This Texas Town Is Full Of Colorful Victorian Houses Cuter Than San Francisco’s Painted Ladies

Galveston Island has its own flair of Southern charm despite only being known for having ugly water and getting swallowed by hurricanes.

The island's East End Historic District is made up of a whole neighborhood of old, Gothic-style Victorian homes that are more eye-catching and extravagant than the Painted Ladies of San Francisco.

You can walk the alluring streets and view the towering two-story mansions with rounded gabled roofs, giant pillars, and curly decorative woodwork. Most of the houses are liveable and have been restored and given a fresh coat of bright paint.

And we mean bright.

There are a few flashy pink houses, a few blue, and even a neon green house that was, of course, designed by an Irishman.

All of the houses in the district vary in Victorian architecture style. You'll see all different types of time periods reflected in the surrounding buildings as you walk the endless blocks of the neighborhood.

There are mainly Greek Revival-style houses, but there is also a lot of the distinctively intricate Queen Anne style. You can't miss the rugged homes that have somehow withstood endless hurricanes, too--those are honestly impressive.

A popular stop in the district is the homes that quite literally look like castles on Main St.

If you'd like to take a look inside some of these homes, you can visit the special events section of the Galveston Historic Homes Tour website to find upcoming dates.

The neighborhood as a whole has so much historic charm you can see it everywhere. There are gardens and small parks to stroll around with wrought-iron benches to sit and view the surrounding Texas flowers.

After you've had your fill of viewing houses, Galveston's historical street "The Strand" is just down the way bustling with shops and restaurants.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.