Earlier this week, I published a list of 6 Tips for Staying Sane When You’re Not Able to Travel. One of my absolute favorite tips from that list is #5: Take a day trip.

Living in Houston, it’s sometimes tempting to feel like my city got the short end of the stick when it comes to cool spots to visit in Texas.

Don’t get me wrong, Houston is a modern, bustling, and hip city and it’s a great place to live.

But when I think about all of the other cool places in Texas that you can visit–like the charming towns and rolling landscapes of the Hill Country, or the sweeping desert havens of Western Texas–and then when you think of how freaking FAR those places are from Houston, it can be a bit depressing.

Like, some of the coolest, most scenic, and most amazing things to do in my state are up to 10 hours away from where I live. TEN HOURS. I’m looking at you, Big Bend National Park!

So, since moving to Houston I have made it my mission to find awesome day-trip locations, specifically those that are only an hour or two away.

And, cue Bishop’s Palace:

Bishop’s Palace is a stately Victorian-style house located in the Historic District of Galveston. It was constructed between 1887 and 1893 for politician Walter Gresham, his wife Josephine Gresham, and their nine children. NINE children. Although, they certainly had the space for it–the mansion is a whopping 19,000 square feet!

But wait–what is a place like Bishop’s Palace doing in Galveston? If you’ve heard anything about Galveston Bay, you’ve probably heard one of three things: 1) The ocean water is polluted from all of the oil drilling, 2) The ocean water is polluted from all of the ships, and 3) There’s nothing there but industry.

Right. Well, I’m glad you asked.

The Tragic History of Galveston

Back in the day (“the day” being the mid-1800’s) Galveston was the largest city in Texas. It was a flourishing port city, and its location on the Gulf of Mexico made it a premium hub for international trade. Bishop’s Palace was constructed in the midst of Galveston’s prime, and Mr. Gresham and his family likely expected the city to continue to thrive and prosper.

Sadly, Mother Nature had other plans. Galveston was hit by an extremely deadly and damaging hurricane in 1900, putting a sudden halt to Galveston’s growth. This hurricane, though long forgotten, is the deadliest natural disaster the United States has ever experienced. Up to 12,000 people were killed, and Galveston was never the same.

Today, all that remains from Galveston’s glory days is an abundance of historic Victorian-style homes, which serve as the only reminder of the city’s rich history.

Some have been preserved, while many have decayed over the years. There are 60 historic buildings in Galveston that have been listed under the National Register of Historic Places, and the city is home to one of the largest collections of historic buildings in the United States.

Of these historic buildings, Bishop’s Palace is perhaps the most important and well-preserved. It has been identified by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 100 most significant buildings in the United States.

And lucky for you and me, it’s open to the public!

Touring Bishop’s Palace

Last weekend, my family and I took a day trip down to Galveston for Father’s Day. We’ve visited the city several times before to go boating or lounge on the beach, but this time we wanted to do something different. We decided that this time, we were finally going to tour one of those beautiful old historic homes.

And, I’m happy to report, Bishop’s Palace did NOT disappoint!

Self-guided audio tours ($12 for adults) are available seven days a week between 10am and 5pm. There are also guided tours available daily at 1:30pm, but we opted for the audio tour.

The tour takes you through the first and second floor of the mansion; tours of the attic are only available once per month.

The Victorian-style architecture and decor was beautiful. There isn’t much furniture left in the house, but the ornate mantels, paneling, ceilings, chandeliers, and stained glass windows compensated for the open space.

It was easy to imagine Mr. Gresham and his wife sauntering through the house, fanning themselves by the window in the sitting room, wiping their brows as the sticky ocean air drifted through the house, and greeting guests with cold drinks served on silver platters.

The audio tours are only 45 minutes, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t begin to tune out the audio guide less than halfway into the tour, and ultimately I turned it off before the tour was over.

I pretty much always struggle to stay engaged during audio and guided tours, so this really can’t be blamed on the tour itself.

However, wandering through the rooms and enjoying the ambiance of this historic house was more than enough for me, and I would truly love to tour more Victorian mansions in the Galveston area in the future.

Have you ever been to Galveston? Did you know about its rich and complex history? Would you like to visit?