Spend Some Time on an Oil Rig

If you travel to Galveston, Texas, and look out onto the Gulf, you will see itty-bitty oil rigs far, far away. If you don't plan to get a job on one of those rigs, you should head over to The Offshore Energy Center: Ocean Star, on Galveston Island.  

You'll learn about the history of oil rigs and the industry for which they are built.  

Here are some of the things you may use that are made from petroleum.

Visitors board the retired jackup drilling rig and view a video about the offshore industry.  The museum features three floors of models and interactive displays illustrating the story of offshore oil and gas from seismic technology, to exploration and discovery.

The second Saturday of every month is Family Day where children get free admission (normally $5) and adults pay $8.     A different activity is planned each Family Day.  The day we went, the kids made Valentine's Cards using shaving cream...a petroleum product.

The museum

Escape Pod

Jack-up drilling rigs

Jack-up Mobile Drilling Units (or jack-ups), as the name suggests, are rigs that can be jacked up above the sea using legs that can be lowered, much like jacks. These MODUs (Mobile Offshore Drilling Units) are typically used in water depths up to 400 feet (120 m), although some designs can go to 550 ft (170 m) depth. They are designed to move from place to place, and then anchor themselves by deploying the legs to the ocean bottom using a rack and pinion gear system on each leg.Main article: Jackup rig

I...don't know what this is.

Deep Sea Diving Suit

Models are amazing.

Amazing model.

Two hard-working crew members.

Some really cool oil rig part.

I think these guys have been working too hard.

Link of a chain used on the rigs.

The docks

Bird Greeter

Texas Seaport Museum

Texas City...where the oil gets processed.

These refineries are like cities within themselves.  Especially cool at night.

Parking is free right there at the museum, (well, there's an honor box of a dollar fee that Steve paid but, apparently, no one else does.)  Leave the car there when you are done and walk Pier 21; check out the cruise ships or million-dollar yachts; head to the restaurants and pubs; walk a couple blocks to The Historic Strand for food, drinks, and shoppes.