United States
Texas (TX)
Texas Gulf Coast
Kemah
Things to Do in Kemah
Kemah Boardwalk
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Kemah Boardwalk

See all things to do
See all things to do
Kemah Boardwalk
4
2,268 reviews
#1 of 4 things to do in Kemah
Amusement & Theme Parks
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11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
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About
Overlooking Galveston Bay, Kemah Boardwalk is one of Bay Area Houston’s top attractions, loved for its awesome vibes, amusement rides, game arcades, waterfront restaurants, and live entertainment. The kids will probably enjoy feeding manta rays at the aquarium, the 65-foot-high Ferris wheel, and miniature train; while the adults can tackle thrilling rides like the Iron Eagle or Boardwalk Bullet wooden coaster. There are also loads of dining options for some classic Texas BBQ and Cajun seafood. Weekenders can take advantage of the bundled passes, which give you entry to nearby attractions like the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier and Downtown Aquarium. – Tripadvisor
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
154 within 3 miles
Landry's Seafood House
630
132 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Seafood • Vegetarian Friendly
Crazy Alan's Swamp Shack
389
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Cajun & Creole • Bar
Saltgrass Steak House
328
363 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Steakhouse • Vegetarian Friendly
Aquarium Restaurant
453
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Seafood
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
462
454 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
Flying Dutchman
381
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
T-Bone Tom's Meat Market
873
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Barbecue • Gluten Free Options
Bakkhus taverna
157
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • Greek • Vegetarian Friendly
Nam Thai Restaurant & Bar
18
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Thai • Vegetarian Friendly
Tookie's
35
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • American
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Attractions
31 within 6 miles
Stingray Reef 215 Kipp Ave
98
191 ftAquariums
Boardwalk Beast
148
191 ftScenic Drives
Clear Creek Vineyard
21
0.4 miWineries & Vineyards
McHale Park
2
0.4 miNature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
Galveston Bay Brewing
1
0.9 miBreweries
Space Center Houston
9,779
Speciality Museums
Armand Bayou Nature Center
125
Nature & Wildlife Areas
Rex L Meador Park
3
1.5 miParks
Hester Garden Park
5
1.7 miParks • Hiking Trails
Clear Lake Park
47
Parks
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
2,268 reviews
Excellent
910
Very good
842
Average
353
Poor
103
Terrible
60
Cary K
North Houston, TX73 contributions
Take a walk on the boardwalk!
Jun 2020
We went there this weekend and had a wonderful time! I would recommend going early, we arrived around 1030 and got the chance to walk around the park, getting an idea of what all they have to offer. The restaurants open at 11, which allows you to get in and enjoy a great meal before the park itself opens at 12 noon.

As of June 1st all rides in the park are open! They disinfect between each ride on some of the rides, so if there are lots of people count on a bit longer wait than normal, but for us the lines were virtually non-existent. One great thing about the rides is they are little kid friendly as well. Our 4 year old was plenty tall enough to ride all the rides he wanted to ride and there are several that are specifically geared to the little ones, which gives kids of all ages something to enjoy there.

For the folks who have never been, it's a boardwalk/carnival style atmosphere with a number of carnival games to be had as well as some really fun rides. I recommend you get the all day pass for the rides, because once you pay for three rides you've paid for the all days pass.

On one end of the park there is a splash pad and play ground for the kids, and a stage off to one side. While we sat watching our kids play in the water and enjoyed a nice frozen margarita available from several vendors nearby, A rock band showed up and started playing! They were called After Party with Vin Cody and they were a blast! They played a wide range of songs from different eras of rock, so if you get the chance to see them do it!

All in all a wonderful experience at the Kemah boardwalk! We went home exhausted, but very satisfied with the time we spent there, and we're going back soon!
Written June 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda H
Houston, TX51 contributions
Disappointing day at the Kemah amusement park
May 2022 • Family
The Boardwalk itself is beautiful and has plenty of good places to eat, but the amusement rides were disappointing and definitely not a good value. We went with our 4 and 8 year old Grandsons on a Thursday on one of the last days in the 80’s. Many of the rides were closed or delayed. We were told they don’t have enough staff and can’t keep all the rides open. For $26/each we rode the Ferris wheel twice, the carousel once and the train once. The train is nice, but only ran once per hour. I doubt that we will return to the amusement area unless it gets better. Our Boys did enjoy the little shaded playground next to the “Flying Dutchman” and feeding the manta rays at “The Aquarium.” None of the boat rides were running either.
Written May 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack G
1 contribution
Kemal Boardwalk and The Flying Dutchman
Mar 2022 • Friends
We took a day trip with some friends from out of town and had a very good time. Stopped for lunch at the Flying Dutchman and had great food. Even though they had a group that showed up with double what they expected we still had good service from the hard working crew.
Written March 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
melwashere81
Cleveland, TX1,102 contributions
Overrated
Mar 2022 • Couples
I really wanted to like this place but it wasn't very fun at all. An all day ride pass is the best way to go but we were only planning on riding 3 rides so there was no point getting one. The rides are never all open at one time. The ones we wanted to ride were either closed or delayed. Luckily we stayed long enough to get to ride the Boardwalk Bullet at least (which was the best part of the boardwalk). The staff is not very friendly and most acted like they hated their jobs which brings down the mood of everyone! The one exception was the photo booth lady and she was amazing! None of the games were open which was depressing and some of the stores didn't open until 1pm or later. We wanted to eat at Joe's crab Shack but were told (quite rudely) that it was a 45 minute wait even though there were plenty of tables open! We did not have a good time and will not be back!
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jay W
Beaver Dam, WI220 contributions
Rides open and closed at random
Mar 2022 • Family
Kemah Boardwalk was the first thing that we did after arriving in Houston. There were supposedly “a lot” of rides but many of them were closed. The schedule was quite unreliable. For instance, the AirLiner was open when we first got there, but then soon after closed. The Boardwalk Bullet was delayed and it did on but later in the day which we were able to ride. Even the HypnoSpin and the blue Boardwalk Tower closed for a period of time. There were no boardwalk games, but maybe it’s too early in the season. It was quite windy and cold, which we realize is not the park’s fault. They were very few grab and go food options other than fried foods, but there were many dine-in restaurants available. We thought that the selection of rides was good and that there were some for older kids and some for younger kids and families. We did not see any of the street entertainers or music on the Sunday that we went. I would be very hesitant to spend $50 a person for the day (we had the CityPass) but if you’re really interested in going I would get tickets just for the rides you want to go on.
Written March 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
myjudge2
Amsterdam, The Netherlands99 contributions
Rides all closed, just overpriced restaurants.
May 2021
Beast? closed. Bullet? closed. Train? closed. Observation tower? closed. Zip line? closed. Arcade? Closed. There were about three shops and a few kiddy rides open. If you want to fight horrible traffic through never-ending construction, walk around and look at rides that can't be ridden, then eat one of the most expensive lunches you've ever paid for, this is the place for you.
Written May 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer D
Dickinson, TX249 contributions
Boo!
Jul 2022 • Family
So disappointing. Friends with kids from out of town were dying to go. We went on a Thursday evening about 7. Wasn't terribly busy, but every ride took easily 20 minutes in line not sure why the first two took so long, but the last the operator literally walked off. She said she had to go clean up a spill and walked off. Left the key in the ride though. Probably not exactly protocol. People stood in line, including our friends, for 30 minutes. They finally gave up after watching some other kid run three rides at the same time. Went to get a refund and the girl that was supposedly cleaning a spill was standing by the ticket window.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mrjonesii
Indianapolis, IN301 contributions
I expected a little more
Jul 2022 • Family
Although we hadn’t plan to ride any rides I expected more rides and shopping. Boardwalk is a nice concept but not as big as I thought. $9 to park then purchase tickets for rides and games. There are places to eat on the boardwalk and in the general area. We ate at Crazy Alan Swamp Shack which is very close by, on the other side of the bay. Live music was on the other side of the boardwalk. We arrived around 6, enough time to walk around, watch the sunset and see the park light up. The dancing fountain was closed, I think do to a concert.
Written July 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carknox
1 contribution
Girls weekend
May 2021 • Friends
I stayed at the Boardwalk Inn this past weekend and it was great all the staff was friendly helpful and didn’t mind helping us when we got lost trying to find the FantaSea. Me and 5 family members did the 70s disco cruise. It was the first time I have ever done a dinner cruise and it was an amazing experience from the time we got on the boat to the time we left. When we were boarding we had a little issue with Michelle but was quickly forgotten after we were seated and our server Ashley came to great us she was fun outgoing very knowledgeable and just an excellent waitress. Our drinks were never empty she was even helping others with their tables. I know as managers you only hear the negative but I think Hannah (at the Boardwalk Inn) and Ashley (on the FantaSea) need to be recognized for the great friendly service they gave us! We will definitely be back! Thank you for a weekend!
Written May 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
italyjay
Wichita Falls, TX58 contributions
Great Potential
Mar 2021 • Family
Our mistake was not reviewing before we went. Don’t make the same Mistake!! If you go during the week, like we did, then you are better off not going at all. There was great foot traffic and lines, non too long, at most attractions. The problem is that the park rotates employees between attractions. So you could stand for 30 minutes before someone would even come to start letting people on. Better hope that you make the cut to ride, or you have to wait for them to come back. Concession stands? Forget about it. Closed. All of of them. Shops? Closed. Only some restaurants were open, a few that were too high class for our two year old and Bubba Gump. That’s it. The place seemed almost like a ghost town where people used to have fun. No price breaks were givin for the park saving money. As we left, rather disappointed, we noticed the lack of screams and laughter that are usually associated with these fun escapes. Next time we are in town we will find somewhere else to enjoy.
Written March 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Kemah Boardwalk - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Kemah Boardwalk
Kemah Boardwalk is open:
  • Sun - Thu 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
  • Fri - Sat 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Kemah Boardwalk tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 8 Kemah Boardwalk tours on Tripadvisor

Kemah Boardwalk Information

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910

Very Good Reviews

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