Galveston: Segway History Tour on The Strand & Seawall

4.91

(116 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“If these walls could talk, they’d probably ask for a cold drink,” our guide Marcus joked as we rolled up to The Strand on our Segways. I didn’t expect to feel so wobbly at first—my hands were sweaty and I kept glancing down at my feet like they might just wander off without me. But Marcus was patient, and honestly, his stories about old Galveston distracted me from my nerves. There was this salty breeze coming off the Gulf that mixed with the smell of something sweet from a bakery nearby. It felt like the city was still waking up as we zipped past.

We stopped in front of Bishop’s Palace and Marcus pointed out these tiny details in the stonework I’d never have noticed. He told us about hurricanes and fortunes lost—his voice got quieter when he mentioned the Sacred Heart Cathedral fire. Sometimes he’d wave at people passing by; everyone seemed to know him. I tried taking a photo of Moody Mansion but fumbled with my phone (Segways aren’t made for multitasking, apparently). Still, seeing those grand houses up close made me think about all the lives that passed through here. Day trip Galveston history tour is way more vivid when you’re rolling instead of walking.

The part by the old Railroad Museum surprised me most—Marcus explained how it played into Prohibition days, which I never would’ve guessed from the outside. There was this moment where we paused and all you could hear was distant gulls and a guy laughing somewhere behind us. And then suddenly we were at the Seawall, salt spray in the air and surfers bobbing out past the breakers. We just stood there for a second watching them—nobody really said anything. I still think about that view sometimes when I’m stuck in traffic back home.