downtowngalveston.org

The Historic Downtown, Strand and Seaport is home to the largest concentration of museums on Galveston Island. The listings below are provided as an overview of the downtown museums.

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum
The Offshore Energy Center is dedicated to expand the awareness of the vast energy resources beneath the world's oceans, and to chronicle the unique heritage and technological accomplishments of the industry that discovers, produces, and delivers these resources in a safe and environmentally responsible way.

For more information visit the Ocean Star website.

1877 Tallship Elissa & Texas Seaport Museum
Share the adventure of the high seas at the Texas Seaport Museum, home of the celebrated 1877 tall ship ELISSA. Explore the decks of this floating National Historic Landmark which has also been designated one of America's Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Walk ELISSA's decks and imagine the days when daring sailors challenged the world's oceans. In the adjacent museum and theater, witness the story of ELISSA's dramatic rescue from the scrapyard and her meticulous restoration.

For more information visit the Texas Seport Museum website.

1895 Moody Mansion Museum
Restored to its turn of the century splendor, the 28,000 square-foot, four-story structure was completed in 1895. Today, our guests visit 20 rooms on a tour that depicts the home life of a powerful Texas family. The Moodys established one of the great American financial empires. Based on cotton, it grew to include banking, ranching, insurance and hotels.

For more information visit the Moody Mansion website.

Galveston County Historical Museum
Due to Hurricane Ike, the offices and collections of the Galveston County Historical Museum and the Galveston County Historical Commission have moved to the Shearn Moody Plaza building at 25th and Strand, Suite 4157. Although, the museum currently has no exhibitions for the public to view, we are open to accept donations to our historical artifact collection and to assist with research and other inquiries. Please call for an appointment.

For more information visit the Galveston County Historical Museum website.

1859 Ashton Villa House Museum
Galveston Island Visitors Center
The first of Galveston's great Broadway mansions, this opulent Italianate Mansion set the standard for the magnificent homes that followed. The National Trust for Historic Preservation featured Ashton Villa as one of 12 National Trust Save America's Treasures sites highlighted on the Home and Garden Television Network (HGTV) series, RESTORE AMERICA, in 2004-05.

Open for restoration in progress tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm.

For more information visit the Ashton Villa website.

Railroad Museum
Enjoy a stroll through the train yard to see locomotives and the many types of railcars that helped build the nation. Then step inside the railcars to see the opulence of an era past, the acomodations of the common traveler or the workstations in the mail cars. Visit the Galveston Railroad Museum and experience history amongst the notorious "ribbons of steel."

For more information visit the Railroad Museum website.

Rosenberg Library
Galveston and Texas History Center & Museum
The Galveston and Texas History Center and the Museum are currently closed as the Rosenberg Library recovers from Hurricane Ike. History Center staff members, however, are making every effort to respond to Galveston-area resident inquiries for essential information relative to their hurricane recovery.

For more information visit the Rosenberg Library website.