Galveston Historical Foundation

See Galveston Harbor up close aboard Seagull II, Texas Seaport Museum's 50-foot twin-engine motor vessel. Fast, stable and sheltered, she was built specifically for harbor sight-seeing excursions and education, and is a perfect platform for waterborne experiential learning. The boat is U.S. Coast Guard certified and her operators are fully licensed and knowledgeable about the history and lore of her home waters. Seagull II is restroom-equipped, offers soft drinks and bottled water for sale, and has a comfortable main deck, sheltered from sun and rain. An open upper deck affords a full panorama of water and sky. Seagull II offers:

Leaves Pier 22 (Harborside Drive at 22^nd Street) at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Galveston Harbor Tours will be offering a 5 p.m. tour starting Memorial Day.

Don't miss this chance to get a new perspective on Galveston Bay and the historic Port of Galveston. Knowledgeably narrated tours explore the wide variety of birds and marine life that teems in the Bay. (We have no contract with them, but playful dolphins almost always show up to entertain themselves by watching the red-and-white boat and its passengers.) And the human activity in this busy port can only truly be appreciated from the water. A tour aboard the Seagull II is always an hour well spent.

Seagull II makes an excellent and unusual venue for birthday parties, office get-togethers, receptions, convention features, and more. The ever-changing scenery of the busy harbor, the excitement of a dolphin sighting, a restful sunset over an island occupied only by birds, combine to make your event one to remember.

See the imprint of events and eras in Galveston's nearly two centuries of history on a shifting shoreline. From the restored 1877 sailing vessel ELISSA to the grounded ferroconcrete vessel Selma to the sites of the Civil War Battle of Galveston, history is visible on Galveston Bay. Social Studies take on new life as students explore the first and oldest seaport in Texas, still busy and evolving.

Hands-on Marine Biology/Ornithology: Our marine biologist leads students in trawling for fish and other sea creatures for hands-on and microscopic observation. Students pose challenging questions and explore answers using the scientific method. The tour visits area birding islands to see indigenous shore bird species and birds of passage in all their variety.

Maritime Commerce and Industry: Giant cruise vessels employing thousands of people; grain elevators, container cranes, piers filled with bananas or farm machinery: The economic impact of the Port becomes real.

Shrimping the Bounty of the Bay: Ecology, environmental policy, business practices and hard work come together in one of Galveston's signature industries. Visit the shrimping exhibit at the Texas Seaport Museum to prepare for a tour on the waters that have provided lunches and livelyhoods for generations of Galvestonians.

Galveston's African American Waterfront: The need for laborers to load Texas' cotton harvest onto ships at Galveston, and the determination of African Americans here to be recognized as skilled and hard-working longshoremen, gave rise to one of the most prosperous black communities in the post-Civil War South. It also raised one of our toughest heavyweight boxing champions, Jack Johnson.

Writing About the Sea and Seaports: Enrich a class reading of Joseph Conrad, say, with a visit to a square-rigger much like the ones he commanded, or compare the activities of a busy port to the ones Herman Melville described. English classes need not be landlocked.

Maritime Art and Photography: Visual artists have always found inspiration on the water. Seagull II can be a floating studio that provides access to a variety of natural harborscapes and dramatic human environments.

The Search for Oil: A package tour combining a visit to the Ocean Star Oil Rig Museum for a background in offshore exploration and a harbor tour aboard Seagull II to see first-hand monumental rigs in port and the variety of vessels and shore installations which take part in our region's most important industry.

The professional educational staff of Galveston Historical Foundation's Harbor Tours program works with teachers to tailor tours to specific curricula and grade levels. Virtually any subject can be enhanced by the experiential learning offered aboard Seagull II. Call us and we'll help you create your own harbor tour field trip.

Historic Galveston Package Field Trips

Harbor Tours can also be packaged with other GHF Historic Sites, starting with the restored 1877 sailing vessel ELISSA and the Texas Seaport Museum, Seagull II's home base. The museum offers exhibits on the shrimping industry, immigration, longshoremen, and life at sea. The 1859 Ashton Villa, and other historic houses are available, (see historic properties) as well as the Galveston County Historical Museum.

Contact Us

For reservations or to create a tailored tour,
call (409) 765-1700 or (409) 763-1877.