Day Trips: Texas Surf Museum, Galveston

Photos by Gerald E. McLeod

The Texas Surf Museum in Galveston documents a niche sport along the Texas coast that captured the imagination of local beach boys and girls.

American teenagers were introduced to surfing culture through popular music coming out of California in the 1960s. Even landlocked youths dreamed of “riding the wild surf.” Spring breaks often involved a long car ride to the Texas coast for a ride on a rented surfboard.

While the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico couldn’t compete with the waves on the California coast, there was enough power in the Texas surf to provide an exciting ride for beginners. Surfing communities developed in Galveston, Corpus Christi, and South Padre Island.

The Galveston Surf Museum covers a lot of ground on the general and local history of surfing. The vintage surfboards, historic photographs, trophies, and memorabilia will appeal to former surfers and aging aficionados.

Using an impressive collection of surfboards and well-written placards, the museum takes the visitor through the evolution of the sport, nationally and locally. The informational boards highlight the pioneers of the sport on the Texas coast, and educate the visitor on the anatomy and evolution of the surfboard.

One of the interesting stories in the museum is of LeRoy Colombo. A legendary figure in Galveston, Colombo, who was a deaf lifeguard working for the county, saved 907 people between 1923 and 1967. The head of the Galveston Island Beach Patrol located Colombo’s rescue/surfboard in a county warehouse and loaned it the museum. Brought to Galveston by merchant marines and given to Colombo in 1930, it may be the oldest surfboard in Texas.

The Texas Surf Museum opened on March 7, 2025, a couple of blocks off the Strand at 2110 Mechanic St. in Galveston. Admission is $10 with discounts for seniors, military, and children. The doors open Thursday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

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