Beginning in 1986 as a therapy center for patients with head injuries, Moody Gardens has expanded into a leading attraction. The glass Rainforest Pyramid is home to more than 1,700 tropical plants, fish, birds and insects. The Discovery Pyramid showc..

In the late 19C, The Strand was the city's business district. Located a block from the busy seaport, shippers unloaded merchandise from around the world in exchange for cargoes of Texas cotton. Bankers and traders filled the buildings of The Strand, ..

The 1895 Romanesque-style Moody Mansion features a French rococo reception room and a Classical Revival library.

The 1859 Ashton Villa is a stately Italianate mansion.

The Galveston County Historical Museum recounts the island's fascinating history.

The Texas Seaport Museum has a restored 1877 three-masted sailing vessel, the Elissa, plus displays on Galveston's shipping history and a database with the names of more than 133,000 immigrants who entered the US here.

The Ocean Star is a retired offshore drilling platform now converted to a museum; it explains how oil is found and produced from deep-sea beds. Several waterfront restaurants offer local seafood in wharfside locations where diners can watch the harbo..

The 1838 Menard Home, an antebellum estate of Greek Revival style, is furnished with Federal and American Empire antiques.

The Bishop's Palace, a castle-like 1886 Victorian, was built for a railroad founder and later belonged to a diocesan bishop. Constructed of Texas granite, white limestone and red sandstone, it features elaborate woodwork, mantels and fireplaces.

The 1839 Williams Home is both a Creole plantation house and a sea captain's home.

The Grand 1894 Opera House has been restored to its appearance when it hosted such performers as Sara Bernhardt, John Philip Sousa and Anna Pavlova.

This enormous hangar holds a vast collection of historic aircraft-mostly military, most restored to flying condition-including a B-17, a Spitfire, a rare B-58, and several experimental and prototype planes.