Seaport Museum, Galveston

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While touring Elissa you will also get the chance to visit the Seaport Museum. I went ahead and paid the much overpriced ticket to see a quaint museum about the history of Galveston's port. I don't know....after the Titanic exhibit at Moody Garden....it didn't seem fun to me. You can tell by my pictures I got pretty bored and just started getting into trouble.

There is a theater there but there's no schedule posted or anything so I was confused what to do.

Here's the museum's takeoff of themselves:

Welcome to TEXAS SEAPORT MUSEUM, a project of GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION.

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.

Located in the historic port of Galveston, the Texas Seaport Museum also tells the story of a rich legacy of seaborne commerce and immigration. Look for ancestors with a one-of-a-kind computer database containing the names of more than 133,000 immigrants who entered the United States through Galveston, "'The Ellis Island of the West"'. Join the Museum's staff and volunteers as they bring the past to life through special exhibits and educational programs.

Admission includes self-guided tours of the Texas Seaport Museum and ELISSA, a theater presentation and access to the Galveston Immigration Database.

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As we crossed Harborside drive, we could see her sails gently waving in the breeze. It was the tall ship Elissa,a 1877 iron barque that has been restored by the Galveston Historical Foundation and designated as one of America's Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She sits anchored outside the Texas Seaport Museum.

Our tickets to Dickens on the Strand included a visit to the museum and tall ship that day, so we climbed aboard to glimpse what maritime life was really like. There were rowdy pirates on the premises and I barely escaped with my life! (see photo 2) An informative skit, nautical demonstrations and songs were performed.

Although the steps were narrow leading to the inner bowels of the ship, we took the opportunity to venture forth because the sleeping and living areas of the crew were below deck.(See picture #3) The captain had the most elbow room, of course!

An audio-visual presentation is given on Elissa's reclamation.

Hours are 10am-5pm daily. Admission is $6 for adults; $4 for children 7-18 and free for children 6 and under.

The Texas Seaport Museum tells the story of Galvestons beginnings of seaborne commerce and immigration. Its exhibitions pay tribute to the history and workings of the 19th-century Gulf Coast port.

At the Museum you can walk about "Elissa", a Tallship which now makes its home permanently at the Museum. Before you take a self tour, you can watch a 17 min video on Elissa's history (Passage to Galveston: The Story of ELISSA). The film runs every hour and on the half hour, daily.

Admission includes self-guided tours of the Texas Seaport Museum and ELISSA. If you are visiting the Ocean Star Museum and Pier 21 Theatre as well, buy your tickets all together and get a better deal. Pier 21 theatre will also validate your parking.

Open Daily: 10am-5pm (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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