Island Book Company

Island Book Company occupies one of the Strand's magnificent iron-front commercial buildings, a survivor of the Great Storm of 1900 that devastated Galveston and killed thousands. The building's history is inseparable from the store's identity, and the maritime history section tells the full story of Galveston's rise as the wealthiest city in Texas, its catastrophic destruction, and its remarkable rebuilding. The collection includes first-edition accounts of the 1900 hurricane, maritime logs, and architectural studies of the Victorian buildings that line the Strand. The Gulf Coast nature section covers the barrier island ecology, shorebird migration patterns, and the marine life of the Gulf of Mexico, serving the birders and beachcombers who flock to the island year-round. The rare books room features early Galveston city directories, antique nautical charts, and signed first editions by Texas coastal authors. The architecture section documents the island's extraordinary collection of Victorian, Greek Revival, and Gulf Coast vernacular buildings, making it an essential stop for anyone exploring Galveston's built heritage.