Seawall Boulevard is a major road in Galveston, Texas

Galveston, Texas

Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...

 in the United States. The boulevard is conterminous with Farm to Market Road 3005

Farm to Market Road 3005

Farm to Market Road 3005 is a farm to market road in Galveston County, Texas.-Route description:FM 3005 has a western terminus at the approach to the toll bridge over San Luis Pass; the bridge connects to the Bluewater Highway on the Brazoria County side...

 south of 61st Street. It runs along the Gulf coast

Gulf Coast of the United States

The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...

 waterfront of the island near the main parts of the city. It is named for the Galveston Seawall

Galveston Seawall

The Galveston Seawall is a seawall in Galveston, Texas, USA that was built after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 for protection from future hurricanes. Construction began in September, 1902, and the initial segment was completed on July 29, 1904. From 1904 to 1963, the seawall was extended from ...

 built along the beaches.

Seawall Boulevard is home to several hotels and entertainment venues including the famous Hotel Galvez and Flagship Hotel

USS Flagship Hotel

The USS Flagship Hotel was a hotel, located in Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas. It was built on the historic Pleasure Pier structure entirely over the Gulf of Mexico, albeit very close to shore. It was a popular destination in Galveston that withstood many storms.-History:The hotel was built...

.

Open Era

During Galveston's Open Era the road became quite famous as a lavish, nationally known tourist venue and casino district featuring elegant hotels and clubs. The boulevard's prominence began with the construction of the club and casino Maceo's Grotto (later called the Balinese Room

Balinese Room

The Balinese Room was a well-known nightclub in Galveston, Texas, United States built on a pier stretching 600 feet from the Galveston Seawall over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico...

) in 1929. Other famous locations on this road included Murdoch's Bath House, the Buccaneer Hotel, the Pleasure Pier, and the Mountain Speedway roller coaster.

The boulevard became the focal point for tourism events such as the International Pageant of Pulchritude

International Pageant of Pulchritude

The International Pageant of Pulchritude, also known as the "International Beauty Contest" or the "Miss Universe Contest," was a beauty contest that began in 1926 featuring contestants from multiple nations. The last pageant event in the U.S. was held in 1931 although additional "Miss Universe"...

 of the 1920s, the first international beauty contest

Beauty contest

A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...

. The event would be held on the beach in front of the seawall attracting tourists from around the nation and media attention from around the world. Other events along the boulevard included the spectacular Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras

The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...

 parade and celebration.

This era of prosperity declined during the 1940s and ended in the 1950s with the closing of the casinos by the Texas Rangers

Texas Ranger Division

The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...

.