About 45 minutes southeast of downtown, where Clear Lake meets Galveston Bay, Kemah Boardwalk has been the family day trip since it opened in the late 1990s. Walking the boardwalk costs nothing, and watching boats slip through the channel is half the fun. When kids want rides, there are 13 on the All Day Ride Pass. The headliner is the Boardwalk Bullet, a wooden coaster that opened in 2007 and packs 3,236 feet of track, a 92-foot first drop and speeds over 51 mph onto a one-acre footprint right at the water's edge. Smaller kids head for the Double Decker Carousel, the C.P. Huntington Train and the Century Ferris Wheel. The Boardwalk Beast speedboat blasts out into the bay for an extra fee, and the Stingray Reef lets kids touch and feed rays. Stay for sunset over the water.
What to expect
- Gated lots are free on weekdays and paid on weekends and holidays; no re-entry.
- No outside food, bottled water, insulated tumblers or picnics.
- Strollers are welcome but park outside ride lines; there's no stroller corral.
- Purses, backpacks and phones aren't allowed on most rides; bring someone to hold them.
- Rides close for lightning and high winds, with no refunds or rain checks.
What to do
- Ride the Boardwalk Bullet wooden coaster (48 inches minimum)
- Take the Boardwalk Beast speedboat out into Galveston Bay
- Touch and feed stingrays at Stingray Reef
- Opened 2007Boardwalk Bullet
- 92 feetCoaster drop
- Over 51 mphTop speed
- 13Rides on pass