fbpx
Galveston Historical Foundation
Ship To Shore

Ship To Shore

Get Tickets2200 Harborside | 409-763-1877
Open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.)
Admission: Adult – $18 | Youth (6-18) – $12 | Children (5 & Under) – Free
Includes Admission to the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA

PLEASE NOTE: We will be closed on December 24-25 and January 1. The site will be closed until 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 20. 

Ship To Shore

Galveston’s historic immigration story comes alive with a new experience at Galveston Historical Foundation’s Galveston Historic Seaport. Ship To Shore allows visitors to follow in the footsteps of the early immigrants, from the long sea voyage with its mix of hardships and wonders to the hustle and bustle arriving in the 1880s at Galveston, one of the busiest ports and booming cities in the United States.

Ship To Shore captures the reality of travel to Galveston in the late 19th and early 20th century. It brings to life the experiences of real people with raw human stories of survival and challenge that has not been captured before now,” states Dwayne Jones, Galveston Historical Foundation’s Executive Director. “We are excited to see how the new attraction brings visitors to our island, allows each to connect to the past, and drives them to explore more of the island and the wonderful history and architecture that we hold. Ship to Shore is not a one-time experience, and we expect visitors to return again and again. As we progress with the new attraction, more real-life stories will be presented, and our Galveston story will expand.

The Ship To Shore experience creates a series of sequential experiential spaces alternating hands-on and innovative interactive learning with immersive experiences, all based on authentic and documented personal stories of immigrants landing in Galveston. The experience also utilizes a digital membership card that personalizes the experience to the visitor giving an authentic and new story each time they visit.

Ship To Shore was accomplished with support from Houston Endowment, Dan L. Duncan Family Foundation, and the Helmle Shaw Foundation. The new attraction cost over $2.5 million and was developed with New Zealand’s Gibson Group. Gibson Group is known for highly innovative experiences worldwide, including El Paso’s DIGIE Wall, Houston’s Latino cARTographies, and Vaeggen in Copenhagen. Their work utilizes exhibition design, graphic novel environment creation, character filming, and compositing into graphic novel backgrounds and custom programming to create a unique experience. Visit www.gibson.co.nz for more information.

ABOUT GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

GHF was formed as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871 and merged with a new organization formed in 1954 as a non-profit entity devoted to historic preservation and history in Galveston County. Over the last sixty years, GHF has expanded its mission to encompass community redevelopment, historic preservation advocacy, maritime preservation, coastal resiliency, and stewardship of historic properties. GHF embraces a broader vision of history and architecture that encompasses advancements in environmental and natural sciences and their intersection with historic buildings and coastal life and conceives of history as an engaging story of individual lives and experiences on Galveston Island from the 19th century to the present day.

Newsletter Signup

Sign up below for foundation updates, upcoming events, and more!