Shop, dine and play in Kemah, a vibrant city on Galveston Bay. The enormous Kemah Boardwalk complex will entertain you with its waterfront restaurants, amusement park rides and fairground food. Venture further afield to go behind the scenes of a NASA mission control centre.
Things to do in Kemah
Family-friendly fun awaits at Kemah Boardwalk, an enormous amusement park overlooking Galveston Bay. Dig into fried shrimp and crab rolls at waterfront restaurants and indulge in treats like sugar-dusted funnel cakes. Take a spin on the Ferris wheel for sweeping views over the city skyline and Galveston Bay or enjoy thrills on the wooden Boardwalk Bullet Roller Coaster. Kids will love peering into the crystalline touch pool at Stingray Reef and checking out turtles, snakes and lizards on display in the rainforest exhibit.
Blast off at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The active mission control, training and research centre offers a first-hand glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of the state-of-the-art facility. Get up close with an enormous Saturn V rocket, visit the Astronaut Training Facility and peer into the famous Mission Control room.
Shop for art, antiques and one-of-a-kind gifts in the Kemah Lighthouse District. The neighbourhood swaps big-name brands for mom-and-pop shops. Stock up on slabs of homemade fudge and admire the blue-and-white striped lighthouse. Horse-drawn carriage tours are a fun way to get around the neighbourhood.
Spend the day sunbathing on El Jardin Beach. The family-friendly beach features a stretch of soft sand plus grassy areas where you can enjoy a picnic or a barbecue. Further south is Bayshore Park, a waterside recreation area with boat launch ramps, picnic pavilions and playgrounds.
Getting around Kemah
Kemah Boardwalk and the Kemah Lighthouse District are pedestrian-friendly and easy to get around on foot. The city is a one-hour drive from Houston and George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport.