- Beaches – Galveston has many beaches. Some are free, some charge. Some less-crowded, family-friendly beaches are mentioned below.
- Beach Town – Nice & quiet and no sea wall.
- East Beach – Lots of parties and events take place on this beach (and alcohol is permitted). Boardwalk, stage, restrooms, showers, concessions. $8/vehicle.
- West Beach – Drive up to the water, open the tailgate and enjoy. West Beach is free!
- Galveston Island State Park – Bathrooms, changing areas and outdoor showers.
- Stewart Beach – Good family beach with restrooms, showers, concessions, lifeguards. $8/vehicle.
- Porretto Beach – Private beach at Seawall & 10th. $8 to visit.
- Ride the Ferry – The ferry is free and fun to ride (with your car)! Just check the wait time online first.
- Pleasure Pier – Amusement Park & Dining on the water!
- Tour the Tree Sculpture – Tour the sculptures created from the trees that Hurricane Ike damaged.
- LA Kings Confectionery – Watch them make salt water taffy!
- Shrimp N Stuff – Kid friendly, great food and very casual. It’s way off the seawall so patrons are mostly locals and people that know about it.
- Sunflower Cafe – Bakery, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Mosquito Cafe – Located at the East End Historical District of Galveston and not the usual tourist spot.
- Cajun Greek Restaurant – Really unassuming, plain Jane decor, but food is awesome for big and little kids alike.
- Mario’s Ristorante – Best pizza around!
- The Spot – Great burgers!
- Other tips:
- Drive a truck, SUV or van, if you can. Many beaches let you back up to the water so you can have an instant spot for a picnic or shade.
- Bring your own beach chairs and umbrella. Some beaches also rent them out for around $30.
- Bring plastic jugs with tap water to use to rinse off sandy hands and feet.
- Bring baby powder. It magically gets sand off of skin!
- Margaret shared this great ritual that seems so easy that the day trip to Galveston just got “do-able” for families with young kids: We drive to West Beach where we can pull our van onto the beach, arriving around 9:30am (free!). We set up our canopy, a large sheet, and some fold up chairs. We play (snacks and water on demand) until 11:30am, change, and pack up. We go to Shrimp and Stuff located on Ave. O where they have great seafood for kids and adults (have non-seafood items too) for lunch. Then we drive back to Houston in time for the kiddos to take a nap around 1pm.
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