Looking to get away from the beach and try something completely new and out of the blue? Why not visit The Island’s own Pier 21 Theater? This theater is a family friendly place that offers three documentary films for history lovers such as yourself.
The three films presented at Pier 21 are The Great Storm, The Pirate Island of Jean Laffite, and Galveston-Gateway on The Gulf. All of these documentaries will give you an unfamiliar perspective of Galveston. You will learn more about the origins of Galveston and why it is the way it is today.
From personal experience, I can say that I’ve gained a greater understanding and respect for Galveston Island!
The Great Storm
The Great Storm is the story of the massive hurricane that struck Galveston in 1900. It provides personal incites from survivors and their recovery. This storm was one of the harshest causalities in United States Storm History.
It was really interesting to see that all of these people didn’t give up after the storm and that they kept striving to rebuild Galveston right back to the way it was. Without their perseverance and will, Galveston would not be the same wonderful city it is today.
This film is presented daily at 11am, Noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, & 5pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for students, ages 6 to 18, free for children under the age of 6 years old. Prices are the same for all movies.
The Pirate Island of Jean Laffite
The Pirate Island of Jean Laffite documents the life of a French pirate and privateer Jean Lafitte. Some may consider him a war hero for his heroic actions during the battle of New Orleans.
Others consider him a murderer and thief. He used Galveston as his base of operations for his illegal businesses. But the question is: Was he a good or an evil man? That’s for you to decide, so come on down and make the decision. It took me a while to think about it after watching this documentary.
You can see this film daily at 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.
Galveston-Gateway on the Gulf
Galveston-Gateway on The Gulf is a film that talks about all of the immigrants that have come to America through Galveston. It documents how these immigrants shaped Galveston’s business and island culture.
This documentary also demonstrated how Galveston slowly became one of most important shipping center in the Southwest area. As an exclusive port in the general region, Galveston would eventually be called America’s Gateway on the Gulf.
This movie made me understand the island culture a little bit better as well as to why there are the port is always so busy due to it keeping a good reputation over the past few centuries.
To conclude, Pier 21 Theater would be a wonderful place to visit during your stay in Galveston. It opens the gateway to understanding the overall culture of the island. So, what are you waiting for? Come on down; history is waiting to teach you!
Pier 21 Theater
2100 Harborside Dr.
Galveston, TX 77550
No late seating is allowed.Discounts for prearranged group tours. Please call 409-763-8808 for more information.Prices are subject to change, so please double check.