TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON
TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON RETURNS APRL 13-16, 2023
The 2023 Tall Ships® Galveston festival hosts tours of participating ships, numerous special events, sail-away excursions, music, food, and fun in a family-friendly format. Galveston Island serves as one of three ports for the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Gulf Coast 2023 Series, which features a fleet of ships traveling across the Gulf of Mexico as they visit other participating cities. Learn more here.
GO SAILING! TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON
As part of the 2023 TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON festival, many of the visiting ships also offer special sail away experiences during their stay. These opportunities put you onboard the vessel and out in the Gulf of Mexico, where you can interact with the crew and see first-hand how these incredible ships operate in the water. Spaces are limited!
PLEASE NOTE: FESTIVAL ADMISSION IS NOT INCLUDED WITH DAYSAIL AND TWILIGHT SAIL TICKETS. PLEASE BE SURE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR ADMISSION AND ON-BOARD TOURS. FESTIVAL ADMISSION IS NOT NEEDED FOR PARADE OF SAIL RESERVATIONS.
PARADE OF SAIL RESERVATIONS
A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sail onboard a TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON ship during the kick-off Parade of Sail. This Thursday event sees the visiting fleet sail down Galveston Island’s historic coastline as spectators gather to view the ship’s entrance to the event weekend.
1877 ELISSA
4/13 | 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | $300 Per Person SOLD OUT
PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II
4/13 | 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | $250 Per Person SOLD OUT
WHEN AND IF
4/13 | 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | $250 Per Person SOLD OUT
GLENN L. SWETMAN
4/13 | 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | $250 Per Person CLICK TO RSVP
DAY SAIL & TWILIGHT SAIL PASSES
No experience at TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON is complete without setting out on one of our participating daysail tall ships! Step onboard WHEN AND IF and GLENN L. SWETMAN for special day sails into Galveston Bay. Twilight tours through Galveston’s historic harbor are available on the previous ships as well as PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II. Space is extremely limited for all sailing opportunities. Ages 4 and over are allowed onboard for sailing with ticket purchase.
WHEN AND IF-DAY SAIL
4/14-4/16 | Multiple Tours Daily | $125 Per Person CLICK TO RSVP
GLENN L. SWETMAN-DAY SAIL
4/14-4/16 | Multiple Tours Daily | $125 Per Person CLICK TO RSVP
WHEN AND IF-TWILIGHT SAIL
4/14-4/16 | Multiple Tours Daily | $150 Per Person CLICK TO RSVP
GLENN L. SWETMAN-TWILIGHT SAIL
4/14-4/16 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | $150 Per Person CLICK TO RSVP
PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II-TWILIGHT SAIL
4/14-4/15 | 6 – 8 p.m. | $150 Per Person SOLD OUT
SEAGULL II SHIP VIEWING TOURS
See the visiting fleet from a totally different angle! Galveston Historical Foundation’s Seagull II will take special tours of the historic waterfront while offering guests waterside views of the ships. Learn more about the histories of our visiting fleet, view dolphins as you travel through the bay, and maybe even catch a glimpse of our twilight sail vessels as they pass by. Photographers welcomed!
DAYTIME SHIP VIEWING
4/14-4/16 | Multiple Tours Daily | $40 Per Person CLICK TO RSVP
TWILIGHT SHIP VIEWING
4/14-4/16 | 7:15 – 8:15 p.m. | $50 Per Person CLICK TO RSVP
ABOUT GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
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. Learn more at galvestonhistory.org.
PLEASE NOTE
TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON tickets are non-refundable. The festival is open, rain or shine. GHF is not responsible for independent transactions between visitors and vendors. All ships are viewable from the pier. However, on-board tours are not handicap accessible. If we can assist with arrangements, please contact us at 409-765-7834 in advance of your visit. Pets and ice chests are not allowed. Scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, skates, Segways, and other recreational “wheels” are forbidden. Guests bringing in costume weapons and props will have them secured by on-site security and will be asked to go through additional screening.
ABOUT THE TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE®
The Tall Ships Challenge® is a series of annual events organized by Tall Ships America. These events draw hundreds of thousands of people to witness beautiful tall ships from the age of sail and provide a unique opportunity for the participants to interact with the crews of different vessels in friendly rivalry as they race from port to port. The series began in 2001 on the Great Lakes and saw vessels from six countries and visited seven US and Canadian ports. Since its launch, the Tall Ships Challenge® series has visited dozens of North American cities, bringing millions of spectators down to the waterfront to experience the tall ships and creating a cumulative economic impact of hundreds of millions of dollars for host communities. It has continued to grow every year and is an eagerly anticipated event in the seaside communities that host the vessels and beyond. Learn more at tallshipsamerica.org.
