Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum

NON-PROFIT, COMMUNITY & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS

Hours:

10:00am - 5:00pm
Last ticket sold at 4:00pm
Open Tuesday-Sunday
Closed Mondays

Driving Directions:

The entrance to the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum is located one block from Harborside Drive on 20th Street at the east end of the Pier 21 complex.

About Us

Welcome aboard the Ocean Star! Whether charting a course for entertainment or education, visitors embark on an industrial-strength voyage of discovery within a modern museum setting. The only known facility of its type, the Ocean Star offers the opportunity to physically enter the world of the offshore oil and gas industry. Built in 1969 by the Bethlehem Steel Yard in Beaumont, Texas, the Ocean Star worked in the Gulf of Mexico until 1994. Acquired in 1995 by the Oilfield Energy Center, she was refurbished, rebuilt, relocated in Galveston, and opened as a museum in 1997.
So much of our modern society relies on oil and things made from it. We all know that oil is an essential ingredient in gasoline and other fuels, but it’s also used to build roads, manufacture tires, and is a key component in anti-freeze and brake fluids. In addition to helping us get around, hydrocarbons play an essential role in the production of everything from computers, cell phones, prescription medicines and eyeglasses to shampoos and lipstick. Without a steady flow of oil, we’d lose a lot. Luckily, we have an industry with the tools and technologies to meet the world’s demand for oil and gas. At the Ocean Star Museum you can learn how hydrocarbons form and what it takes to extract them from the earth—from people and processes to tools and technologies.
Step aboard for a decidedly unique learning adventure. Audio tours are available for those that prefer a personal tour guide, and offered in English, Spanish and French. Discount rates are available for groups.