Houston Maritime Museum
The Houston Ship Channel was completed in 1914, just as the Great War began. From his office in Washington DC, President Woodrow Wilson fired a cannon via remote control to mark the channel “open.”
The new “industrial warfare” of the First World War - with tanks, trucks, and airplanes - created a huge demand for oil. The Houston Ship Channel suddenly made it possible to easily export Texas oil to European armies. The Channel quickly became a valuable military asset.
More than a century old, the Houston Ship Channel remains a triumph of maritime engineering. Today, the Houston Maritime Museum shares the wonder of maritime history with visitors, with a focus on Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast.
Houston Maritime Education Center and Museum
Houston Maritime Museum
Admission
13 and up: $8, Seniors/Ages 3-12: $5
Hours
Tuesday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, 1-5 p.m.