Galveston Beach Parks Open March 13, Attractions Open Daily for Spring Break
Spring break is right around the corner which means it’s time to celebrate spring with some “coastal distancing” fun at the beach. Galveston’s beach parks will open March 13, and that’s just the beginning of what visitors can experience on the island this season.
Galveston Beach Parks Open March 13
While Seawall beaches are open year-round, the island’s largest public beach parks – Stewart Beach and East Beach – will open March 13 for the 2021 beach season, offering a variety of special amenities. Visitors to the beach parks can also take advantage of restrooms, showers, beach chair rentals, volleyball courts, snack bars and other concessions, including horseback riding and helicopter tours.
Stewart Beach Offers Gigantic Obstacles, Games Beginning March 14
Giant battle ships, huge bean bags and limbo showdowns are coming to Stewart Beach March 14 for the return of the Galveston Family Beach Challenge. The challenge, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will transform a portion of Stewart Beach into a gigantic obstacle course, allowing families to compete in life-size versions of classic favorites like giant Jenga and dominoes, sack races and sandcastle building. Participants will have the chance to win the grand prize of a $500 gift card plus tickets to popular Galveston attractions. The Galveston Family Challenge will be held on second Sundays in March, May, June, July and August and on Sunday during Labor Day Weekend. For rules and to register in advance, visit www.galvestonchallenge.com.
Galveston Offers 2,000+ Vacation Rentals and Plenty of Hotel Options
With thousands of beach houses and vacation rentals available on Galveston’s 32-mile coast, booking a remote stay may be closer than you think. If you’re looking for a vacation rental, the island offers everything from beachfront mansions and waterfront condos to historic cottages and luxury high rises. For information, visit our Galveston vacation rental guide and click here. If you’re more of the resort sort, choose among seaside, bayside or downtown hotels, from historic to modern, to make your spring break special.
Popular Attractions Open for Spring Break
Many of Galveston’s popular attractions will be open daily during spring break. At Moody Gardens, visitors can experience a living rainforest with free-roaming animals at the Rainforest Pyramid, and one of the largest aquariums in the state at the Aquarium Pyramid, and a golf course are among numerous other attractions. The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier amusement park will be open daily March 12-21 as well as Fridays through Sundays the rest of the month. The island’s many historic mansions and museums, such as The Bryan Museum and Bishop’s Palace, are also open throughout the season.
Visit Galveston App Features New African American History Tour
In Galveston, you can explore African American history in living color thanks to a new interactive tour app offered by the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. The tour, found on the new Visit Galveston app, allows visitors to take a self-guided journey to learn about the island’s many historically black institutions and monuments celebrating black accomplishments. To access the tour, visitors can either download the Visit Galveston app on Android or Apple devices, or visit the website at galveston.visitwidget.com. The African American History Tour itinerary can be taken as is or customized based on a person’s interests and time allocation. For more information, visit www.visitgalveston.com.
Cultural Experiences in Galveston’s Downtown Cultural Arts District
The Galveston Downtown Cultural Arts District, an official cultural district designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts, offers an intriguing selection of theaters, shops, restaurants, and museums that are well worth visiting. The Victorian architecture of Strand Street, widely known as The Strand, makes for a charming stroll as you shop for unique finds or grab sweets at LaKing’s Confectionery. Saengerfest Park at 23rd and Strand is a free family park home to a life-size chessboard, Insta-worthy selfies in front of an iconic Galveston mural and regular live entertainment. Be sure to also check out the district’s 20-plus art galleries, displaying fine art, sculpture and photography in beautifully restored historic buildings. Many can be found on Postoffice Street.
Spring Activities at the Galveston Island State Park
The Galveston Island State Park offers a wide variety of outdoor activities that are free to participate in. While each person over 12 must pay a $5 entry charge to get into the park, families can enjoy beach combing, geo-caching, kayaking, birding, nature field trips and fishing at no cost. For more information, visit http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/galveston-island.
Save With the Island Pass
Galveston Island provides visitors with a special passport to adventure and savings with the Galveston Island Pass. The pass allows visitors to experience multiple Galveston attractions on one ticket and save 40 percent off regular admission prices. For more information and to purchase a pass, visit GalvestonIslandPass.com.
A Message Regarding COVID-19 and Recent Developments in Texas
The Texas Governor has recently lifted mask mandates and capacity limits throughout the state. However, the health and safety of residents and visitors in Galveston remain a priority for the Galveston Conventions & Visitors Bureau and the Galveston Park Board. Our employees will continue to wear face masks for the protection of our staff and guests. Rigid sanitization protocols will remain in place throughout Galveston’s beach parks. The Park Board strongly encourages guests to follow health and government recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while visiting Galveston, including social distancing and using the hand sanitizer stations provided at park grounds and facilities. Individual businesses on the island may still require masks to be worn for entry and service and/or uphold capacity limits as they deem necessary.
For more information on Galveston Island go to www.visitgalveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.