In the footsteps of the past

Galveston opens doors to its picturesque past in cherished annual historic home tour

The doors to 10 historic homes will be wide open the next two weekends, as part of the 49th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour. The beloved event allows architecture lovers, history buffs, and those searching for home inspo to explore these privately owned houses, all built between 1890 to 1920.

Hosted by the Galveston Historical Foundation, the tour allows guests to step into the past and imagine what life on the Island was like when these homes were built. It's also an opportunity to see how the current owners have updated these beauties for our contemporary times, while staying true to their heritage.

“The annual historic homes tour features everything from recent large-scale residential restorations to small livable coastal cottages,” said Dwayne Jones, executive director of the Galveston Historical Foundation in a press release announcing the event. “We are bringing some of the finest examples of historic island properties to tour."

Home tour tickets are $50 per person and allow guests to tour the homes between 10 am and 6 pm on May 6, May 7, May 13, and May 14. Tickets are good for both weekend, but guests may not tour a home twice. Tour participants may start at any home on the tour.

The tour is self-guided and there's a map guests can use to determine their preferred route. Among the homes featured are:

McKinney-McDonald House
926 Winnie
Built in 1890 for Liberty and Annie McKinney, this Victorian is among the most-detailed in Galveston's East End. Its decorative elements include undulating arches and mariner's wheel motifs. The Galveston Historical Foundation purchased the home in 2011 to save it from demolition, following a devastating 1993 fire and years of decay. The current owner recently completed renovations on the property.

George Bendixen Corner Store and Residence
3128 Avenue L
Dating to 1892 and built by German immigrant George Bendixen, the property was recently renovated for living purposes. The original store would serve the surrounding neighborhood for close to 80 years. The current owner worked to create an interior that would complement the home's history.

Edmund and Lorena Toebelman House
1113 Church Street
Real estate agent Edmund Toebelman and his wife contracted German carpenter Henry Rabe to bring this Victorian masterpiece to life in 1905. It's elevated seven feet above the street and a prime example of the architecture of its day, with an inset front porch supported by smooth Ionic columns and original interior millwork.

Joseph and Edith Eiband House
3112 Broadway
Built in 1928, this is the "newest" home on the tour and was designed by architect Raymond Rapp, Sr. The home belonged to Joseph Eiband, who was the general manager of Eiband’s Department Store, founded by his father in 1895 and once the largest privately owned retailer in the county. The home sits on the first paved roadway to Houston.

There are several other events of interest during both weekends of the tour. The May 6 Silk Stocking Tour and Wine Tasting is a block party-style festival where guests can enjoy a self-guided tour of the homes, along with a special wine tasting for $60. On Mother's Day, May 14, there's the Mother's Day Champagne Brunch in the 1880 Garten Verein, which includes brunch, a special gift, Mother's Day corsage, live music, and more. Reservations are $85 without a Homes Tour ticket or $95 with a ticket. There are also special dinners, lectures, and other opportunities to engage with Galveston's rich history. Learn more and buy tickets online.

Galveston home McKinney-McDonald House, built 1890 - 926 Winnie

Photo courtesy of Galveston Historical Foundation

The iconic McKinney-McDonald House on 926 Winnie was built 1890.

america's best cities

Houston reclaims top 10 ranking on 2026 list of America's best cities

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Houston has made a triumphant return to America's 10 best cities for 2026, certifying the city is a cornerstone of the country's growth and economic prosperity.

Houston ranks No. 9 nationwide in the annual "America's Best Cities" report from Canada-based real estate and tourism marketing firm Resonance Consultancy. Each year, the report ranks the relative qualities of livability, cultural "lovability," and economic prosperity in 393 American cities with metropolitan populations of 500,000 or more.

Dallas surpassed H-Town as the No. 8 best city in America, and the Lone Star State boasts a strong presence among the top 25. Austin and San Antonio, respectively, were named the 11th and 24th best American cities this year.

Previously, Houston was dubbed the 13th best American city in 2025, down from its No. 10 ranking in the 2024 report.

Rather than profiling each individual city like in past reports, the 2026 edition focuses on regional and state prosperity. Texas' economic dominance is second only to Florida's, and the state's growth is solidified by the Dallas-Houston-Austin "triangle," where each metro has its own distinct economic identity, but when combined "form one of the most formidable regional economies in the world."

"In our 2026 survey, Dallas ranks third nationally as the place Americans believe offers the best job opportunities, Austin fifth, and Houston seventh," the report's author wrote. "That concentration of perceived economic opportunity in a single state is unmatched, and the GDP data confirms it isn’t just perception."

After being named one of the best places to start a business or a career earlier in 2026, Houston has continued to punch above its weight with its success in tourism, education , and housing growth .

Overall, the report found a correlation between a city's population growth and its latest ranking, with bigger cities appearing higher up on the list. The top three best American cities — New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago — are coincidentally the three largest metros, while Dallas and Houston are the fourth and fifth largest but appear eighth and ninth on the list.

"Scale compounds at the large city level — more people generate more economic activity, more cultural infrastructure, more employer presence, which attracts more people," the report said.

The top 10 best cities in America for 2026 are:

No. 1 – New York
No. 2 – Los Angeles
No. 3 – Chicago
No. 4 – Miami
No. 5 – San Francisco
No. 6 – Seattle
No. 7 – Las Vegas
No. 8 – Dallas
No. 9 – Houston
No. 10 – Boston

america's best cities ranking bests houston