Airboat, barge, canoe, dinghy—There just may be as many words for “boat” as there are for fish in the sea. So, we set out in search of the most family-friendly and most unique boat tours for you and the kids to get out onto the water this spring. Here’s what you’ll need to know for planning an excursion out in whatever vessel strikes your fancy.
Glass-Bottom Boats
What’s now called Texas State University’s Meadows Center for Water and the Environment—formerly the Aquarena Springs amusement park—continues to operate its glass-bottom boats rides through Spring Lake in San Marcos. The clear blue and green water of this aquifer-fed freshwater lake makes it possible to peer through the boat’s glass panels at its center and to see all the fish and turtles. Its crystal clear waters and constant 72-degree temps make Spring Lake a favorite training spot for scuba divers and snorkelers too.
Tickets for boat tours are only $9.75 for adults; $6 for children; and under 3 free for boat rides offered daily between 9:30am and 4pm, but the best time to come is on free Family Fun Days on select Saturdays each month. The next one falls on May 13, when kids can make a handmade gift for Mother’s Day and do Mother Earth-themed crafts.
Location: 201 San Marcos Springs Drive, San Marcos
Contact: 512/245-7590; meadowscenter.txst.edu
Gondola Adventures
Outside of Venice, Mandalay Canal is one of a handful of destinations in the U.S. where you can enjoy an authentic gondola cruise. A gondolier, dressed in a striped shirt and red scarf, steers the long and narrow boat through the Old World-style waterway, past a waterwall, and into Lake Carolyn.
These luxury cruises are a hit with romantic couples and for proposals, but they’re really open to all ages year-round. Gondola Adventures offers several cruise options, including a canopy-covered (electric) gondola to guard against the sun. The one-hour cruise includes chocolates and sparkling cider and runs $155 for two people, plus $25 per extra passenger. Children under 5 are free. Ask about the pizza cruises for $245 for up to eight passengers.
Location: 357 West Fork, Irving
Contact: 972/506-8037; gondola.com
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San Antonio River Walk Cruises
On your next visit to Alamo City, take a stroll down the famed River Walk, and hop on the Go Rio electric barges. These river cruise boats, wrapped in colorful papel picado siding, operate as shuttles along 15 designated stops. Get all-day access from 10am–10pm for $20.50. Or you can join a 35-minute narrated cruise to learn about the city’s history and architecture. $14.50 for adults; $8.50 for children. For the most colorful sights during the 10-day city-wide Fiesta this April (fiestasanantonio.org), come during the Texas Cavaliers River Parade on Monday, April 24.
Location: Ticket booths at 706 and 731 River Walk and 809 and 849 E. River Walk, San Antonio
Contact: 210/227-4746; goriocruises.com
1877 Tall Ship Elissa
You’ll find the widest variety of boat tours on the Gulf Coast of Texas, Galveston, but none more exciting for kids than standing at the helm of this real-life “pirate” ship. This historic vessel is a restored, 205-foot-long, iron barque ship originally built in Scotland that now serves as a floating museum, telling the story of Galveston’s early immigrants and their voyage across the seas. Self-guided deck tours are available for all ages Tuesday–Sundays for $10 for adults; $7 for children; under 6 free.
To see the Elissa and five other visiting tall ships at full sail, pack your bags for the Tall Ships Festival April 13–16. Boarding and admission is $25 for adults and $15 for children, with more opportunities to join sailing excursions during the daytime and at twilight.
Location: Galveston Historic Seaport, Pier 22, Suite 8, Galveston
Contact: 409/765-7834; galvestonhistory.org
Colonel Paddlewheel Boat
You’ll feel like Huckleberry Finn riding down the Mississippi on this 1800s-style paddlewheel boat at Moody Gardens. Climb up to the third deck for the best view and keep an eye out for dolphins during the hour-long cruise through Offatts Bayou. Daytime cruises shove off at 11am, 1, 3 and 5pm, weather depending. Tickets are $16 for adults; 13 for children; under 4 free. No reservations needed.
But the best time for a family trip to Moody Gardens (best known for its three pyramids) is in May when two adjacent water park attractions open for the season: Moody Garden’s Palm Beach, with its white sand beach, opens weekends starting May 6 and opens daily starting May 27, and Schlitterbahn reopens May 7.
Location: Moody Gardens, One Hope Boulevard, Galveston
Contact: 409/744-4673; moodygardens.com
U.S.S. Lexington Museum
Even if you’re, let’s say, heading farther down to South Padre Island for a family vacation this spring or summer, you’ll want to carve out some time along that long drive to explore this decommissioned aircraft carrier berthed in Corpus Christi Bay.
The Lexington was first commissioned in 1943, earning the nickname the Blue Ghost during 21 months of combat during World War II. Its second life as a tourist attraction gives visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the 3,000 men and women on board.
Bring the kids between 9am and 6pm, open daily, to join guided or self-guided tours of the 20 aircraft on the flight deck, test their skills in the flight simulator ($5 per person), or catch a film inside the three-story 3D theater. Escape rooms are recommended for 12 and up, but littles are welcome too. General admission is $18.95 for adults; $13.95 children; under 4 free.
Location: 2914 N. Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi
Contact: 361/888-4873; usslexington.com
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Top image of glass-bottom boats courtesy of Matthew Mohondro
