The Texas city?s impressive collection of historic homes makes it a top choice for architectural tourism Touring the grand mansions lining an upscale district of historic homes in Galveston, Texas, offers one of the more compelling collections of Victorian architecture in the United States. Built at a time when this city was a glittering gem on the Gulf, the rows and row of ornate designs, colorful facades, and restored porches offer a genteel collection of architecture classics. The Bishop?s Palace in the East End, a Victorian home adorned with Siena marble and cast iron, is one of the ?Broadway Beauties,? a string of restored landmarks including the Ashton Villa, a rare antebellum Texas mansion.

Carol Highsmith/Library of COngress Located at 24th and Broadway, Ashton Villa, a brick mansion built in 1859, was patterned after Italianate homes. Owned by the Brown family, the residence played host to a red carpet New Year?s ball.

Galveston?s comeback, from a bustling, cosmopolitan port city struck down by a hurricane to a small town of a little less than 50,000 slowly rebuilding its downtown, has had a number of ups and downs. The city had run as a resort center and ?sin city of the Gulf? for decades, from Prohibition to the postwar period, taking advantage of lax law enforcement that helped it earn the unofficial title of ?Free State of Galveston? to attract tourists and revelers. But a tough combination of competition from Vegas, a drop in ...