Things to Do in Galveston, Texas, Galveston, Texas (B)

Galveston is an island off the coast of Texas. It is a long narrow barrier island that is about an hour or so south of Houston. Galveston was hit by a destructive hurricane in 1900, killing over 6000 people, and it changed the town forever. Once the largest immigration port outside of Ellis Island, it was also once the largest financial center of the US as well, but the hurricane changed all that. Because Galveston island is so long, it hardly ever feels crowded even on a summer weekend. The hurricane encouraged the city to build a sea all that now extends 10 miles out of the 27 miles of coastline. While the beach is the main attraction, there are plenty of things to do in Galveston besides swimming.

The Gresham family built this large stone house in 1892. The house survived the 1900 hurricane with minimal damage and served as a refuge for many after the hurricane.

In 1923, the house was sold to the Catholic Church for the Bishop of the Catholic Church of Galveston, which is how it got its name of the Bishop’s Palace. It was the Bishop’s house until 1963 when it was opened to the public, and the Galveston Historical Foundation now owns it. Except for a few changes the bishop made over the years, the house is still original including the stainless windows in the entryway, except for the one the bishop replaced with an image of Mary. He also changed the dumb waiter to an elevator. Bishop’s Palace is beautiful and definitely transports you back in time. Be sure to walk outside to the wrap-around porches. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).