Galveston
Some 10 miles southwest of downtown, swimmers will find a hard-packed white-sand beach far from the vacation rentals and tourists of town. This state park also has 6 miles of nature trails through the coastal dunes, salt marshes, bayous and mudflats that comprise its 2000 acres. Facilities are few and shade is rare, but it’s a lovely spot.
Fifty-three campsites with electricity and water (per night $25) and 10 water only ($15) are available.
26.03 MILES
Dream of landing on the moon? You can’t get closer than the visitor center/museum alongside NASA's Johnson Space Center, where interactive displays…
12.84 MILES
This sumptuous Gothic mansion, built in the 1880s for the Gresham family, became home to the Catholic bishop of neighboring Sacred Heart Church in 1923…
12.88 MILES
Bordering the Strand, the residential East End Historic District has scores of pretty old houses, from simple cottages to Greek Revival mansions, some of…
12.27 MILES
Housed in the 1895 Galveston Orphans' Home, this excellent museum displays documents and artifacts from the Bryan family's collection, covering state and…
26.1 MILES
It's as impressive as it is sad: this never-used Saturn V rocket, a specimen of the most powerful rocket ever used by the US, which took astronauts to the…
16.25 MILES
Also called Apffel Park, this vast expanse of hard-packed sand is at the very far northeastern end of the island. On summer weekends, it hosts live…
12.44 MILES
Strolling the historic Strand District will give you an appreciation of Galveston's glory days in the late-19th century. Commercial horse-drawn carriages…
15.88 MILES
The last stretch of untouched coastal prairie on Galveston's East End, this 684-acre tract has been set aside for conservation purposes and is open to…
1. Galveston County Beach Pocket Parks
4.2 MILES
Several long stretches of beach run by the county are found southwest of town off San Luis Pass Rd (the continuation of Seawall Blvd). Pocket Park 1, the…
8.26 MILES
Three colorful glass pyramids form the focus of one giant entertainment complex. The Aquarium Pyramid showcases king penguins, fur seals and the largest…
11.78 MILES
Constructed in 1880 as a social club for the German residents of Galveston, the Garten Verein (garden club) dancing hall was once a center of the city's…
11.84 MILES
Sixteen rides, two roller coasters, carnival games, and souvenir and snack kiosks: Landry's restaurant group packs a lot into its post-Ike redo of…
11.98 MILES
One of the grandest mansions on the island, dating from 1895, this 28,000-sq-ft home still shines with the splendor of Galveston's heyday as an American…
12.16 MILES
Texas A&M University at Galveston runs a state-of-the-art marine research and rehabilitation facility largely dedicated to endangered sea turtles. From…
12.2 MILES
The Galveston Island Visitors Center occupies most of the ground floor of this 1858 Italianate villa, while the remainder is reserved for private events.
8. Rosenberg Library Historical Collections
12.22 MILES
Housed on the 4th floor of this beautiful 1904 building, the oldest public library in continuous operation in Texas, is a collection of historical…