Galveston

Galveston was the wealthiest city in Texas before 1900, a deepwater port with an iron-fronted commercial district called the Strand that people compared to Wall Street. On 8 September 1900 a hurricane crossed the island with a storm surge over a low, unprotected city and killed an estimated six to twelve thousand people - still the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. The response was extraordinary engineering: a seawall was built, and the grade of the entire city was raised, with more than two thousand buildings jacked up on screws while sand was pumped underneath them. Galveston never regained its commercial primacy - Houston dredged a ship channel and took it - which is part of why the Victorian fabric survives.

Highlights

• The Strand - the iron-fronted Victorian commercial district.
• The seawall - built after 1900 and extended since.
• A city raised on screws - over two thousand buildings jacked up.
• Broadway mansions - Bishop's Palace and Moody Mansion among them.

When to go

October to May; summer is hot and is hurricane season. A full day.

Good to know

Hurricane risk is real and Ike in 2008 caused severe damage. Beaches here are brown-water Gulf, not Caribbean. Summer heat and humidity are heavy. Cruise traffic crowds the port area.

Nearby

Houston is north; Bolivar Peninsula is across the ferry.