Galveston Island offers everything in a resort destination – beautiful accommodations, entertainment, shopping and 32 miles of Gulf Coast beaches. Galveston’s festivals, special events and attractions are enjoyable for Islanders and tourists alike. One bit of advice – if you live here, don’t wait until you have out-of-town visitors to tour the Island’s many attractions.
Galveston’s temperate weather allows residents and visitors to enjoy the beautiful outdoors year-round, and there’s always a Gulf breeze. The Island offers wonderful Gulf beaches, golfing, fishing, volleyball and horseback riding. Beach and umbrella concessionaires provide their services in many areas of the beach, areas that are designated by the City Council as alcohol-free. Children and adults alike enjoy playing in the sand.
Galveston’s East Beach (also called R.A. Apffel Park) on the city’s far east end and next to the future site of the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve is where bird watchers can catch a glimpse of their favorite local species. This is the only beach park where alcohol is allowed. Seawolf Park, located on Pelican Island via Seawolf Parkway (51st Street), was built on an immigration station site and offers a three-story pavilion with a view of Galveston Harbor, picnic sites, playground area and fishing pier. The U.S.S. Cavalla, a World War II submarine, the U.S.S. Stewart, a destroyer escort, and other military hardware are on display at
Seawolf Park and open for tours. The Galveston Island State Park, bayside, is open for day visits with nature trails and locations for kayaking and canoeing, and open beachside for camping.
Discover how the offshore industry of the Gulf Coast operates by visiting the Ocean Star Oil Rig and Museum at Pier 19. Take a trip with
Galveston Harbor Tours at Pier 21 to delight in the dolphin-watch tour and learn how the harbor operates. Get into nature and the beauty of our world at Moody Gardens, a lush, tropical setting for a world class educational and recreational complex. The 10-story glass Rainforest Pyramid houses thousands of exotic tropical plants, animals, birds, fish, turtles, waterfalls, caverns and more, representing the rainforests of Asia, Africa and the Americas. Moody Gardens features one of America’s largest aquariums, as well as the Discovery Pyramid’s traveling science exhibits and Ridefilm Theater.
View exciting movies in the 4D Theater and the MG3D Theater on the largest screen in Texas, and dine in the Garden Restaurant overlooking sparkling Galveston Bay. Relax among the beautiful, soft white sands and cool freshwater lagoons, and experience a new lazy-river at Palm Beach where children can enjoy the Splash Pad and Interactive Water Features.
Docked at Moody Gardens, the Colonel, a 750-passenger replica of a 1800s paddle wheeler, offers a unique view of the gardens and an enjoyable cruise. Whether you’re in town for business or pleasure, the Moody Gardens Hotel offers spectacular views of the entire Island. With its huge array of awesome aquatic adventures, Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark can be your personal happy place! During the summer season, the park offers more than 33 amazing rides and attractions, including uphill water coasters, thrilling speed slides, kid’s water playgrounds, whitewater rapids, relaxing hot tubs, family raft rides and the Boogie Bahn surf ride. The heated indoor season, October through mid-April, features more than a dozen heated attractions in a tropical indoor oasis.
