This article will list some of the top things to do in Galveston Tx. If you are like us, before embarking on our visit to Galveston, Texas, we spent some time thinking about how we could maximize the fun that we were going to have there.
To do this, we knew that we needed to curate a list of what to do and where to visit. We researched and came up with a list of activities to do in Galveston and hoped to add more once we get there.
For this trip, we didn’t quite add more when we got there because, as it turned out, we already had a lot to do in the number of days we were going to spend there.
We had a blast but still have a few more items to check off our list, so we plan to go back soon.
We will also visit some of the places that we visited during this trip, again, because it was a lot of fun.
Galveston Tx is about a 35-60 mins drive from downtown Houston, depending on traffic. It is an island city that is located on the Gulf of Mexico. It is very popular with tourists, and it also has a heavy maritime activities presence.
Flying into IAH in the morning on a Friday and leaving in the night on Sunday meant that we had three days to spend in this beautiful city.
Knowing how much time we had, we decided to concentrate our time on a different part of the island on any given day.
Below Are The Top Fun and Best Things To Do In Galveston Tx
1. Explore The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
| Ticket Prices | All Day Ride Pass 48” and Over $28.99 Under 48” $22.99 Single Rides $5 – $8 Walk-Ons $9 – $11 Weekend Pass $49.99 |
| Hours | Varies Check Here |
| Address | 2501 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550 |
During our research, exploring the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier consistently came up as one of the must do things in Galveston. So naturally, we had it at the top of our list.
As soon as we got to the entrance, we could see immediately why it is such a popular place to visit for tourists who are visiting and for the locals, as well.
The place was brimming with people and activities, it is couple and family friendly. We saw a lot of couples as well as families with kids.
Each, fully engaged in one activity or the other. We enjoyed the roller coaster and a few rides, I think they have as much as 15 rides in the facility. The food was good, their menu had a lot of varieties.
Looking for The Island City’s souvenirs? Look no further than Bubba Gump, it is also located on the Pleasure Pier facility. We enjoyed the different rides and overall spent about four hours there.
In discussing with some of the staff, they said that weekdays aren’t as busy as the weekend. If you have that flexibility, I will suggest going on a weekday but if not, weekends are fantastic too.
It will very likely be crowded during the weekend, thus making it longer to get on rides or participate in activities, but I bet you will have as much fun as we did.
Question: Can I just purchase a pass to the pier without getting on any rides?Answer: Yes, you can. There is an option to buy a pass that you can use to walk and explore the pier without getting on any rides.
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2. Stroll Along The Seawall and Soak Up The Sunlight At The Beach
Without a doubt, spending time on the beach was a top activity in our list of things to do in Galveston. This actually isn’t a surprise, considering the ubiquity of the Gulf of Mexico along the shores of Galveston.
The beach is a public beach and there are several entrances along the Seawall. We really didn’t have to move our car from where we parked while visiting the pleasure pier, since it is located right on the beach.
We parked along the road, by the Seawall. It is a metered parking but there is an option to pay on their website too. In fact, parking payment instructions are legibly posted on the parking meters, we chose the option that worked best for us.
As we descended the stairs from the road into the sandy beach shores, we saw a lifeguard stand with flags indicating the presence or absence of a guard. There were many people, of different ages swimming and playing in the water.
It is safe to swim in Galveston beaches, but care and caution should be exercised always.
You can look up tide and weather information and alerts before going. Walking along the Seawall in the cool evening breeze was also very enjoyable for us.
Looking at the rise and fall of the waves, with birds flying high and dipping low, was also a memorable highlight.
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3. Tour Galveston Aboard the Bus on Train Wheels (Trolleys)
Well, touring a city is usually on the cards for tourists and Galveston City touring was certainly on ours.
There is no doubt that Galveston is beautiful and historic and thus, there are lot of important and significant land marks to visit.
There were a lot of companies providing city tours and we chose to get on the bus with the train wheels also popularly known as Galveston Island Trolley.
The trolley track runs almost throughout the city, and it was indeed a fun experience. I mean, since we had a rented vehicle, we could have toured the city by ourselves but the experience aboard the trolley proved to be more memorable.
The trolley is cheap, it costs $1 but there was a bit of waiting for one to come around.
If you have the time and don’t mind some waiting, it is a great and different way to see the city. They have two routes, the seawall loop and the downtown loop.
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4. Explore The Moody Gardens
While researching and creating our list of things to do in Galveston Tx, exploring the Moody Gardens kept popping up.
So naturally, we included it in our list before traveling to Galveston and decided to go there on our second day in this lovely Island City. A brief verdict; it was the right decision.
The Moody Gardens is a hotel, a resort, a convention center, an amusement park and in fact, a lot of other things in between. There are a lot of attractions there and we have briefly written about a few of them below.
The Pyramids @ The Moody Gardens
The Pyramids are landmarks that are very prominent and easy to see as you drive into the Moody Gardens.
One serves as an aquarium and another one serves as a habitat mimicking a rain forest. We saw a variety of aquatic animals including but not limited to seals, sharks, penguins and many more.
They have various activities and events throughout the day inside this pyramid. Inside the rainforest museum (pyramid), we saw a huge selection of flora and fauna.
A beautiful selection of birds with incredible and fascinating color combinations. We saw parrots, bats, Komodo dragons, otters and many more.
Zip Line and Ropes Course
There is a Zip Line and Ropes Course section inside the Moody Gardens Complex, right beside the visitor’s center.
Tickets for it could be bought differently. Though we didn’t hike or participate in any of the climbing courses, it seemed like fun watching from afar.
From the information we gathered, the Ropes Course Zip Line is only open during the weekends and also depends on the weather. So, plan accordingly.
Dinosaurs Alive
The Dinosaurs Alive is another section in the Moody Gardens that is super impressive.
There are so many different species of dinosaurs and corresponding sizes, and they all look hyper-real.
The kids will love it there. Even if you do not plan to go inside the tent where the dinosaurs are, you will pass near it while going to catch a boat ride on the Colonel Paddlewheel Boat.
Palm Beach at Moody Gardens
The Palm Beach is another top and relaxing attraction in the Moody Gardens. It is open seasonally but has various slides and an enjoyable lazy river, to make up for the wait.
Movies At Moody Gardens
The Moody Gardens also has as part of their attractions a few sets of state-of-the-art theaters. The 3D and 4D theaters offer fantastic movie experiences and would make a wonderful addition to almost everyone’s itinerary.
Colonel Paddlewheel Boat
Towards the back of the pyramids and close to the Dinosaur tent, you will see the Colonel Paddlewheel Boat docked, unless it is out for a cruise.
Even though we did not get on it for this trip, it is certainly something we plan to do on our next trip. We were told that they have boat cruises during the day and dinner cruises in the evening.
Food, Beverages and Shopping
Address: 1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554
Question: Do I have to pay to visit the Moody Gardens?
Answer: No, gaining entrance into the Moody Gardens is free. However, participating in any of the attractions in Moody Gardens will require you to pay the applicable ticket fees. You can hike or stroll around for free. Whether you choose to explore the surroundings and beautiful grounds for free or decide to enjoy an attraction or two for a fee, both will offer memorable experiences.
Question: Is there free parking at Moody Garden?
Answer: Yes, there is an ample amount of free parking at Moody Gardens in Galveston TX.
Question: Can I visit Moody Gardens on a day pass basis and not lodge in the hotel?
Answer: Yes, you can. A lot of people visit to enjoy the attractions and leave, when they close.
5. Splash Around At Schlitterbahn
| Ticket Prices | Daily Tickets From $39.99 |
| Hours | Varies …. Check Here |
| Address | 2109 Gene Lucas Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554 |
Right outside of the Moody Gardens, you will find the popular Schlitterbahn Water Park. You can literally spend the whole day in this area of Galveston and not run out of fun activities to engage in.
The Schlitterbahn is an integrated water park that has various configuration of water slides and rides. Each of the slides and rides provide a different experience and degree of thrill.
You would be sure to get your adrenaline pumping and oscillating, with every twist and turn on a slide or ride. They have an assortment of tubes to be used in floating the lazy river or for any of the rides/slides that require them.
Overall, we were very impressed, despite not spending so much time there because of the other places we had to visit earlier in the day. We have been to and floated a few lazy rivers in different parks.
The lazy river at this Galveston Schlitterbahn was really enjoyable. It had the waves coming through very often.
Question: Is there parking at the Schlitterbahn in Galveston
Answer: Yes, they have ample free parking spaces.
6. Visit and Explore The Strand Historic District (Downtown)
On the 3rd day of our visit to Galveston Texas, we decided to spend most of it in the Strand Historic District area. The Strand Historic District blends seamlessly with Galveston’s downtown.
You can literally spend the whole day in this part of the city without running out of activities to do. What really struck us as we drove into a street in the Strand Historic District was how busy it was with people.
The district was dotted with historic century old architecture and buildings, providing a wide array of options for commerce. It is very pedestrian friendly, with wide sidewalks that have different storefronts terminating right on its edges.
We have been to many downtowns across different cities and the strand historic district in Galveston TX is among our favorites.
It reminded us of our experience in downtown/main street of Fredericksburg,TX. The same ambience, diverse choice of shops and memorable interactions with our fellow tourists.
7. Galveston Railroad Museum
| Ticket Prices | Adults (13-64) $12 Seniors (65+) $9 Kids (3-12) $6 Kids (Under 2) Free |
| Hours | Mon-Sun 10:00AM – 5:00PM |
| Address | 2602 Santa Fe Pl, Galveston, TX 77550 |
The Galveston Railroad Museum is another place to visit while in Galveston. Because of how close it is to the Galveston Historic Strand District, you can literally visit this museum while on your way to visit the Strand District.
In our case, while going to the Strand District, we parked opposite the railroad museum. Therefore, we made visiting the Galveston Railroad Museum our first port of call in our Strand District exploration itinerary.
The museum is deliberately run in such a way that visitors will maximize their experience there.
They have exhibits and events to make your visit there worthwhile. We enjoyed the short train ride and took in a lot of history.
8. Ocean Star Offshore Museum
| Ticket Prices | Adults (18-64) $10 Seniors (65+) $8 Youth (7-18) $6 Kids (Under 6) Free |
| Hours | Mon-Sun 10:00AM – 5:00PM |
| Address | 2002 Wharf Rd, Galveston, TX 77550 |
Have you ever wondered what daily life and activities on an oil and gas offshore rig may look like? A lot of people have always been fascinated by oil rigs and how they work.
Well, you can explore and get a feel of what an oil rig looks like by going for a tour at the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum. This museum is located in the Strand Historic District general area and it is housed in a jack-up rig that has been retired.
We really liked the museum because of all the new stuff we learned about the oil and gas industry. We saw a lot of miniature models and some real-life drilling pieces of equipment too.
It is interesting to see exactly what and what play critical roles in the discovery and extraction of crude oil. It is mostly a self-guided tour, so we were able to explore at our pace.
Question: Is the Ocean Star offshore drilling rig an actual drilling rig?
Answer: Yes, the Ocean Star drilling rig is a retired jack-up rig that was commissioned in 1969 and operated in the Gulf of Mexico for 15 years before it was retired in 1984.
Question: When did the Ocean Star offshore rig become a museum?
Answer: It became a museum in 1997.
9. Visit The Seawolf Park – Things To Do In Galveston TX
On the other side of Galveston Island, across the Pelican Island Causeway, you will come across the Seawolf Park and the Galveston Naval Museum.
The Seawolf Park is very popular with locals and tourists who are interested in fishing. It has fishing piers, lush green fields for picnics and a playground for kids. It has plenty of parking spaces.
Question: Are Dogs allowed at Galveston’s Seawolf Park?
Answer: Yes, they are allowed. You have to keep them on a leash though.
Question: What hours are the Seawolf Park open?
Answer: The Seawolf Park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
10. Galveston Naval Museum
Some tourists who visit the Seawolf Park do so to fish and have a picnic while some others do so because they would like to tour a submarine and a warship. Yeah, that’s right!! We visited, so that we can tour both.
The Galveston Naval Museum is located within the same premises as the Seawolf Park. On the museum side of things, there is the USS Cavalla Submarine and the USS Stewart destroyer escort ship.
For us, when we visit museums, we try to learn something new and touring both the submarine and ship gave us the opportunity to learn a few new things.
Summary of Top Fun and Best Things To Do In Galveston TX
- Explore The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
- Stroll Along The Seawall and Soak Up The Sunlight At The Beach
- Tour Galveston Aboard the Bus on Train Wheels
- Explore The Moody Gardens
- Splash Around At Schlitterbahn
- Visit and Explore The Strand Historic District (Downtown)
- Galveston Railroad Museum
- Ocean Star Offshore Museum
- Visit The Seawolf Park
- Galveston Naval Museum
