Pleasure Pier in Galveston: The Ultimate Visitor Guide
Plan your visit to Pleasure Pier in Galveston and enjoy Gulf Coast views, family rides, food, and fun before or after a cruise from Galveston.
The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier is built over the Gulf and is noticeably visible as you drive down Seawall Boulevard.
During the daytime, you’re drawn to its carnival-like appeal, and as the sun sets, the bright multicolored lights cast over the Gulf, along with the music, give an almost nostalgic experience.
With all that in mind, you can understand why the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier is considered among Texas’s sought-after attractions for seaside fun.
You can spend a few hours, an afternoon, evening, or a day before or after your Galveston cruise for island entertainment with an ocean view.
In this post, we explore this family-friendly boardwalk amusement park that has a yesteryear atmosphere with modern adventure.
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A Brief History of Galveston’s Pleasure Pier
When you see the Pleasure Pier now, it’s hard to believe that it was once a U.S. military recreation facility in the 1940s during World War II.
It was later a tourist destination until Hurricane Carla’s category 4 damage in 1961. The Pleasure Pier was then home to the Flagship Hotel until Hurricane Ike in 2008.
But Galveston, a true city of resilience, as demonstrated by the devastating storms of 1900 and 1915, the pier was transformed in 2012 by Landry’s Inc. into what we now know as the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier.
The history of the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier is yet another symbol of Galveston’s ongoing strength to overcome challenges to harness creativity and innovation to rebuild despite the storms of the island’s historic past in order to thrive to embrace a vibrant future.
Top Things to Do at Pleasure Pier in Galveston
Can you imagine riding a roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, a swing ride, or any other ride for that matter, suspended over water? There are 16 rides at Pleasure Pier. Talk about an adrenaline rush!
This may or may not excite you, and that’s okay, because not every ride requires you to talk yourself into it. There are family-friendly rides for just about any age.
Let’s take a look at a few.
🎢 Iron Shark Rollercoaster
If you hear screams, and lots of them, it’s undoubtedly from the Iron Shark Rollercoaster, and you’ll see why.
This ride starts with a slow and steep vertical incline of 100 feet, only to get you to the very top for a downward vertical drop. There are twists, turns, and loops over the Gulf at 52 miles an hour!
Texas Star Flyer
In between the Iron Shark and the Galaxy Wheel, you’ll find the Texas Star Flyer.
Picture yourself slowly being lifted up to more than 230 feet on a ride that is like a cross between a tower, a merry-go-round, and a swing, while you’re being swung around in a swing in the sky. You can’t help but get a full swing of an ocean view!
Sky Shooter
Think of the Sky Shooter as almost like a miniature version of the Texas Star Flyer.
It’s almost the same concept of a rotating swing, except it’s not a tower-sized ride, and while riders are swinging, they can elevate their own two-seated ride to elevate!
Gulf Glider
If you combine the Texas Star Flyer and the Sky Shooter, you’ll have the Gulf Glider. It’s not as tall as the Texas Star Flyer, but it’s not as close to the ground as the Sky Shooter.
It elevates, rotates, and the Gulf Glider’s top tilts to each side as you are swung in the air in either a single or double-seated swing with a colorful carnival carousel theme!
Sea Dragon
In case you like all things dragons, the sea dragon is a ship that lets you sit inside the sea dragon with a dragon’s head at the bow and the stern.
On the Sea Dragon, you’ll be swung to glide backwards and forwards for a steady, but increasing incline over the Gulf waters.
🎡 Galaxy Wheel
This just might be the best way to get a view of Galveston’s Pleasure Pier. The Galaxy Wheel is a giant Ferris wheel with LED lights. You can get a great view and photos of the sunset.
Pirate’s Plunge
Here’s your chance to come aboard a pirate’s ship! Well, not a real pirate’s ship, but a pirate ship ride.
This ride really reminds me of the Bamboo Shoot ride for any nostalgic Astro World lovers out there. Seriously, the ride is almost identical, if not exactly the same. It’s almost a gentle nod to the never-returning Houston amusement park.
Even if you ride Pirate’s Plunge to relive your Bamboo Shoot days, it will be well worth it.
Tea Cup and Frog Hopper
I think these two rides are two of the cutest at Pleasure Pier (bumper cars and some others I didn’t name are cute too).
The Tea Cup ride reminds me so, so much of a smaller version of Disney’s Magic Kingdom ride.
You control if, when, and how fast you spin while seated in the cutest teacup!
The Frog Hopper (not pictured) is just what it says. Your little ones are seated, and the ride simulates the hop of a frog as it bounces, and creates enough excitement for them as the big kid and grown-up rides.
Carnival Games, Pier Shops, and Souvenirs
If you’re taking a break from the rides or watching others on the rides, you can take a stroll down the pier midway for carnival games and try to win a few prizes for some Galveston souvenirs!
Speaking of souvenirs, you can buy a lot of keepsakes at the souvenir shops, like mugs and shirts that have the Pleasure Pier on them.
And if you don’t find something that you like, take a picture at a boardwalk photo booth as a souvenir.
🎯 There are also plenty of arcade games that remind me of many games I played as a child and teenager.
📸 Insider Tip: You can get the best panoramic photos of the Gulf right before the sun sets if you head to the farthest end of the pier.
Restaurants at Pleasure Pier in Galveston
By now, you probably want to know where you can eat without leaving Pleasure Pier.
Just as exciting as Pleasure Pier is itself, the eating spots are just as fun.
Let’s see if you recognize this one…Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. 🍤
I know you recognize the name if you’ve ever heard of the movie Forrest Gump.
At Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. you can eat jambalaya, desserts, and of course, shrimp, with oceanfront views.
Besides Bubba Gump’s, there are concessions on the pier like Slices & More and Big Top Bites for pizza, nachos, hamburgers, and hot dogs, or Carousel Court and Sweet Scoops Ice Cream that sell funnel cakes, popcorn, ice cream, and snow cones.
At the Pleasure Pier entrance, you probably noticed Fish Tales restaurant, Chick-fil-A, and Wendy’s across the street. If you choose to eat at Fish Tales, try the seafood platter and an ICEE as you watch the Pleasure Pier lights while you eat.
Pleasure Pier Tickets, Hours, and Insider Tips
Maybe you want to visit Pleasure Pier, but you don’t necessarily care for the rides.
That’s understandable, because Pleasure Pier is a beautiful place to just walk around to take in the ocean views, and get great pier-side pictures.
For this reason, there are some ticket options that you might want to consider for yourself and others you’re traveling with, just to make sure everyone enjoys themselves and has a great experience.
🎟 Ticket Options
For those who aren’t riding rides and want to just walk the pier, there’s a walk-on pass. That way, you can spend time enjoying the views, shopping, taking pictures, eating, and trying a few games.
Walk-on Pass:
$12 for heights 48” +
$11 for children under 48”
$10 for Senior Citizens with a valid ID
🎟 If you change your mind and decide to ride a few rides, you can either upgrade your ticket to an All-Day Ride Pass or purchase single ride tickets that start at $6 per ticket, but to take advantage of this, remember you must have purchased the Walk-on Pass.
There’s also the option for an All-Day Ride Pass, as you can see listed for purchase below:
Best Time to Visit Pleasure Pier
There are some things that are seasonal about Galveston Island, but Pleasure Pier isn’t one of them.
That being said, Pleasure Pier is open all year-round, BUT even though it’s open all seasons, the hours also vary by season and can change weekly.
So, when you’re planning your trip to Galveston, make sure you plan your itinerary accordingly and think about purchasing tickets and planning things to do in Galveston based on when Pleasure Pier is open.
Seeing that Pleasure Pier is open all year, there are still some months that you may want to visit versus other months.
I think the best months to visit, based on the weather and the crowds, are the Spring and the early part of Summer, during the months of March-June, for better weather (check March, though, because some travelers pick Galveston as a Spring Break getaway).
Early Fall, during the months of September and October, has both nice weather and smaller crowds (with the exception of Galveston Festivals).
If you go in the Summer, due to schedules (maybe because of Summer break for your children), try to avoid the afternoon heat, which is particularly hot in July and August. Coming early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun sets will help to beat the peak heat.
🌧 Weather Tip: Hurricane season is around June and lasts through November. Check Pleasure Pier hours and updates before planning and before heading out to Galveston.
Where to Find Pleasure Pier in Galveston
Pleasure Pier is not hard to find when you’re in the area, considering its beautiful aerial amusements.
When you ride down Seawall Boulevard, which stretches over 10 miles and is the longest continuous U.S. sidewalk by the way, you’ll see Pleasure Pier.
📍Address: 2501 Seawall Blvd; Galveston, TX 77550
🚗 Parking: You’ll see metered parking along the street along Seawall Blvd, and there’s also paid lots across from the pier by Fish Tales restaurant.
♿ Accessibility and Family Amenities
The Pleasure Pier is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers because of the ramps and wide walkways.
If you have little ones, there are family restrooms, first aid near the entrance, nursing stations, and large and small shaded areas to sit.
Pro Tip: When you want to swim, look around you! After visiting Pleasure Pier, you can visit the small beach area across Seawall Blvd, so bring swimsuits and towels!
A Perfect Day Itinerary at Pleasure Pier
Here are some options for an itinerary when you plan your visit to Pleasure Pier.
☀️ Morning: The Sunflower Bakery & Café or Miller’s Seawall Grill are both great options for breakfast.
🎡 Mid–Morning: If this is a day that Pleasure Pier is scheduled to open around mid-morning, you can arrive fairly early to avoid crowds, shorter lines, enjoy rides, take pictures, and walk around before the mid-afternoon heat hits.
🍤 Lunch: Without leaving Pleasure Pier, you can stop and eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. to enjoy the breeze and beautiful Gulf views and some seafood favorites like their shrimp tacos and hush puppies.
🏖 Afternoon: Pass by Sweet Scoops for ice cream. You can also stroll Seawall Blvd and stop by the beach.
*If you leave and re-enter Pleasure Pier, keep your wristband and enter at the main entrance* (*Check re-entry rules with Pleasure Pier, as re-entry policy is subject to change at any time).
🌅 Evening: Sunsets are the best at Pleasure Pier! Take some photos of the sunset, and if you’re up to it, try photos from the Galaxy Wheel, but even if you choose not to, you can take photos anywhere. It’s totally up to you!
Things to do Near Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
As beautiful and adventurous as Pleasure Pier is, there are a lot of things to do near Pleasure Pier. We’ll look at a few now.
Walk Seawall Boulevard
Seawall Boulevard alone has more than one thing to do.
Since it’s 10 miles long, you’ll see beach access points, and beaches mean time to walk in the sand, go swimming, and relax on the beach.
Along the way, you’ll also see the 1900 Storm Memorial, a bronze sculpture that commemorates the memory of the victims of the Storm of 1900, outdoor art, and plenty of scenic views and spots for…you guessed it, to take more pictures.
There are also plenty of restaurants to try and places to shop, like Murdoch’s.
If you’d prefer biking or driving, rather than walking, you can rent a bike or a vintage golf cart to ride or drive on Seawall Blvd.
Visit The Strand Historic District
No visit to Galveston is complete unless you visit The Strand Historic District, and it’s just two miles from Pleasure Pier!
On The Strand, just like Seawall Boulevard, there’s much to do.
You can go to multiple boutiques, souvenir shops, nearby museums (stop by the Galveston Railroad Museum or the Bryan Museum), and you can visit local favorite sweet shops, like La King’s Confectionery, to try homemade taffy and old-fashioned root beer floats!
Explore Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn
On the west side of Galveston, which is about 15 or so minutes away, there’s Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn Waterpark (they are right by each other).
🌊 Schlitterbahn Waterpark is a seasonal waterpark that has lazy rivers and water slides. It’s great to cool off from the summer heat.
Moody Gardens Resort is well known, but Moody Gardens is also a favorite for its three glass pyramids. If you like animals, aquatic and marine life, you’ll enjoy interactive exhibits, penguins, stingrays, jellyfish, and more at the Aquarium and Rainforest Pyramids.
🦜 Combo Tip: Save money at Moody Gardens by purchasing tickets for two exhibits for a combo ticket price.
Pleasure Pier for Cruise Travelers
Cruising out of Galveston is fun in itself; adding Pleasure Pier would make your cruise vacation even more fun!
🛳 Pre- and Post-Cruise Fun
Adding Pleasure Pier before or after your Galveston cruise would create a memorable seaside vacation, because it’s only about two miles from the Port of Galveston cruise terminals.
With Pleasure Pier being so close, you can either enjoy a few hours before or after your cruise, depending on Pleasure Pier’s hours.
If you’re trying Pleasure Pier before, just make sure you are at the cruise terminal at least 1-2 hours before embarkation.
🚐 Getting to Galveston Pleasure Pier from the Cruise Port
There are a number of ways to get to Pleasure Pier:
By car or taxi: depending on your choice, as well as the time of day and traffic, it will take you about 5-10 minutes.
By shuttle: Most cruise shuttles are destination-focused, meaning there may not be a cruise shuttle from the cruise terminal directly to Galveston Pleasure Pier.
There are private shuttles that you can schedule that may drop you off at or near Pleasure Pier, such as GetTransfer or Welcome Pickups.
Unfortunately, the Galveston Trolley does not offer trolley routes from the cruise terminal to the Pleasure Pier.
By foot: This may not be a good option if you’re considering going from the cruise terminal to Pleasure Pier. It’s about a 30-minute walk or so. Even with comfortable shoes and the ability to walk long distances, you have to consider traffic, crosswalks, your luggage, and the weather.
If you stored your luggage close to the terminal, you’d still have to consider retrieving your luggage, which would either be a walk back or opting for a taxi or car transfer.
💡 Traveler Tip: Sometimes it’s hard to determine what to do with your pre- and post-cruise luggage when you haven’t checked in and aren’t near check-in time, or you’ve checked out and have some time on your hands. In this case, you can store your luggage so that you can enjoy Pleasure Pier baggage-free for a fee. Click HERE for details.
Best Hotels Near Galveston’s Pleasure Pier
We all know that hotels are our home away from home when we’re on vacation.
So, they must be convenient and meet our travel needs while we’re away from home so that we can enjoy our vacation to the fullest.
This means if Pleasure Pier is your main objective during your Galveston visit, it would be best to consider a hotel near Pleasure Pier.
🏨 Why Stay in a Hotel Near the Pleasure Pier?
You’ll be closer to Pleasure Pier, restaurants on Seawall Boulevard, and have the option to have a hotel room with beautiful ocean views.
I’ll list three hotels that are near Pleasure Pier. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’ll help you with your search for a hotel.
- Clarion Pointe Galveston Seawall (formerly Four Points by Sheraton Galveston) is a beachfront hotel with ocean-view balconies, free breakfast, mini-refrigerators and microwaves in the room, on-site dining, and it is so close to the Pleasure Pier you can see the Galaxy Wheel from the hotel, and walk there in about 3-5 minutes or so!
👉 Book your stay at Clarion Pointe Galveston Seawall HERE
- Grand Galvez Resort (Hotel Galvez) is about a 7-10 minute walk from Pleasure Pier, and is a AAA 4-diamond historic beachfront hotel. At the “Queen of the Gulf,” you’ll find a spa, restaurant, espresso bar, a Sunday brunch buffet (RSVP required), and even a High Tea (RSVP and dress code required).
👉 Book your stay at Grand Galvez Resort HERE
- DoubleTree by Hilton Galveston Beach is close to Pleasure Pier, and there’s an on-site restaurant. If you want to walk to and from Pleasure Pier, prepare for about a 10-15 minute stroll. Keep in mind, you’ll be walking around Pleasure Pier, too.
👉 Book your stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Galveston Beach HERE
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to get into Pleasure Pier Galveston?
Admission for Pleasure Pier walk-on passes starts at $10 for senior citizens, $11 for children under “48, and $12 for those “48 and above.
All-day ride passes are around a little over $30 for those “48 and up, and close to $25 for those under “48.
Free admission for children under 2 years old.
Can you walk the Galveston Pleasure Pier without riding rides?
Yes, you can! There is a walk-on pass that lets you enter Pleasure Pier, and if you change your mind, you can purchase tickets starting at $6 for individual rides.
Where do you park for Pleasure Pier?
Paid parking is across the street from Pleasure Pier in Galveston in the paid parking lot next to Fish Tales restaurant, and metered parking is also available along the Seawall by Pleasure Pier.
Is Pleasure Pier open year-round?
Yes, but seasonal times vary and are subject to change at any time. It is best to check Pleasure Pier hours when you are planning your visit.
What’s the best time to visit with kids?
Summer can get hot and crowded. It’s best to come in the Spring and the Fall for fewer crowds, shorter lines, and cooler than summer weather.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the Galveston Island’s Historic Pleasure Pier represents much more than rides and food.
There’s a history behind the existence of Pleasure Pier.
While you’re visiting, yes, take in the views, the amusement park thrills, and great food, but also think about the resilience and creativity to rebuild, which brought about the origin of Pleasure Pier.
Pleasure Pier reminds locals and introduces Galveston’s tourists to the strength, courage, determination, and desire to continue to make the community stronger and better, no matter the difficulty, even if it means rebuilding.
So, whenever you consider your next vacation stop or your pre- or post-cruise must-sees, make it Galveston and be sure to visit the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier.
