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Historic Homes


Ashton Villa Bishop's Palace
Powhatan House Moody Mansion
Queen Laura's Bordello Menard Home
Samuel May William's Home 1961 Custom Home
1880 Garten Verein 1859 St. Joseph Church

Ashton Villa

2328 Broadway, 409-762-3933

Built in 1859 by one of Texas' wealthiest businessmen, James M. Brown, Ashton Villa offers the atmosphere of true southern hospitality. This ante-bellum mansion features antiques, family heirlooms and original art. The house was the site of many social gatherings of the wealthy hosted by Brown's daughter, Miss Betty.

Hours
Ashton Villa Tours
Monday - Sunday, 12 p.m to 4 p.m.
Heritage Visitor's Center
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Admission
Adults & Seniors: $6
Students: $5
Kids Under 7: Free
Family (2 parents & up to 3 children under 18): $18
Broadway Beauties: $15
Adult Group Tours: $4.25

Ashton Villa
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Powhatan House

3427 Avenue O, 409-763-0077

The 1847 Powhatan House was built by John Seabrook Sydnor, pioneer merchant and mayor, and is considered one of Texas' most beautiful Greek revival homes. This home was the central section of an early hotel before being moved to its present location. The Powhatan House has served as the Galveston Garden Club headquarters since 1965.

Hours
Saturday 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Admission
Adults: $2
Seniors & Kids: $1

Tours by appointment only.

Powhatan House
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Queen Laura's Bordello

2528 Postoffice, 409-765-1700

Galveston's newest "home" open for groups is Queen Laura's Bordello, formerly known as the Mollie Walter House. The two-story, 15-room building was built in 1886 as a "female boarding house" and used as a bordello in the popular red light district. The bordello was featured in the 1997 Galveston Historic Homes Tour and is now open for pre-arranged group tours.

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Samuel May William's Home

3601 Avenue P, 409-765-1839

Galveston's second oldest home, the Samuel May Williams Home was built in 1839. Williams was one of the founding fathers of Galveston. The home features a short film introducing Samuel May Williams, "Father of the Texas Navy." The home has been authentically restored and includes Williams family pieces.

Hours
Saturday - Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tour is self-guided.

Admission
Adults: $3
Kids Under 12: $2

Samuel May William's Home
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Bishop's Palace

1402 Broadway, 409-762-2475

Bishop's Palace was built in 1888 for Walter Gresham, a Galveston attorney. It was later purchased for Bishop Christopher Byrne in 1923 by the Galveston-Houston Diocese. The home features woodwork of rosewood, satinwood and white mahogany and various fireplaces from all over the world.

Hours
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Winter hours
12 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Admission
Adults: $6
Seniors: $5
Teens: $3
Kids: $1

Bishop's Palace
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Moody Mansion & Museum

2618 Broadway, 409-762-7668

Moody Mansion & Museum, made of limestone and brick, was built between 1893 and 1895 and designed by William H. Tyndall. The mansion features rare handcarved wood, stained glass, coffered ceilings and Moody family heirlooms. The ballroom is decorated as it was when Mary Moody made her social debut on December 12, 1911.

Hours
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter

Admission
Adults: $6
Seniors (65+): $5
Kids (6-18): $3
Under 6: Free

Moody Mansion & Museum
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Menard Home

1605 33rd Street, 409-762-3933

Galveston's oldest home, the Michel B. Menard Home, was built in 1838 by Galveston's founder in the days of the Republic of Texas. The home was host to Galveston's first Mardi Gras celebration. This mansion has been restored to its former beauty and furnished with an outstanding collection of Federal and American Empire antiques. The home offers the charm of the Old South in a magnificent private home.

Hours
Friday - Sunday 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Tours begin every hour on the hour.

Admission
Adults: $6
Seniors & Kids Under 11: $3

Menard Home
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1861 Custom Home

502 20th Street, 409-763-1877

In 1861, construction crews set a 19th Century public building record when they completed the Galveston United States Custom House in exactly four months and two weeks of onsite work. When it was built, the 1861 Galveston Custom House was on the cutting edge in the use of iron in building construction. Now, more than 130 years later, the building again is in the spotlight - not for its construction, but for its adaptive use. The building is the oldest non-military federal building Texas and is home to Galveston Historical Foundation, Texas’ oldest historic preservation organization.

Hours
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday 12 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tours begin every hour on the hour.

Admission
Free (excludes group tours of 20 or more & school/childrens tours. Visit website for detials.)

Menard Home
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1880 Garten Verein

2704 Avenue O, 409-763-1877

In February 1876, a group of German businessmen organized the Galveston Garten Verein- a social club for family and friends. The group purchased the five-acre homestead of Robert Mills, a prominent Galveston businessman. The grounds were designed to include a clubhouse, lawns, gardens and walkways, bowling alleys, tennis courts, croquet grounds, playgrounds and a dancing pavilion. The Garten Verein’s tiered dancing pavilion, built in 1880, is the only one of the structures to survive the 1900 Storm. After World War I, anti-German sentiment caused a steady decline in membership, and the members voted in 1923 to sell the property to Stanley Kempner, who donated it to the city as a public park, dedicated to his parents, Eliza Seinsheimer and Harris Kempner. Visitors can enter the park during daylight hours to get a closer look at the Garten Verein pavilion’s striking octagonal design. The pavilion provides an enchanting setting for private events and is available for rental.

Menard Home
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1859 St. Joseph Church

2202 Avenue K, 409-763-1877

The oldest German Catholic Church in Texas and the oldest wooden church building in Galveston, St. Joseph’s was built by German immigrants in 1859-60. Bishop John Odin, the first Catholic bishop of Texas, recommended a church be built for the German-speaking Catholics of the growing city. The church was dedicated in April 1860, to St. Joseph, the patron saint of laborers. The building is a simple wooden Gothic Revival structure, rectangular with a square bell tower with trefoil window. The softly painted interior features a coffered ceiling with painted quatrefoils and other Gothic symbols, plaster of Paris Stations of the Cross with German inscriptions dating from the early years of the 20th Century and the original, elaborate main and side altars with reredos as well as many of the original statues and altar furnishings. Although damaged in the 1900 Storm, the church was repaired, enlarged, and redecorated within the year, retaining its original architectural character. In 1968, the Catholic Diocese closed the church and sold the contents at public auction. Upon learning that the building was to be used as a warehouse, GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION [GHF] stepped in and leased the property. Most of the original furnishings were recovered, re-installed, and the structure was stabilized. GHF has continued to maintain the building and opens it for special occasions, and prearranged group tours, and private functions.

Menard Home
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