Things to Do in Historic Downtown Strand Seaport in Galveston

Galveston is a wonderful vacation destination with beautiful beaches, fun attractions, and a rich history that provides for exciting things to do. Visiting such a rich city can be a little intimidating. There are plenty of great places to go; where should you start? Here is a few of the best things to do in the Downtown Strand Seaport District in Galveston to get your vacation started.

Pleasure Pier

Open since May of 2012, Pleasure Pier is a theme park and pier that brings attractions and restaurants to the Downtown Strand Seaport area of Galveston. In the wake of Hurricane Ike, Paradise Pier was created by Tillman Fertitta to redevelop the pier and bring a nostalgic boardwalk style amusement park to Galveston. The pier offers rides for all ages, shops, restaurants and plenty of shade to enjoy your day. A wristband purchased at the entry gets you access to the pier all day and makes this pier a must see attraction.

Texas Seaport Museum

Galveston Island is only beat by Ellis Island in New York when it comes to welcoming immigrants. Galveston has been a major port for years and brings a very interesting past. The Texas Seaport Museum chronicles the amazing stories of Galveston through displays and historical records that the museum holds open to the public. One of the museum’s most interesting exhibits is the Elissa, an 1877 iron hull sailing ship that saw many immigrants safely into the port in Galveston. Another exhibit is the museum’s database of over 133,000 immigrant names and records that documents the history of thousands of families across the nation.

The Haunted Mayfield Manor

This haunted manor is a year-round haunted house that is located on the Strand Seaport in Galveston’s Shopping District. The manor consists of “12 rooms of terror that will leave you screaming!” The attraction not only scares its guests, but also provides a historic account of the manor and surrounding area. Paranormal investigations do occur at the manor, and guests can be thrown in the middle of the search for signs of the afterlife.

These three attractions in the Strand Seaport district in Galveston will get you started to a wonderful vacation. These locations are sure to get your vacation started on a good foot and help you explore Galveston and find other attractions to visit.