Editor's Note: Hurricane Ike caused massive destruction in Galveston and throughout southeast Texas in September 2008. The 12-ft/4-m storm surge erased large swaths of beach on the island's west end, pulled homes from their pilings and flooded the first floors of elegant Victorian mansions in the historical downtown district. Progress is being made toward recovery, however, as hotels reopen, events are confirmed or rescheduled and attractions welcome visitors. But it's best to call ahead to make sure the sites you want to see are open.
Galveston, Texas, a charming, slow-paced island city loved by visitors, is one of the Lone Star State's fastest-growing and most-popular resorts on the Gulf of Mexico.
A popular Texas tourism destination, Galveston is home to lots of beaches that please visitors and to plenty of fancy Victorian mansions and 19th-century storefronts that have been restored. Galveston has approximately 1,500 landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The commercial buildings in Galveston's Strand National Historic Landmark District, now commonly called the Historic Downtown Shopping District, are among the finest collections of Victorian iron-front architecture in the U.S. This area is full of boutiques, bars, restaurants and galleries. It's also the site of major entertainment festivals such as Mardi Gras (February or March) and Dickens on the Strand (December).
The nearby Postoffice Street arts and entertainment district, considered part of Galveston's Historic Downtown Shopping District, underwent a major revitalization and is home to Gallery Row, with more than 15 art galleries.
For these reasons, Galveston attracts thousands of visitors who find that a stroll downtown can be just as pleasant as a walk on one of its beaches.
Location
Galveston is a destination port, with four cruise lines offering weekly departures for cruises to Mexico, the Panama Canal, and various points in the Caribbean and Florida. Cruise ships dock at Pier 25, an old cotton warehouse renovated into the Texas Cruise Ship Terminal, on Harborside Drive at 25th Street. You'll find a choice of either a port-operated parking lot on Harborside Drive at 29th Street (drop off your bags first, then park and let a shuttle take you to the terminal) or a privately operated lot on Harborside at 33rd (park first and the shuttle takes you and your bags to the terminal). Expect to pay US$8-$10 a day.
Cruise passengers whose ships leave from Galveston may fly into one of Houston's three airports. (Galveston's local airport is not serviced by commercial passenger airlines.) The closest Houston airport is Ellington Field (EFD), located on Interstate 45 approximately 20 mi/32 km from Galveston, but it's serviced only by Continental Express. The two larger airports are William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), about 45 mi/72 km north on I-45, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), about 65 mi/105 km from Galveston. Cruise ships often provide airport-to-port transportation; check with your ship or travel agent. If you arrive early or are making your own arrangements, Galveston Limousine provides transportation between Houston's airports and Galveston's port and hotels (phone 409-740-5466 or toll-free 800-640-4826, http://www.galvestonlimousineservice.com). Expect to pay US$30 one way from Hobby and US$35 one way from Bush Intercontinental.
