leave.

Seawall parking is paid by app during the day and downtown has street parking and lots. Read the posted signs every time.

Make it a longer trip

Break up the drive with things to do in League City or Space Center Houston, or add the Kemah Boardwalk on the way home. Comparing coastal options? Read our beaches near Houston guide.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Galveston besides the beach?

Tour the 1877 tall ship Elissa and the Ocean Star drilling rig museum on the harbor, walk The Strand, visit the Moody Mansion and Bryan Museum, find the Hurricane Ike tree sculptures and follow the self-guided Juneteenth Freedom Walk.

Is Galveston worth visiting in winter?

Yes, if you come for history rather than swimming. Museums, the Elissa and The Strand are open year-round, Dickens on The Strand runs the first weekend in December, and Galveston Island State Park allows beach horseback riding from November through February.

Why is Galveston called the birthplace of Juneteenth?

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, informing enslaved people in Texas that they were free. Visit Galveston publishes a self-guided Freedom Walk past the related sites.

What free things can you do in Galveston?

Walk the Seawall and The Strand, visit the Galveston Arts Center (free admission), hunt for the tree sculptures and the Turtles About Town statues, ride the Bolivar ferry and go to ArtWalk on the second Saturday of most months.

How far is Galveston from Houston?

About 50 miles from downtown Houston. Take I-45 South until it ends; the drive is roughly an hour in normal traffic and longer on summer weekends.

When is Mardi Gras in Galveston?

Mardi Gras! Galveston runs in late January and February each year, with parades and concerts over several days. Check the official site for this year's schedule.