9 Best Things To Do in Galveston, Texas
If you’re looking for things to do in Galveston, Texas, this is the place for you.
For the last five years, my wife and I have been traveling the USA full time in our vintage Airstream. We’ve found that the Texas Gulf Coast, specifically Galveston, is an ideal outdoor getaway.
The city has great food, family activities, plentiful fishing, and watersports galore.
Today we’re sharing the best of what’s around.
Let’s dive in!
The Strand Historic District
Price: Free to walk around, museums and tours vary. Plenty of inexpensive food options.
Why You’ll Love It: Old Downtown Galveston, The Strand, is a National Historic Landmark of Victorian Era buildings that now house shops and restaurants.
Two festivals call this location home, and it is considered the hub of activity in Galveston including nightclubs, museums, art galleries, antiques, a tall ship tour, and the seawall.
Carriage rides are the perfect period-appropriate way to enjoy the architecture and stories of the past in this wharfside district.
Address: boundaries are Ave A, 20th Street, Aves C/D, and railroad depot.
What’s the Word: “This is the best part of the Galveston experience. The old architecture, shopping, and food with the historic backdrop is a great time.” (TripAdvisor)
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 10/10
1892 Bishop’s Palace
Price: Self Guided tours $14/$9 youth
Why You’ll Love It: One of the most historically significant homes of the Victorian eras in the USA, this lavish home, is also known as The Gresham House. It was built in an ornate style with colored stone, stained glass windows, bronze sculptures, and lush furnishings including a fireplace lined with silver!
Taking from 1886 to 1892 to build, the 17,420 square feet residence is opulent. even the American Institute of Architects says that this is one of the 100 most important buildings in America.
Address: 1402 Broadway Avenue J, Galveston
What’s the Word: “Every room tells a story, beautiful woodwork and furnishings. Great garden.” (Google Reviews)
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 8/10
Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
Price: All day ride pass $27, kids $20, Family all-day $90-$100, Pier pass (walk-on) $7-$10, individual ride tickets $4.
Why You’ll Love It: Waterfront entertainment for the whole family, this historic destination offers attractions like midway games, rides, food venues and retail shops.
Address: 25th and Seawall Blvd, Galveston
What’s the Word: “We had a blast. Beautiful view and fun rides. Very kid friendly.”
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 8/10
Moody Mansion Museum
Price: $15/$7 6-17, Family $34.
Why You’ll Love It: This 28,000 sq foot massive residence was completed in 1895, and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1994. The Moody family built a financial empire on cotton, banking, ranching, insurance, newspaper publishing, railroading and hotels.
The Moody Mansion was home to the Moody family until 1986.
Address: 2618 Broadway Ave J
What’s the Word: “A Texas treasure.” “ We loved this place, so much history and an interesting tour of a beautiful historic building.” “One of the most informative audie tours I’ve been on.” (Google reviews)
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 7.5/10
The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum
Price: $10/$6 children, senior/military $8, family $30
Why You’ll Love It: A unique museum location, this attraction is housed in a retired off-shore rig in the Galveston harbor, making for a different ambiance to learning about the oil industry and drilling in the Gulf.
Address: 2002 Wharf Road, Galveston, TX
What’s the Word: “Very informative with a lot of equipment on display.” “I didn’t understand how technical, dangerous and difficult the process of drilling was; I learned a lot and my perception of the industry was changed.” (Google reviews)
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 8.4/10
Best Brewery: Galveston Island Brewing
Price: $9/six pack, draft varies, food $4-$7
Why You’ll Love It: As the oldest brewery on Galveston Island, this popular place has a wide selection of beer on tap. We recommend their Tiki Wheat, Nightfall Porter, or even hard seltzer.
A small sandwich and snack menu is available to go with your beverages. It’s open 7 days a week, and sometimes food trucks are on-site to round out the experience.
Address: 8423 Stewart Rd Galveston
What’s the Word: “Great service, atmosphere, and location.”
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 7.5/10
Galveston County Winery: Haak Vineyards and Winery
Price: Starting around $10
Why You’ll Love It: A great love story, the winery started in 1969 when Gladys Haak bought her husband two grape vines for an anniversary gift. Many years later, there are 3 acres of 1800 grape vines of numerous varieties, including some of the first Blanc du Bois grapes in the country.
The Haaks’ foresight and passion for their hobby was rewarded with many medals for their wines over the years. The location is a stunning venue to enjoy wine tasting and food, or for a classy event.
Address: 6310 Avenue T, Santa Fe, TX
What’s the Word: “Delicious red wine and chill vibe, we enjoyed the wine and the place so much we joined the wine club.” (Google reviews)
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 8/10
Camping: Stella Mare RV Resort
Price: $74-$91 weekday/weekend depending on-site, weekly $359-$440, Fall/Winter $69-84 daily same weekly. Monthly rates too!
Why You’ll Love It: Inclusive rates with no extras add-ons for additional vehicles or people (2/6 respectively), a splash pad and pool, and large 70-90 foot cement sites with landscaping, full hookups, and free Wifi. They also have large vacation homes for groups of 12-14.
Address: 3418 Stella Mare Lane, Galveston
What’s the Word: “We loved our stay! The staff were so friendly and made us feel at home, it was clean and well maintained, you won’t find a better place to stay. We will be back!” (Google)
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 9/10
Hotel: Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Convention Center
Price: $159+ varies with room type, time of year, and packages that include access to different attractions.
Why You’ll Love It: The Moody Gardens Hotel is the real deal. Here’s a list of the amenities:
- full spa
- pool
- multiple dining choices
- golf course
- convention center
It has a lot to occupy your time! But it is also conveniently located to Schlitterbahn waterpark and many nearby attractions.
The Moody Gardens site itself is an educational experience with a rainforest pyramid, aquarium pyramid, interactive tours, a 3D and 4D theater experience, and even an 1800s paddlewheel boat.
Address: 7 Hope Blvd. Galveston
What’s the Word: “The staff and other guests were really friendly, lots to do, enjoyed the pool and swim up bar.” “The pyramids were cool, there are many attractions here that the kids loved.” (Google)
Galveston TX Vibe Score: 7/10
Trip Routing to Galveston
If you’re traveling with an RV (or large vehicle), trip planning to Galveston is essential.
With RV Trip Wizard you can get a much better understanding of what to expect for a travel day. After spending a big amount of money on an RV, you don’t want to run into a low hanging bridge!
We use RV Trip Wizard to route our cross country trips. With tools like budgeting, fuel planning, and avoiding bridges, we can easily travel safely through the USA.
Here’s how to sign up to RV Trip Wizard for free.
Discover the Best Free Camping in America
To be honest with you, we hate paying for camping. There are so many free campsites in America (with complete privacy).
You should give it a try!
As a matter of fact, these free campsites are yours. Every time you pay federal taxes, you’re contributing to these lands.
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