Galveston
A Texas island port whose Victorian Strand district survived the 1900 hurricane, the deadliest natural disaster in US history.
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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.
What you actually see
- 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.
Honest expectations
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.
What to pack for Galveston
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.