| In 1890 GALVESTON – on the northern tip of Galveston Island, the southern terminus of I-45 – was a thriving port, far larger than Houston fifty miles northwest; many newly arrived European immigrants chose to stay here in the so-called "Queen of the Gulf." However, the building of Houston's Ship Canal, after the hurricanes of 1900 killed more than six thousand people and washed away much of the land, left the coastal town to fade slowly away. Thanks to its pretty historic district and its popularity with Houston residents seeking a summer escape, Galveston's undergone a certain revitalization, but the occasionally gritty city still seems to be laboring under the psychic weight of its past calamities. The Strand downtown, the 19th-century "Wall Street of the Southwest," has been fitted with gaslights, upmarket shops, restaurants and galleries. The Texas Seaport Museum, in amongst a complex of shops and restaurants on Pier 21, just off Water Street (daily 10am–5pm; $6; tel 409-763-1877, www.tsm-elissa.org), focuses on the port's role in trade and immigration during the nineteenth century; admission includes boarding the Elissa, an 1877 tall ship. Harbor tours (Sat 8.30am, 10.30am & 1.30pm; $12) leave from the adjacent Pier 22, taking a 90-minute look at the town's trading history. Between the Strand and the beaches, old houses are everywhere, among them the ostentatious Bishop's Palace, 1402 Broadway (summer Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; rest of year daily noon–4pm; $6), with its stained glass, mosaics and marble; the antebellum Ashton Villa, 2328 Broadway (Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun noon–4pm; $5), which shows a film about the 1900 hurricane and tours starting on the hour; the 1839 Samuel May Williams Home, 3601 Ave P (Sat & Sun noon–4pm; $3), a New England residence moved here from Maine; and the city's oldest building, the Michel B. Menard Home, 1605 33rd St (Fri–Sun noon–4pm; $6), an imposing wooden structure built in 1838 which now holds a good collection of American antiques. Galveston's old Santa Fe depot, at 25th Street and the Strand, is now a Railroad Museum (daily 10am–4pm; $5), displaying steam trains, Pullman cars and endless train-travel-related artifacts in a skillful evocation of a lost era. Eerie white statues stand around in the waiting room; pick up a telephone and listen to their conversations. On the west side of town, Moody Gardens, at I-45 61st St exit (summer daily 10am–9pm, winter Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–6pm, Fri & Sat 10am–9pm; $7.95 per attraction, $28.95 day pass to all attractions; tel 800.582.4673, www.moodygardens.com), is an environmental research facility where you can happily while away a few hours. The complex is centered around three giant glass pyramids: the Rainforest Pyramid houses exotic plants, birds and fish from around the world; the Discovery Pyramid is a good-quality science museum with an IMAX cinema; and the impressive Aquarium Pyramid is one of the largest aquariums in the world. Also in the ever-growing complex are themed outdoor gardens, pleasant walking trails along the shore of scenic Offatt's Bayou, where you can take a cruise on a paddlewheeler, and Palm Beach, a popular spot for families where kids can play on a giant yellow submarine. It's worth visiting more than one attraction, especially as the box office (tel 409/744-4673 or 1-800/582-4673) offers an array of discounted combo tickets. The downtown beaches of Seawall Boulevard are a constant reminder of Galveston's struggle simply to exist: murky, rocky and protected behind a ten-mile-long seawall from the ever-encroaching tides and the threat of further hurricanes. Stewart Beach Park, the most convenient beach for downtown, is geared toward family fun and gets very crowded; the wide R.A. Apfell Park, further east, is marginally quieter during the week, but has live music some weekends and a lively bar. Both of these beaches charge $5 per car.
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