The Powhatan House is a very well preserved example of early Galveston architecture. Built in 1847,…read moreit was the residence of one of Galveston's early mayors, John Seabrook Sydnor, who also grew up here. It was Sydnor's middle name of Seabrook for which the little town just north of Galveston on the edge of Galveston Bay was named. It is remarkable for the fact that it is in very good shape, and for the fact that it survived to 1900 Storm and several others since! It is located at 3427 Avenue O. It is very impressive to view and is surrounded by shrubs on the front facing avenue O and on the side facing 35th street. It is the current location for the Galveston Garden Club. With that being said, I would think that as a garden club they would keep those hedges a little more manicured! There is a Texas Historical marker located on the 35th street side and it is kind of hard to see, or photograph as the hedges are a little high and somewhat obscure the view. There are times when the Galveston Historical Society do tots of the islands historical homes and sometimes this one is included. It is usually the first two weekends of the month of May. It's a good way to learn about a lot of Galveston's past history, and there is a lot to learn as there are quite a few historic old homes left in Galveston with seeing and learning about!

This place is pretty amazing. You start off with a brief film giving you some history of what…read moreyou're about to see. As you wander through the museum part it's very well done with a lot of touch screen interactives. As you wrap up going through the museum which can easily take you an hour plus, there's a second video that the continuation of the first. Both videos are really high quality and give a great overview. Once you've experienced the inside you walk outside and see a map of what the area used to look like with a homestead sites and some buildings. It helps you get orientated. Then there's the whole recreation of what the town could have looked like. Multiple buildings that you can walk through, each one has their own little educational experience. The print shop is probably the coolest as it's actually functional and can print stuff on every created press. I could easily imagine spending hours here, and it's an amazing morning experience for both adult and kids.

Really, really great spot! We hadn't heard of it, and it's just right outside of Houston! I would…read morerecommend anyone to come to learn more about Texas History. My history obsessed husband even learned something new. It is a beautifully done museum, very interactive and colorful and inviting. Great for kids and adults alike. And there is a great replica of what the town would look like as well.

It was a nice museum and statue. The admission was free! I have to give 5 stars! LOL…read more The museum was small. It was informative. I learned a lot of things. I could use a clean restroom. Thank you. I did not have to stop by a gas station in order to use a super dirty restroom. lol. The statue was located near downtown Angleton. Yelp or Google can tell you where to eat. If you drive on 288, please stop by. You will enjoy fresh air and stretch!

It is hard not to veer off the road when you see this guy looming in the distance in Angleton. I am…read morehappy to have finally stopped by this little park to get a (safe) picture of the giant. As they say, everything is bigger in Texas! Best part? There is no park entrance fee but plenty of parking so everyone can make a pit stop to take in some Texas history. Add it to your route next time you are in the area! You won't be disappointed.

Stayed at the Kettle during a visit to Galveston. This place is so cool and unique! I was…read morepleasantly surprised to see how the owners (Mike and Ashley) fixed up the place. As far as accommodations, this experience was much nicer and more fun than staying in a hotel. There is a huge deck upstairs where you can enjoy the sun - and moon. The older, lower star reviews all apply to this place before it was renovated. If you're lucky enough to find it open on vrbo, snatch this place up for the weekend. Highly recommend!

Great place to stay out of Galveston business area, well designed and valued place to stay!read more

One of my absolute favorite pieces of Galveston architecture, of which there are many. Garten…read moreVerein and the surrounding old city neighborhood is joyous driving, biking or strolling.

Sept 16th, 2022 My…read morefirst time here. I came for an appreciation dinner for the volunteers of the historical foundation It's a nice BIG open space with pretty landscaping.

March 18, 2022 Galveston Island Texas…read more Went to an event that was sponsored by the Villa but was put on by "Rockstar Beer Festivals" We sat at a sold out show for about an hour 15 minutes. We listened to the narrator tell us ghost stories about the owners of Ashton Villa and other well knowns while we sipped cocktails (not one craft beer though which there is plenty of local breweries here) They "tried" to make it like the ghosts were present in the home, but, that was funny not haunted. We stayed in the big banquet room the entire time; we never toured the home (I've seen this home before but, I'm sure others had not, my friend included) C'mon, now if you're during a haunted ghost story event in a beautiful 3 story "historical" home that's a survivor of the 1900 storm that wiped out this island...you gotta move around and see the place. Disappointed. The drinks were very tasty. The crew was nice. The narrator was a good story teller AND he hammered a 6 inch nail into his nose, besides the awesome location, these were the best parts. For $46...and a BIG emphasis on tipping, it wasn't worth it. 5 STARS for the location. 3 for the event.

I grew up coming here and as an adult went to a few weddings. Today I went to celebrate Juneteenth…read morebecause it began in Galveston and this is where General Gordon Granger read off the proclamation for the emancipation of the slaves. As Ashton Villa was the site of the reading, it holds a special place in history. I am proud of this beautiful home in my wonderful hometown.

Beautiful, centuries-old live oak tree that was already huge before Houston was even founded. It's…read moreseen a lot of history, including (allegedly) a few hangings, over the years.

Exactly what it claims to be - the old hanging oak. There's not much to do around it, but it's a…read moregood reminder of a different time. Don't go here if you expect a museum, or exhibit, or anything like that. It's a nice tree with an interesting history. Nothing more, nothing less.

During a long weekend trip last week to Galveston, I was fortunate enough that a waitress at BLVD…read moreSeafood recommended I check this old house out. It was nicely laid out and you could walk up and buy a ticket with a self guided audio tour of the place that included historical tid bits about the family and what was happening in the area at the time they lived in it. They apparently have private tours of the upstairs/attic areas but those you have to book and pay for in advance. I enjoyed the audio tour and even bought a few items at the quite spacious gift store! At times I felt like I was the only one in the house because it was probably a non tourist heavy day. You can easily park on the street and walk in to buy a ticket the day of...well at least on the day I was there!

This should really be called the Gresham house bc that is focus of the guided tour. Being called…read morethe Bishop's Palace, we thought we would learn about this building's use as the Bishop's Palace. Instead we learn almost exclusively about the Gresham family and how the house was before the Bishop lived there. The stained glass of St Therese of Lisieux and the chapel room are beautiful, but you can see that on the self guided tour. You won't hear much about them at all from the guided tour. They had no idea why the bishop chose this saint for the glass, and only explained that it was added after the previous glass blew out. When in the chapel, the discussion is about what it looked like before the bishop lived there. It seems that the beautiful decorations in the chapel and its use are important and likely more entertaining than knowing a daughter lived there and had some stuff in the room. Again, if you want to hear about the Gresham family, then this is a good tour for you. If you want to hear about what the Bishop's time was like here, you'll be out of luck. I guess they continue to use the name Bishop's Palace as a bait and switch to get attendance bc this really should be called the Gresham House.

Ten years after Hurricane Ike in 2008, there is still no progress on site along Seawall Blvd across…read morefrom Hotel Galvez ... my heart aches looking out from my hotel room window to the empty space that once held one of the most amazing historic and haunted buildings that I ever stepped into. I was lucky enough to make my way to the Balinese twice. I happened to be at Mardi Gras 2003 with the band Thin Lizzy. I walked around The Strand and picked up a local paper. I saw an ad for the Balinese and got way excited. I told my partner in crime that we "HAD TO GO"... so after TL hit the road, we headed over there till closing time. OMG! No words can actually describe how I felt being there as I am a sensitive person. I felt the pure awesomeness of this building. I remember taking trips to Galveston in the past as a child to young adult and it was always closed... so to be able to walk into those doors, it was like stepping into a time capsule from the 40s. I spent so much time just walking along the walls snooping into every room and every corner that I could. There were pictures of the Balinese heyday with all the celebrities that crossed that very same threshold that I did. The gambling tables were in the back room hanging on the wall as decoration. The paintings and palm trees in the grand ballroom were all original to the building. Right then and there I swore if I ever won the lottery... I'm hosting a party with ZZ Top @ Balinese Room! I found myself back at the Balinese two years later doing the exact same thing... just walking around in awe. I haven't returned to Galveston since a cruise in Dec 2005, so this trip is so bittersweet. I came to visit the Tall Ships Galveston festival but I knew that meant that I would need to face my broken heart head on. I took a walk over and sat on the bench that holds up the arches on the Seawall of what is all that is left of the Balinese Room. I opened up a spirit box app. If ghosts still walk through house doors that are no longer there, they are probably still walking in the space they previously occupied along the pier that was no longer there. I should have read Ryan M. reviews more closely before I did this to plan to sit on the Seawall for at least an hour or more, which I did not. Although the short time I did sit there this is what I heard: "born" "from", so I asked "where are you born from?"... after a few minutes I get "slightly" while at the same time I was thinking how windy it was out there. They were joking with me as it was way more than slightly. Lol. Originally opened as Chop Suey about a hundred years ago, the Balinese Room history is a perfect story for the movies and songs... please take some time to read the links for more info... http://balineseroom.net/ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Balinese-Room-resurrection-is-in-the-works-5332958.php?cmpid=btfpm&t=9b4692aa2ac3f0c8a9#photo-4961006 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_Room "The Balinese Room was a famous nightclub in Galveston, Texas, built on a pier stretching 600 feet from the Galveston Seawall over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For decades a dance hall and illegal casino, (sat empty for nearly 20 years), Balinese Room was remodeled and reopened in 2001. Operated by Sicilian immigrant barbers-turned-bootleggers Sam and Rosario Maceo, the Balinese Room was an elite spot in the 1940-50s, featuring entertainment by Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, George Burns, The Marx Brothers and other top acts of the day. Patrons of the private club included Howard Hughes, Sophie Tucker and wealthy oil barons from nearby Houston. In 1997, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the early morning hours of September 13, 2008, the structure was completely destroyed by Hurricane Ike. The Balinese is featured in pop culture; Rock group ZZ Top wrote and performed a song about the club called, "Balinese."" Hit the play button: Deep in the South of Texas Not so long ago, There on a crowded island In the Gulf of Mexico It didn't take too much money, Man, but it sure was nice. You could dance all night if you felt all right, Drinking whiskey and throwing dice. And everybody knows It was hard to leave. And everybody knows It was down at the Balinese. There are as many stories of who created the Margarita. I like the version I learned on my first visit... Santos Cruz, the head bartender at the legendary Balinese Room in Galveston, concocted the Margarita in 1948 in honor of singer Peggy Lee. He named it after the Spanish version of Peggy, which is Margarita. A true Margarita is equal parts tequila, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice. Attorney Scott Arnold has "The Balinese Room Pier", a restaurant, club and retail complex formerly located on historic pier for sale. Although it was completely destroyed by Ike, there is the remaining land lease (50 year term), which includes the right to rebuild, the Balinese Room brand name and trade dress. Review #400

The once proud and historic Balinese Room is no more but according to the owners - they will…read morerebuild. As I am sure you know, the Balinese Room Pier was completely destroyed by Hurricane Ike on Saturday, September 13, 2008. Her remains were located mostly on Seawall Boulevard, mixed with the wreckage of the neighboring Murdoch's and Hooter's piers, in a pile of debris as wide as the Seawall and stretching for several blocks. I have received dozens of emails, texts and phone calls expressing heartfelt condolences. So many people have taken this as a personal loss, as of course, it is. Thank all of you for your kind thoughts and wishes. One particularly eloquent email was received from Casey Smith, and I think it expresses so well what I have heard from so many of you: I am so sorry for what has happened. I have been to the Balinese Room many, many times and you have always made me feel welcome. I went to the Balinese Room right after you opened and have watched you rebuild and make it a beautiful place. Only those who walked the Balinese Room will ever know what it was like and how it made us feel, as if we were in a different time and as if we were in the presence of all those who have entertained and visited years ago. My heart goes out to you for believing in the Balinese Room. We will never forget the Balinese Room. Sincerely, Casey Smith Gun Barrel City, Texas Thanks to Casey and each of you. Luckily, there is some insurance in place which will help mitigate the financial loss. Of course, we remain at the mercy of the insurance companies and hopefully they will be fair. I do retain the rights to rebuild at the site. Economically, that is impossible but I will entertain realistic proposals from serious investors. Luckily, I have retained copies of many of the photos and other framed artifacts formerly located at the Balinese. A Texas Historical Commission representative is currently sifting the wreckage for any remaining architectural salvage. I am contemplating re-creating a much smaller Balinese Room themed club and "museum" at a building I own on Market Street near the Strand, or at some other location. Our email is balineseroom@sbcglobal.net. Please feel free to email us personal pictures, stories, etc from the Balinese. I want to continue to archive the history of the Balinese, and help preserve the legend for the future. I would particularly like to hear from any eyewitnesses to the actual slide into the ocean. My phone is 713 227 6653. We have heard that there was some removal of artifacts from the debris. If you know of anything that was recovered, please let us know. The City of Galveston has been helpful in protecting these items. You may also contact Lori Schwarz with the City at shwarzlor@cityof galveston if you know of any such removal. Googling "balinese room ike" will yield many links to national, international and local news coverage about the Pier and its destruction. There is a nice story by National Public Radio at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94729672 CNN, Geraldo Rivera and others have shared the Balinese Room story with the whole country. As Casey Smith reminds us "we will never forget the Balinese Room" Please be assured that , with your help, the story of the Balinese will live on. Sincerely, Scott Arnold Owner Balinese Room

The hours of operation stated 24 hours, but the facilities were closed upon our arrival. No big…read moredeal! I was still able to walk the grounds reading the historical markers. The building seemed in disrepair, but overall was impressive in its historical aura. Support your local historical site by donating time and money to restore the house to its original granduer.

It's a old historical site. The owner died and left it to the town along with a large sum of money…read moreto take care of it. The town took the money during bad times on the promise the town would take care of it. Water front property.