Day Trips® from Houston by Paris Permenter & john bigley

Author:Paris Permenter & john bigley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493031443
Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
Published: 2019-04-02T16:00:00+00:00

Galveston Railroad Museum. 2602 Santa Fe Place; (409) 765-5700; galvestonrrmuseum.com. This museum covers all things railroad related. Exhibits include the restored Santa Fe Depot and multimedia presentations on Galveston’s role in the railroad and shipping industries. Nearly three dozen vintage railroad cars and steam engines sit on old tracks, and you can get a feel for 1930s railroad culture by walking through the People’s Gallery, where models re-create the hustle and bustle of the old depots.

Galveston Tree Sculpture Tour. (409) 797-5144; galveston.com/treesculpturetour. When Hurricane Ike struck Galveston in 2008, it left in its wake an estimated 40,000 destroyed trees. Although the roots were no longer living, symbols of the city’s rebirth grew from a few of the trees’ remains. Like modern-day Michaelangos freeing the forms within, sculptors carved, chiseled, and chain-sawed stumps into shapes ranging from pop culture icons like The Lion King, The Wizard of Oz’s Tin Man, and SpongeBob to mythical mermaids and wooden homages to Galveston’s residents with fins, fur, and feathers, among them an alligator, pelicans, herons, dolphins, and dogs. Many of the more than 50 sculptures are located in the East End Historical District, and sightseers can locate all of the artwork thanks to a map of the sculptures that can be found at Galveston.com or at the Galveston Visitor Center at Ashton Villa.

The Grand 1894 Opera House. 2020 Postoffice St.; (409) 765-1894 or (800) 821-1894; thegrand.com. Galveston’s 1894 opera house is a true survivor. It has withstood the hurricanes of 1900 and 1915; Hurricanes Carla, Alicia, and Ike; and occasional periods of neglect. Today the fully restored opera house is one of Texas’s last remaining theaters built in the late 1800s, a feat that has earned it a place in the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout the year the theater hosts symphony performances, ballets, plays and musicals like Cats and A Chorus Line, and concerts by the likes of Ronnie Milsap and Johnny Mathis. Call or visit the website to find out about shows during your visit.

Michel B. Menard Home. 1604 33rd St.; (409) 762-3933; galvestonhistory.org. Built in 1838 for one of Galveston’s founders—Michel B. Menard—this is now the oldest house in Galveston; it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the Greek Revival style, it is filled with decor and furniture from the first half of the 1800s. Though the house faced almost certain demolition due to disrepair in the early 1990s, the Galveston Historical Foundation and the house’s current owners collaborated to restore it. Although the home is not open for public tours, it’s still worth a drive-by to appreciate its stately exterior.

Moody Gardens. 1 Hope Blvd.; (800) 582-4673; moodygardens.com. If you want to be able to eat, drink, sleep, and do a million other activities in one place, this is the place to go. Moody Gardens is part hotel, part spa, part convention center—and part a little of everything else. Here you’ll find restaurants; an aquarium housed in a pyramid; IMAX 3-D and 4-D theaters; a

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