Texas Seaport Museum

If you love stories of seafaring adventurers, then you must visit the Texas Seaport Museum while you’re in Galveston! For nearly 200 years, Galveston has been a busy port city, welcoming immigrants from around the world and sending America’s crops overseas. Today, this history is immortalized at the Texas Seaport Museum, where you can immerse yourself in this fascinating story.

Tall Ship Elissa

The crown jewel of the Texas Seaport Museum is the Tall Ship Elissa, one of the oldest ships still sailing today. Built in 1877, she’s a three-masted, iron-hulled ship that carried cargo around the world for 90 years. Now fully restored and renovated, Elissa still sets sail in the Gulf on a regular basis, thanks to the dedication of museum staff and hundreds of volunteers. What better way to make history come alive for your family than by actually walking across the deck of such an amazing ship?

Immigration History

Galveston was once known as the “Ellis Island of the West”, because so many immigrants passed through its shores. The Texas Seaport Museum maintains a unique computer database so visitors can search for the names of their ancestors here. The museum also tells the story of seaborne commerce in the 19th century, and the importance of Galveston’s role. Whether or not your personal family story is located here, Galveston’s port is surely an important part of the overall story of America.

Harbor Tours

Sure, there are lots of ways to get out on a boat in Galveston, but if you want to do it with a knowledgeable guide, the Texas Seaport Museum’s harbor tours are hard to beat! Hop aboard the Seagull II for a hour-long tour of Galveston Bay, and view a wide variety of bird and marine life alongside the plentiful and fascinating human traffic of these waters. Though the tour can’t guarantee it, there’s almost always dolphins who show up, seemingly as entertained by humans as humans are of them. Harbor tours depart four times daily, with the exception of Wednesdays and reservations aren’t required unless your group is larger than 20 people.

If these activities sound fun, then your best option is to purchase the Seaport Package, which grants access to all three (museum, harbor tour, and Elissa tour) for only $20 per adult. Sounds like a great deal for a fun day on Galveston Bay!

Texas Seaport Museum

2200 Harborside Drive

Galveston, TX

Hours: 10 – 6 daily (last admission at 5)

www.galvestonhistory.org