What each attraction costs for children, at what age it's free, what small kids can do, the beach with lifeguards and no alcohol, what the flag colors mean, and the rules for golf carts with children.
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Things to do by ageGalveston · Photo: mr phanindra / Unsplash · Credits
With small children, plan around three things: a beach with lifeguards, the height chart at the Pleasure Pier, and the season. From fall to spring the water parks are closed, and the Pleasure Pier opens on weekends only.
Pick your children's age to see what fits. The prices are what one child pays; adults pay more. For the Christmas train ride, see our Polar Express guide.
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Prices and ages from each operator's site: Pleasure Pier, Moody Gardens, Children's Museum at Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Galveston Naval Museum, Railroad Museum, Ocean Star, Galveston Historical Foundation and the City of Galveston, read on November 1, 2026. Moody Gardens and dolphin tour prices were checked on October 29, 2026. We found no official "kids eat free" program on the island, so we don't list one.
For small children, Stewart Beach is the easy choice: lifeguards in season, restrooms and showers, rentals, and no alcohol. East Beach has lifeguards too but sells alcohol. The Beach Patrol staffs 24 towers in the beach season, mainly between East Beach and 61st Street. Swim near one: drowning is almost five times as likely on unguarded beaches.
Stewart Beach
LifeguardsYes, in seasonAlcoholNot allowedParking$15 a carBest forSmall children: the island's family beach, with restrooms, showers and rentalsEast Beach
LifeguardsYes, in seasonAlcoholAllowed and sold at the beachParking$15 a carBest forOlder kids, events. Pavilion with showers and picnic tablesSeawall beaches, 10th to 61st St
LifeguardsTowers along this stretch in seasonAlcoholCheck the signsParkingSeawall parking $2 an hourBest forQuick swims near your hotel. Ramps and restrooms at several streetsGalveston Island State Park
LifeguardsNo lifeguardsAlcoholCheck park rulesParking$5 per adult, kids freeBest forQuiet beach days and nature. Lies outside the Beach Patrol's main zoneFrom Visit Galveston's pages on Stewart Beach and East Beach, the Beach Patrol and the Park Board, read on November 1, 2026. More in beach safety.
From the Beach Patrol's flag warning system, read on November 1, 2026. Flags fly daily on the Seawall at 10th, 29th, 37th, 53rd and 61st Streets and at every staffed tower.
Rip currents form at gaps in the sandbars and next to groins, jetties and piers. Don't swim straight back against the current: swim parallel to the shore, or float and wave for help. Don't rely on inflatables, and don't swim at the far east and west tips of the island, where going in the water is prohibited.
Kids aged 10 to 15 who swim well can join the Beach Patrol's Junior Lifeguard day camp in summer. In 2026 it ran from June 1 to July 10, three days a week, with a swim test first. The 2027 dates and price aren't out yet.
From the Beach Patrol's pages on rip currents and Junior Lifeguards, read on November 1, 2026.
Sources: the City of Galveston's golf cart FAQ and transit fares, read on November 1, 2026. More in Galveston without a car.
Two areas work well with kids. Next to Moody Gardens you walk to the pyramids, though the beach is a drive away. On the Seawall's east end you're close to Stewart Beach, the Pleasure Pier and the Menard Park splash pad. Some hotels, among them The Tremont House and the Grand Galvez, list a minimum age of 21. That applies to the adult who books the room, not to the children staying in it.
Moody Gardens HotelMoody Gardens, by the pyramidsWhy families pick itNext to the pyramids and the Children's Museum. Two pools, an indoor one for rainy days. The $20 nightly resort fee covers self-parkingBreakfastFor a feeParkingCovered by the resort feePrices
Gaido's Seaside InnSeawall, at 37th StreetWhy families pick itA pool plus a kids' pool, free parking and breakfast included, across the Seawall from the beach at 37th StreetBreakfastIncludedParkingFreePrices
Homewood Suites by Hilton GalvestonEast end of the SeawallWhy families pick itSuites with more room than a standard hotel room, breakfast includedBreakfastIncludedParking$20/dayPrices
DoubleTree by Hilton Galveston BeachSeawall, east endWhy families pick itPool on the Seawall's east end, about a 17-minute walk to the Pleasure PierBreakfastFor a feeParking$20/dayPrices
Holiday Inn Resort Galveston-On The BeachSeawall, west of the Pleasure PierWhy families pick itGuests get a Pleasure Pier ride discount; the pier is about 4 minutes away by carBreakfastExtra, buffet on siteParking$15/dayPrices
Hilton Galveston Island ResortSeawall, west of the Pleasure PierWhy families pick itGuests get a Pleasure Pier ride discount; the pier is about 4 minutes away by carBreakfastFor a feeParking$25/day, valet $40PricesNo hotels match this filter. Pick another one.
Hotel facts from our hotel comparison and the Moody Gardens Hotel page, read between October 28 and November 1, 2026. Pleasure Pier discounts from the pier's ticket page.
The name is everywhere in Galveston because of W. L. Moody Jr. He built a fortune on cotton, banking, hotels, newspapers, ranches and the American National Insurance Company, which he founded in 1905.
In 1942 he and his wife Libbie set up the Moody Foundation, which received his estate in 1959. Moody Gardens grew out of the foundation's work: in 1986 the foundation secured the land for a riding therapy program. Today Moody Gardens is a non-profit, and family members still sit on the foundation's board. American National was sold to Brookfield in 2022.
Sources: Handbook of Texas, Moody Foundation, Moody Gardens, read on November 1, 2026.