Get ready to welcome home the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA! This weekend, the Galveston Historic Seaport will stage a spectacular homecoming celebration and reception following its historic Galveston 250 Voyage.
The 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA is a rare, fully restored 19th-century sailing vessel, known as one of the oldest operational ships in the world. Permanently based at the Galveston Historic Seaport (Texas Seaport Museum) on Pier 21/22, the ship serves as both an interactive floating museum and a lasting monument to Texas’s rich maritime heritage.
The 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA just completed a three‑month, roughly 2,500‑nautical‑mile voyage from Galveston to New York Harbor and back as part of Sail250/Sail4th, the official multi‑state tall‑ship flotilla celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.
This Saturday, August 15, 2026, ELISSA makes its grand return to its Galveston home. This weekend is being celebrated with a free public homecoming on Pier 21 and a ticketed evening reception at the Galveston Historic Seaport.
ELISSA will arrive near the Pleasure Pier at approximately 9:00 am, heading east toward Galveston Harbor. Spectators along the Seawall can catch her sailing under full canvas before she furls her sails to enter the harbor.
From 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, the public is invited to celebrate the tall ship’s return in a free, family-friendly celebration. Here, Community members are encouraged to bring homemade signs to cheer on the ship’s arrival. Specifically, ELISSA is expected to enter the port at or near 12:00 pm.
Later on in the evening, from 5-7 pm, officials will host the ELISSA’s Homecoming Reception. Here, visitors can tour the ship, meet the crew, score special commemorative merchandise. Admission is priced at $25.
