An area of Galveston not to be missed is the historic downtown Strand district. Located just one block from the Texas Cruise Ship Terminal, this 19th century Victorian district offers over 100 restaurants, a wide variety of shops, historic attractions, art galleries, and antique stores. Visitors can take horse-drawn carriage rides or enjoy open-air trolley routes from downtown to the Gulf of Mexico.
Next to the Strand is one of Galveston's most popular tourist destinations: the Ocean Star off-shore drilling rig and museum. Visitors board the retired jackup drilling rig and explore the three floors of models and interactive displays illustrating the story of offshore oil and gas from seismic technology to exploration platforms, actual drill bits, and remotely operated vehicles. Following a tour of the museum, visitors can take the skywalk out onto the drill floor of the rig.
Seawolf Park lies across from the Port of Galveston, and this World War II Museum and Memorial Plaza features two WWII vessels: the submarine USS Cavalla and a destroyer, the USS Stewart. Visitors can tour both ships and delve into the past while walking the same decks that the brave crews did when they sailed during World War II.
Naturally, there is lots more to do and see in the Galveston area, including a visit to the Kemah Boardwalk, which is home to an amusement park, numerous restaurants, dozens of shops, and a marina. There are also miles of pristine gulf beaches, a flight museum, great fishing opportunities, dolphin-watching sites, and Moody Gardens, with its breathtaking three-pyramid skyline and vast tropical landscape.