Angleton
1) Brazoria County Historical Museum lets viewers see the history behind Brazoria County and is located inside the county’s courthouse.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. by appointment, closed Sun.
Price: Free
100 E. Cedar St., Angleton
979-864-1208
www.brazoriacountytx.gov/departments/museum
Friendswood
2) Friendswood Historical Society is a nonprofit museum that is dedicated to preserving the history of Friendswood.
Hours: Sat. 10 a.m.-noon, closed Sun.-Fri.
Price: Free
108 Skyview Terrace, Friendswood
281-482-7390
www.friendswoodhistoricalsociety.org
3) Friendswood Schools Museum focuses on the history behind Friendswood ISD with the original Friendswood School opening in 1939.
Hours: First Sat. of the month, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Price: Free
208 W. Spreading Oaks Block, Friendswood
281-482-1267
www.myfisd.com/departments/museum
Galveston
4) Bishop’s Palace is a historical building that is classified as a national historic landmark and is considered one of the most significant examples of Victorian architecture.
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: Up to $15
1402 Broadway Ave. J, Galveston
409-762-2475
www.galvestonhistory.org/sites/1892-bishops-palace
5) Galveston Arts Center provides visitors a chance to experience contemporary art through in-person exhibits and educational programming.
Hours: Wed.-Sun. noon-5 p.m., closed Mon.-Tue.
Price: Free
2127 The Strand, Galveston
409-763-2403
www.galvestonartscenter.org
6) Galveston County Historical Museum opened in 1976 and used to be housed in the former City National Bank. It showcases the history of Galveston County.
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Sun., Tue., Thu., Sat.
Price: Free
722 Moody Ave., Galveston
409-766-2340
www.galvestoncountytx.gov/county-offices/county-museum/museum-history
7) Galveston Naval Museum aims to educate visitors on the history of America and the heritage of the U.S. Navy.
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Price: Up to $13
100 Seawolf Park Blvd., Galveston
409-770-3196
www.galvestonnavalmuseum.com
8) Galveston Railroad Museum is dedicated to preserving and restoring the county’s history of railroad transportation.
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: Up to $12
2602 Santa Fe Place, Galveston
409-765-5700
www.galvestonrrmuseum.org
9) Moody Mansion is a historic Galveston home that was turned into a museum where visitors can tour and explore the 20-room mansion that belonged to the Moody family.
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: Up to $15
2618 Broadway Ave. J, Galveston
409-762-7668
www.moodymansion.org
10) The Bryan Museum is dedicated to showing and preserving the history of Texas and the American West.Hours: Thu. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Wed., Fri.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Mon.-Tue.
Price: Up to $14
1315 21st St., Galveston
409-632-7685
www.thebryanmuseum.org
Houston
11) Lone Star Flight Museum has multiple exhibits on the history of aviation, including some interactive displays.
Hours: Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m., closed Mon.
Price: Up to $18
11551 Aerospace Ave., Houston
346-708-2517
www.lonestarflight.org
12) Space Center Houston has multiple exhibits that detail the extensive history of space travel, especially the achievements of the Houston-based Johnson Space Center.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Price: Up to $29.95
1601 E. NASA Parkway, Houston
281-244-2100
www.spacecenter.org
13) 1940 Air Terminal Museum aims to show the impact of aviation on the history of Texas through its exhibits and close up look at nearby runways.
Hours: Tues-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mon.
Price: Free-$5
8325 Travelair St., Houston
713-454-1940
www.1940airterminal.org
Featured museum: Galveston Children’s Museum
The Galveston Children’s Museum, located at 2618 Broadway Ave. J in Galveston, opened its doors to the public in July 2014. It operates as a nonprofit museum, according to founder and owner Nancy Schultz. The space for the museum was originally donated, and it operates as part of Moody Mansion, another museum space in Galveston.
“We occupy the first four of the Moody Mansion, which is actually where the servants [used to] work,” Schultz said. “It’s a cozy, intimate place, and we’ve tried to utilize every corner of the area.”
Because the museum is marketed toward children, the interactive exhibits tend to be very open ended, Schultz said, so they do not have to be completed in a certain order or sequence. Some of the different rooms and exhibits include a makeshift pizza parlor, an art room with changing activities, a science room that has astronaut and space exhibits, a tinkering studio, and a kids clinic. On a particularly busy weekend, the museum can see up to 150 visitors a day passing through its rooms, and it is often a popular site for field trips from neighboring schools. For larger field trip groups, the museum is closed to the public on Mondays to help accommodate them.
Tickets are $10 for visitors age 2 and up, but the museum also offers military, senior and public assistance discounts.
409-572-2544 www.galvestoncm.org
