An Ultra High Definition 4K Driving Tour from Houston, Texas to Galveston Island.
We’re going to the beach! Join me on a drive from Houston, Texas to Galveston, Texas. We will be driving down I-45 South from Houston, Texas to Galveston Island. Galveston is 51 miles from Houston. Galveston is an Island off the coast of Texas. In clear traffic it can take an hour to drive to Galveston, but there is almost always pretty significant traffic between Houston and Galveston.
I-45 runs from Dallas, Texas to through Houston and ends in Galveston. From Houston further south to Galveston is sometimes referred to as the Gulf Freeway. The raised section of I-45 in Houston is called the Pierce Elevated because it runs next to Pierce street. The Gulf Freeway was the first freeway in Texas.
Galveston Island is a fun place to go to the beach from Houston. Lots of people like to go to the beach in Galveston because it is so close to the city. Galveston is also a popular place for cruise lines to depart from, so many people go to Galveston to get on a cruise ship.
What to do in Galveston, Texas
The Galveston Seawall
The Galveston Seawall is a ten mile stretch of seawall that was built up to protect the island. In 1900 a devastating hurricane hit Galveston Island killing an unknown number of people presumed to be somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 people. It was the deadliest natural disaster in American history. To protect the city from future hurricanes the seawall was built in 1902. It is a large concrete barrier that serves as a sidewalk raised up above the beach and running along the side of Seawall Blvd. Galveston Island seawall is ten miles long, making it a very long sidewalk. In many places it is painted with murals.
The seawall overlooks the ocean and a sandy beach. There is always something going on along the seawall. There are tons of restaurants, hotels and beach shops. One very popular souvenir shop is Murdochs.
Parking along the Galveston Seawall costs $1 per hour up to $8 per day. Annual passes cost $25. More information about parking at the Galveston Seawall is available on their website. If you are prompted to put in a location code for the Galveston Seawall parking it is 5004.
The Strand
The Strand is the historic district on Galveston Island. It is the historic downtown and many of the victorian buildings are well preserved. The area has lots of restaurants, galleries and shops. It is a fun place to walk around and explore, and there is usually live music playing.
The Strand is the nickname for Avenue B. Store owners started referring to the area as the Strand because they thought it would make the area sound fancier.
Port Bolivar Ferry
1000 Ferry Road N. Galveston, Texas
The Port Bolivar Ferry is free. It runs between Galveston Island and the nearby Bolivar Peninsula on SH 87. The Port Bolivar Ferry runs 24 hours a day. During high traffic times additional ferry boats can be added in order to handle the traffic. The distance that the ferry travels is 2.7 miles and on average takes 18 minutes. It takes about ten minutes to load the ferry. Passengers are allowed to get out of their cars during the ferry trip, but pets are not allowed out of the cars. There are restrooms available on the ferry. If you would like to feed the seagulls you must do that from the back end of the ferry boat. For more information about the ferry you can visit the Texas Department of Transportation website which has the schedule, or the Houston Transtar website.
Bishops Palace & the East End Historical District
1402 Broadway Avenue J, Galveston, TX 77550
Bishop’s Palace
The East End Historical District has a lot of historic homes that are preserved, the most notable is Bishop’s Palace which is open for tours, tickets cost $14. Bishops Palace is an architecturally significant victorian house that has been preserved. It is also known as Gresham’s Castle. Construction was completed in 1893 and it was designed to be strong enough to withstand hurricanes. The house is four stories tall. In 1923 the home was sold to the Catholic Church and it became the residence of the Bishop, hence the name.
There are many other lovely homes in this neighborhood. If you want to go exploring, take a look at the area between Broadway and Market Street and 19th – 9th Street. The houses are predominately victorians or Greek revival. In addition to Bishop’s Palace, the George Washington Grover House at 1520 Market St or Isaac Heffron House at 1509 Post Office Street are particularly nice.
Moody Gardens
1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, Texas 77554
moodygardens.com
Moody Gardens is a hotel and convention center that also has attractions such as a golf course and zip lines. There are a lot of family friendly activities and attractions, many of them educational. The pyramids have different themes. The aquatic pyramid has sharks and fish and the rainforest pyramid has monkeys and birds. There are seasonal events as well.
Schlitterbahn
2109 Gene Lucas Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554
Schlitterbahn.com/galveston
Schlitterbahn is a popular waterpark in Galveston. The main park is located in New Braunfels, Texas. Their Galveston waterpark is not as large as the main park, but it still has a lot to offer. There are large water slides as well as a wave pool and a river ride.There are attractions to suit all ages and thrill levels.
Galveston Naval Museum
100 Seawolf Park Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554
Galvestonnavalmuseum.com
Hours: 8am – 5pm, closed Christmas Day
Tickets are $13 for adults with discounted prices for children, seniors, veterans and active duty military.
The Galveston Naval Museum is dedicated to honoring and preserving the history and the contributions of the Navy. Seawolf Park is named in honor of the USS Seawolf, a submarine that was lost at sea during World War II with many people onboard. There are now two ships permanently stationed at Seawolf Park as part of the museum, the USS Cavala and the USS Stewart.
Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum
2002 Wharf Rd, Galveston, TX 77550
Oceanstaroec.com
The museum lets you do a self guided tour on a real oil rig called the Ocean Star. The rig is connected to land by bridge, and is safe for families and ADA accessible. The museum offers lots of information about offshore oil drilling. Tickets are $10 for adults with discounts available for seniors, military, children and family packages.
Pleasure Pier
2501 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550
Pleasurepier.com
Pleasure Pier offers rides and amusements, similar to a carnival, on the pier next to the ocean.
The Bryan Museum
1315 21st St, Galveston, TX 77550
Thebryanmuseum.org
The Bryan Museum is located in the restored Galveston Orphans Home and is a museum dedicated to Texas history and the American West.
Railroad Museum
2602 Santa Fe Place, Galveston, TX 77550
Galvestonrrmuseum.org
The railroad museum offers a train depot recreated to be like it was in the 1930s as well as 5 acres of trains. The museum itself is a self guided tour. On Saturdays, with an additional fee, you can go on train rides at specific times.
Historic Seaport with the Tallship Elissa
2200 Harborside Dr, Galveston, TX 77550
The Tallship Elissa serves as both a floating museum and an actively functioning ship. The ship was originally built in Scotland in 1877. The Elissa is one of the oldest still sailing ships. Also for many years this part of Galveston functioned as the “Ellis Island of the South” and more than 750,000 immigrants were processed by immigration. The Galveston Immigration Database is located at the historic seaport with records from ships passenger manifests. You can access their online database here. Remember, this database is for ships first processed in Galveston. If the ship first made landfall on the east coast, it may have been initially processed on the east coast, and then continued on to Texas where the passengers ultimately disembarked.
Galveston Island State Park
14901 FM3005, Galveston, TX 77554
tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/galveston-island
Galveston Island State Park offers camping and day use passes. Be sure to make a reservation online in advance in order to make sure that you will not be turned away if the park reaches capacity. The area includes bay and beach access as well as has a kayak launch.
Grand 1894 Opera House
2020 Postoffice St, Galveston, TX 77550
Thegrand.com
The official opera house of Texas! The Grand has been preserved even through a lot of hurricanes, and is still a gorgeous building.
Katie’s Seafood Market
1902 Wharf Rd, Galveston, TX 77550
katiesseafood.com
This is a seafood market where you can buy some extremely fresh seafood. You can see the boats pulling up back and the pelicans hanging around hoping for some treats. They have fish, shrimp and crab. They also have a nearby restaurant if you prefer your seafood to be already cooked for you.
Where to eat in Galveston, Texas
LaKing’s Confectionery and Ice Cream Parlor
2323 Strand St, Galveston, TX 77550
Lakingsconfectionery.com
What’s a fun day at the beach without a stop to get some ice cream? LaKing’s is in a historic building along the Galveston Strand. You can walk in and get some ice cream and then walk up and down the strand exploring. LaKing’s offers candy counters and an ice cream and soda fountain. It has the feel of the 1920s inside and offers a lot of flavors of salt water taffy.
Shrimp ‘n Stuff
3901 Avenue O, Galveston, TX 77550
Shrimpnstuff.com
They have some great fried shrimp! This is a no frills place that offers some tasty food.
Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant
3828 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550
Gaidos.com
This high end seafood place on the strand has been around since 1911.
The Spot
3204 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550
Thespot.islandfamous.com
The spot is a laid back place to get a bite to eat right off the strand. It’s a beach front location with large patios to enjoy the view.
Where to stay on Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a popular tourist destination with lots of hotels available. There are high end hotels for people booking events or wanting a spa weekend, hotels near the cruise terminals for people about to embark on a cruise, and cheaper hotels for people who want to have a good time at the beach on a budget. In addition to the local hotels there are a lot of short term rental properties.
Hotel Galvez and Spa
2024 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550
HotelGalvez.com
Hotel Galvez is located on the seawall. This gorgeous hotel is a popular location for weddings and conferences, and other events. There is a pool and a spa. The hotel is located right on the beach with a view of the ocean. Room 501 is haunted.
The Tremont House
2300 Ship Mechanic Row St, Galveston, TX 77550
Thetremonthouse.com
The Tremont House is located on the Strand, the historic downtown of Galveston. This is an elegant boutique hotel in a historic building that has been respectfully modernized. The original hotel was built in 1839, but was destroyed and rebuilt a number of times after the hurricane and a fire. The current version of the hotel is in what was formerly the Leon & H Blum Building, built in 1879.
San Luis Resort
5222 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77551
Sanluisresort.com
The San Luis Resort is a large hotel and convention center located on the seawall. It has an oceanfront view and spa services.
Hilton Galveston
5400 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77551
Hilton.com
This Hilton is close to the beach. It is a large convention center and located near many attractions.
Harbor House Hotel and Marina
No 28 Pier 21, Galveston, TX 77550
Harborhousepier21.com
This hotel is very close to the cruise terminal. It is right on the water with views of the harbor. From this location you can walk to many restaurants and other sites.
Four Points Sheraton
2300 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550
Marriott.com
This hotel is on the seawall and has a pool. It is right by the beach and very centrally located.
Best Western Plus Galveston Suites
8502 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554
Bestwestern.com
Located right on the seawall by the beach, this hotel is a more cost effective option. It is close to Schlitterbahn.
Baymont by Windham
2826 63rd St, Galveston, TX 77551
Wyndhamhotels.com/baymont/galveston-texas
This hotel is centrally located and not very far from the beach.
How to get from Houston, Texas to Galveston Island for a cruise
Many people go from Houston to Galveston Island because they are taking a cruise that departs from the Galveston Island Cruise Port.
Where to park your car for a cruise in Galveston
If you are driving to Galveston from Houston, there are places you can park your car at the port while you are on your cruise. The Port of Galveston offers their own secured parking lots to park in while you are on your cruise. Their rates are listed here.
Some Galveston hotels offer packages that include parking your car at the hotel during your cruise if you are staying with them. If you are planning on staying in Galveston for a few extra days to enjoy the beach this is probably the cheapest way to get parking during your cruise.
Transportation from the airport in Houston to the Cruise Terminal in Galveston
If you are flying into Houston to get to your cruise in Galveston, you will need to take into consideration getting to Galveston from your airport. Do not expect to be able to rely on any sort of public transportation between the airports in Houston and Galveston Island.
There are two airports in Houston that you might be flying into. The larger airport is George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and it is located 70 miles from the Galveston cruise terminal. The smaller airport is Hobby Airport (HOU) is 42 miles from the cruise terminal, and is much closer. Double check which airport you are flying in and out of.
There are car rental counters available at both airports. Depending on the size of your group and what your travel plans are it might make sense to rent a car at the airport then pay to park it at the cruise terminal. This could be a useful strategy if you are wanting to run a few errands or pick up supplies that you couldn’t pack in your luggage between your flight landing and boarding the cruise ship.
You can get a taxi easily at either airport, but the cost of a taxi all the way out to the island will be quite high. You can also use a ride share app such as Uber or Lyft. Download the app in advance to familiarize yourself with it, and get a feel for what the prices will be.
There are also shuttles that go between IAH or Hobby airport and the cruise terminal. Most shuttles will charge a rate per person. The cruise line that you are sailing with probably has a shuttle service to the airport available, but they can be slow and expensive. There are private companies that offer shuttle services as well such as Galveston Express, Galveston Flyer or Island Breeze Shuttle.
If you are traveling as an individual or maybe two people, taking a shuttle might be the cheaper option. If you are traveling as a larger group, it might be more cost effective to use a car service of some sort such as Uber.