Galveston Island is more than a barrier island along the picturesque Texas Gulf Coast. The island is rich in history, from the 16th century Karankawa Indians and Spanish explorers, to the Age of Piracy, the Victorian Age, and the island’s glory days of industry and commerce, which earned it the moniker “The Wall Street of The South.” The community has survived catastrophic hurricanes; 1920s bootleggers, crime and gamblers; terrible wars and military engagements; and more.

Those who want to experience the real Galveston need look no further than to Kathleen Shanahan Maca, a Certified Tourism Ambassador for Galveston, and the author of A History of the Hotel Galvez, The Ghostly Tales of Galveston, Ghosts of Galveston, and Galveston's Broadway Cemeteries.

“The first word that comes to mind when I think of Galveston is, obviously, ‘history’ because that is what I research every day,” Maca said. “It really comes down to the people, because they are the ones who, for generations, have created the city, the architecture, and the stories of the island.”

It is Maca’s love of history that binds her to the island, and it is that earnest appreciation for what has gone before and shaped the island that moved her to create and lead her über-popular walking tours of the city.

 

“I’ve been writing magazine articles and books sharing the rich stories of the island for over a decade now, and, luckily, don’t see an end in sight,” Maca said.

“After my first book, ‘Galveston’s Broadway Cemeteries,’ came out, I started getting a lot of requests for tours. At first, I only intended to do a few, but, thankfully, I underestimated how many people were interested in historic cemeteries and Galveston history. The tours also gave me the opportunity to help people discover aspects of places that were of interest they never even thought about. It grew from there, especially when I realized that it allowed me to tailor the experiences to individual interests.”

Maca’s tours include a Strand Ghost Walk and a historic tour of Trinity Episcopal Cemetery, but in the fall, she’s adding a Historical Strand Walk and tours of two of the other cemeteries on the island.

Regular tour prices range from $30 to $40, but private tours can also be arranged. Maca also offers special tours of the Cemetery District for those who are visually-impaired.

“Most of my tours last one-and-a-half hours and are conducted at an easy walking pace,” she said, adding leashed (well behaved) dogs are welcome. “Guests meet at a specified starting location for each tour and are provided with specific parking suggestions and details prior to the tour.”

Tour start-times vary due to time of year, daylight availability, topic of the tour, and whether the tour is being scheduled to allow guests to attend around other events happening on the island, she said.

“For example, I did Historic Cemetery District tours in the early morning and evenings before and after Homes Tour hours in May to allow visitors to attend without having to ‘choose’ which event to prioritize. I also often have late Strand Ghost Walks after ArtWalk events for visitors who are already in the business district who aren’t quite through having fun for the evening.”

Because the tours are outdoors, guests are welcome to bring something to drink along, and Maca encourages everyone to bring water. The Strand District allows alcohol consumption on the sidewalks, and guests are welcome to purchase a drink at one of the local shops or bars and bring it along. The cemetery district and neighborhoods do not allow alcoholic beverages.

Comfortable walking shoes are suggested, as well as umbrellas, if it looks like sprinkles are in the forecast.

 

“Any of my tours can still go on with umbrellas if there is a light rain, but in case of storms they are postponed,” she said. “If a tour is postponed, the guests can choose from any future date that fits their schedule.”

The tours are accessible and appropriate for all ages, but if young children are part of the tour group, Maca appreciates a heads up.

“I enjoy having children on the tours. I do suggest that if a family is booking with children that they let me know the ages, and arrange a private tour time with me so that the stories shared can be tailored to be appropriate,” she said.

“Most of my attendees are adults and stories on the tours may include a few of the ‘seedy’ events from Galveston history.”

Her Strand Ghost Walk and Historic Strand Walk tours including a stop at The Hendley Building, a fascinating site for multiple reasons, she said.

“It played a vital role in the Battle of Galveston during the Civil War and still bears scars from that time period. In addition to the history of the building, many are interested in the building because it is notoriously haunted by several spirits from different eras. No matter what the focus of the tour, it is a must-see with numerous stories to share.”

Those who are partial to the paranormal might like to know that Maca reports on seeing several apparitions, and she has tour group witnesses to confirm it.

“One of the most recent was a full figure apparition during one of my Strand Ghost Walk tours and was experienced by the entire group. It’s one of the tales I share on the walk.”

Knowing the historic Galveston as she does, Maca said—if she could—she would be transported back to the island’s glory days, specifically the week before the tragic 1900 Storm, during which more than 6,000 people lost their lives.

“Galveston was one of the grandest cities in the country and I would love to see the architecture, including structures that were lost, and buildings that lost their upper floors to the storm or lower floors to the grade raising. I’d also like to witness the day-to-day interactions of the business district and social circles,” she said.

“We know so much about island history, but there are frustrating gaps or hazy points about which I’d love to know the answers.”

Here’s a little history-in-the-making: Fans of the author will be glad to know Maca is working on her fifth Galveston history book, this one the Tremont House, which will be released in time for Christmas 2022.

Tour availability and details can be found at kathleenmaca.com. Maca’s books are available on amazon.com and locally at The Galveston Bookshop, Tina’s on the Strand, The Admiralty, Moody Mansion gift shop, and other retailers.