Kemah Boardwalk: Rides, Aquarium & the Bay

The Kemah Boardwalk wraps a whole family amusement park around the edge of Galveston Bay, where the salt breeze off the water mixes with the smell of funnel cakes and the whir of rides. In a compact, walkable strip you can loop from a towering wooden roller coaster to a double-decker carousel, ride a replica 1863 steam train around the grounds, and touch live stingrays inside an aquarium built into a restaurant. This route walks the boardwalk end to end, hitting the rides and attractions kids love best and pausing where the views open onto the boats and the bay. Rides are individually ticketed or covered by an all-day pass, and each has its own height rule, so check the signs as you go. Come hungry, come ready to get a little wet at the stingray tank, and give yourselves the afternoon.