ELISSA's 149th Birthday Celebration

Raise a Glass to the Official Tall Ship of Texas' 149th Birthday Toast the 1877 ELISSA on her 149th birthday! After ELISSA returns from her last daysail of the 2026 season, we’ll enjoy beer, wine, champagne, and cake, plus deck tours of the beloved iron barque ship. ***** ABOUT THE 1877 TALL SHIP ELISSA: Galveston Historical Foundation brought ELISSA, a 1877 square-rigged iron barque, from a scrapyard in Piraeus Harbor, Greece, to Galveston to begin restoration work in 1978. By 1982, GHF staff and volunteers completed restoration and transformed this rare, historic vessel into a floating museum that would actively sail. Today, ELISSA is one of only three ships of her kind in the world to still actively sail and welcomes over 40,000 visitors annually. She also serves as the Official Tall Ship of Texas, a National Historic Landmark, and a symbol of the Gulf Coast’s historic beginnings as a seaport and active waterfront. ABOUT GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION: Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) was formed as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871 and merged with a new organization formed in 1954 as a non-profit entity devoted to historic preservation and history in Galveston County. Over the last seventy years, GHF has expanded its mission to encompass community redevelopment, historic preservation advocacy, maritime preservation, museum development, and heritage tourism. GHF embraces a broader vision of history and architecture that encompasses advancements in environmental and natural sciences and their intersection with historic buildings and coastal life, and continues to lead on local, state, and national levels with research-driven programs that build awareness of preservation’s role in cultural identity and stewardship across generations.