The Port of Galveston will celebrate its bicentennial anniversary in 2025 and Texas size plans are already underway. The port was established in 1825 and will celebrate its 200th anniversary with public events and activities.
Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO, said, “We’re planning a full year of activities to share the port’s history, spotlight the contributions of the port and its partners, and celebrate our past, present and future. We invite the Galveston community and our port partners to join us in a year of celebrations.”
The year-long activities will begin on National Maritime Day, May 22, 2025. October 2025 will be filled with a golf tournament on October 16, 2025, the Party on the Pier public event on October 17, 2025, and a bicentennial gala on October 18, 2025. Additionally, in October, Galveston Wharves will release a port history book that will be fill with the harbor’s tales of pirates, naval battles, riches and resilience.
Galveston Wharves’ community partners are also being invited to present their own programs celebrating the port. Partners and supporters have the opportunity to sponsor the events and fund maritime education scholarships through five different levels of sponsorship. The Platinum level of $100,000 is already sold out, but four other levels from $15,000 to $75,000 are still available.
The Port of Galveston was established on October 17, 1825 by a proclamation issued by the Congress of Mexico making it the oldest port west of New Orleans. The harbor was home to the Texas Navy and played a vital role in the Texas Republic’s independence from Mexico. By the 1870’s the Port of Galveston was a major US commercial center and by 1899 was the world’s leading cotton port.
Galveston became a self-sustaining city in 1940 when its citizens voted to purchase the privately held port properties. The Port of Galveston continued to grow and expanded its cruise industry presence with the first sailing of Carnival Celebration in 2000. Carnival Cruise Line continues to have a vessel sailing from the Port of Galveston year-round.
Today, the Port of Galveston is the fourth most popular US cruise homeport. It welcomes more than 1.5 million cruise passengers annually and hosts five major cruise lines.