GALVESTON RAILROAD MUSEUM

This museum, which traces the history of the railroad, is located in Galveston, because the city was a major import and export hub in the development of Texas. In fact, Galveston was considered one of the largest North American ports, later replaced by New Orleans. The museum exhibits thousands of rail-related objects, including some forty railcars and train heads. It is housed in an Art Deco building that once served as a railway station. The waiting room, dating from the early 1930s, is easily recognizable. Most of the station's surface area has been redistributed to local businesses and cultural centers. For example, the former warehouse used to store goods bound for Santa Fé has been transformed over time into cinemas and theaters. There is also an exhibition dedicated to the Pullman Porters, focusing more specifically on A. Phillip Randolph, an American trade unionist and civil rights activist who worked on the trains. It was the first African-American union to be granted a charter by the American Federation of Labor, making Randolph a prominent voice in the early civil rights and labor movements. A visit to this museum provides an insight into the importance of railways in the development of Texas. You can also take a train ride on the Harborside Express!