Sarah Bretz, ContributorThe Port of Galveston has announced festivities to celebrate its 200th anniversary next year, which will include public events, the publication of a history book, and more. In a press release, the port said that its “fascinating history could fill a book with tales of pirates, naval battles, riches, and resilience.”
The port is planning a full year of activities to share its history, highlight the contributions of the port and its partners, and celebrate its past, present, and future. Events will include:
- National Maritime Day on May 22, 2025
- Party on the Pier public event on Oct. 17, 2025
- Bicentennial gala on Oct. 18, 2025
The port will also be publishing a book on its history, due out in October 2025.
The Port of Galveston is the oldest port west of New Orleans. It was established by a proclamation issued by the Congress of Mexico on October 17, 1825, while the land known as Texas still belonged to Mexico.
The port played a vital commercial and military role in the Texas Republic’s battle for independence from Mexico. Its harbor was home to the Texas Navy, a squadron of four sailing vessels, which contributed to Sam Houston’s success over General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836.
As the natural harbor grew in prominence, the city of Galveston, founded in 1839, grew around the port. By the 1870s, the Port of Galveston was a major U.S. commercial center with far-reaching maritime and rail connections. This fact helped Galveston win $6.2 million in federal funding in 1890 to become a deepwater port. By 1899, it was the world’s foremost cotton port.
In 1940, the citizens of Galveston voted to buy the privately held port properties to become a self-sustaining city entity, which it remains today.
Since then, key milestones have included the federal harbor deepening from 36 feet to 40 feet in 1976, longtime tenant Wallenius Lines moving its cargo operations to the port in 1995, and the first sailing of Carnival Celebration, the first cruise ship to homeport there, in 2000.
Today, the 840-acre port is a thriving commercial center with infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo, and commercial businesses. It’s the fourth most popular cruise homeport in the United States, hosting five major cruise lines and over 1.5 million cruise passengers each year.
Visit the port’s bicentennial website at portofgalveston200.com.
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