Stewart Beach

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Stewart Beach Sign.jpeg

Stewart Beach is Galveston’s premier family beach park. It is located where historic Broadway Avenue meets The Seawall.

Stewart Beach, like most places in Galveston, has a rich history that is wroth noting.

In the late 1930s, Galveston’s Mayor Brantley Harris was traveling along the Atlantic coast and saw large public beaches (like Jones Beach in New York). He became convinced that a similar destination could be created in Galveston. He envisioned the city attracting tourists and becoming the “Rivera of the Gulf.”

When he returned home, Mayor Harris persuaded the Galveston City Council to donate its portion of East Beach to the city. The city commission called an election for the authorization of the issuance of $175,000 in revenue bonds, and Robert Cummins, a Houston engineer and architect drew the plans. Donald Boyce, who had been the assistant manager of Jones Beach, was brought in to supervise the construction and to manage the park. The labor used to build Stewart Beach Park came from the President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Stewart Beach was named for Maco Stewart, Sr., a Galveston resident and founder in 1893 of Stewart Title Company and whose family became one of the largest independent oil operators in Texas. His son, Maco Stewart, Jr., along with other community leaders (George Sealy and M.L. Moody III) were significant supporters of the Stewart Beach project.

Stewart Beach officially opened on July 18, 1941. It was dedicated by Mayor Harris,, and it was christened by his daughter, Margaret, who broke a bottle of water over the prow of the SS Stewart Beach. The attraction was built with a boardwalk, a building with a concession stand and restrooms and with cement slabs on either end of the boardwalk - one for dancing and one for roller skating. Additionally, there was a beach service office for renting umbrellas and chairs to the bathers.whose family became one of the largest

Today, Stewart Beach still offers plenty of amenities for visitors to enjoy a day at the beach, as well as regular supervision by highly trained lifeguards. Inside the park, there is a pavilion, restrooms and showers, and chair and umbrella rentals. Beach volleyball courts and a children’s playground are also there to enjoy.

Important to know, alcohol and glass containers are not permitted on Stewart Beach. Pets are welcome, but they must be kept on a leash.

For more information about Stewart Beach, visit www.galveston.com/.