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.

Perhaps Galveston's greatest attraction in recent years has been the advent of cruising. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess Cruise Lines have all found a home at the Port of Galveston in recent years. These premier cruise ships will take passengers to various stops in Mexico, the Caribbean and more. For information about departure dates, times and itineraries, visit GalvestonCruises.com.

Galveston Island Ferry, located on Hwy 87 (Ferry Road), continues to be one of Galveston's most popular attractions. Riders can park and ride the ferry or drive their vehicle aboard the ferry. Ferries run approximately every fifteen to twenty minutes and are free.

The Great Storm, a multimedia presentation at the Pier 21 Theater, gives visitors a glimpse of the devastating 1900 Storm through a multi-image documentary experience. The 27-minute story gives actual accounts from diaries and letters of survivors during and after the storm.

One of Galveston's most popular attractions is Moody Gardens, One Hope Boulevard. Work or play, this tropical destination is ideal for families and groups alike. Water your imagination and travel the oceans of the world at the Aquarium Pyramid. Step into the Rainforest Pyramid with thousands of tropical plants, exotic fish and birds. Explore the mysteries of science at the Discovery Pyramid, and take a rocking and rolling ride through the universe at the Ridefilm Theater. Get in the middle of the action at the 4D Special FX Theater. See spectacular images leap from the screen of the six-story IMAX 3D Theater and visit beautiful Palm Beach (seasonal) and the newly expanded Moody Gardens Hotel.

Docked at Moody Gardens , the Colonel, a 750-passenger, 19th-century-style sternwheeler, offers a unique view of the Gardens and an enjoyable cruise. And 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 can be your personal happy place! During the summer season, the park offers amazing rides and attractions, including a large wave pool, uphill water coasters, thrilling speed slides, kid's water playgrounds, whitewater rapids, relaxing hot tubs, family raft rides, the Boogie Bahn surf ride and the exclusive Transportainment river system. Relax in steaming warm waters and enjoy summer fun all year long at Texas' first and only heated, indoor waterpark. (Both the air and water are always in the 80s!)  The Wasserfest Heated Indoor Season, October through mid-April, features more than a dozen heated attractions in a tropical, heated indoor oasis. 

The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum, located at Pier 19, gives visitors an opportunity to step aboard an offshore rig and experience how oil and gas is produced offshore. Videos, interactive displays and models take patrons to offshore locations all over the world.

Seawolf Park, 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, a playground area and a lighted fishing pier. A World War II submarine (the USS Cavalla), a destroyer escort (the USS Stewart), and other military hardware are open for tours.

Of course, no visit to Galveston is complete without a savoring the Island's historic homes and museums, which give visitors a glimpse of an era featuring both wealth and prosperity, as well as disaster and change.

From Blog.Galveston.com

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:42:38 +0000 Galveston’s The Strand: Jewel of the Historic Downtown Prosperous in the 19th century because of the nearby port, The Strand became known as the “Wall Street of the Southwest.” And thanks to efforts over the years to save and restore several blocks of unique 19th century commercial buildings, the Downtown Strand Seaport District is now a revitalized commercial core with more than 100 restaurants, shops, historic attractions, antique stores and art galleries. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:28:16 +0000 Project SIT Becoming a Reality This week United Tile began installing hand-painted ceramic tiles interpreting the coastal and ocean heritage of Galveston Island and the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston County has permitted Artist Boat to beautify 68 concrete benches with hand-painted ceramics and mosaic tiles. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:03:40 +0000 Vintage Play-A-Sax is Rosenberg Library’s January Treasure The Rosenberg Library presents a vintage Play-A-Sax as the January Treasure of the Month. Manufactured by the QRS-Devry Corporation in the 1930s, the Play-A-Sax (also spelled Playasax) was touted as “the musical instrument that everyone can play.” The twelve inch tall novelty instrument fused the technology of a player piano with a harmonica. Also on display are directions on how to use it and three music roles for the instrument. This fascinating relic was donated to the library in 1995 by Marjorie Runge Kelso of Galveston. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:39:53 +0000 With the New Year Comes a Special Anniversary for Galveston’s Tall Ship Elissa In 2012, the Texas Seaport Museum will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Elissa in Galveston. The 1877 former British merchant vessel will then sail to a Galveston Bay shipyard to have its deck replaced and hull repaired. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:58:54 +0000 Lights, Camera, Festival! Moody Gardens' Festival of Lights blends technology and tradition to create an unforgettable holiday experience. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:00:26 +0000 Festival of Lights Twinkles Back to Isle for 10th Anniversary Holiday sights, sounds, smells and snow will fill the air at Galveston's Moody Gardens from Nov. 18 to Jan. 1 during the tenth annual Festival of Lights. Santa Claus will parachute in Nov. 12 for the grand lighting of the mile-long, million-light trail, which is one of the largest and most popular holiday lighting events on the Gulf Coast. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:34:08 +0000 Viewing the Jungle from Above at the Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid The new 300-foot-long upper walkway offers a commanding view of the 10-story Rainforest Pyramid, home to more than 1,000 species of exotic plants and animals. Elevated 35 feet high, it’s like you’re walking amidst dense jungle treetops with close-up views of some of the attraction’s new animals. Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:51:47 +0000 Rosenberg Library’s October Treasure The Rosenberg Library Museum in Galveston is displaying a heavy cardstock invitation to the Veiled Prophet’s Ball, ca. 1890 as the October Treasure of the Month Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:14:00 +0000 Galveston Isle Offers Spooktacular Fun This October Galveston has been home to the allegedly cannibalistic Karankawa Indians and merciless pirates, including the famous Jean Laffite whose lavish and lawless den of thieves was the island's first European settlement. Galvestonians in the 19th century knew fires, epidemics of yellow fever and malaria, military occupation and bitter war, and of course, storms. In fact, from its storied harbor to its stately Victorian mansions, historic Galveston is filled with legendary figures and ghostly stories. Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:25:38 +0000 Rosenberg Library’s September Treasure The Rosenberg Library Museum is proud to present an eclectic assortment of police relics from the late 19th to the early 20th century as the September Treasure of the Month.

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