Kemah Boardwalk

Kemah Boardwalk
Location	Kemah, Texas, United States
Website	http://www.kemahboardwalk.com
Owner	Landrys, Inc.
Opened	2001
Operating season	Year-round

The Kemah Boardwalk is a hotel and restaurant destination in Kemah, Texas, USA. The main attractions of the 42-acre (170,000 m²) complex, which opened in 2001, are its many restaurants overlooking Galveston Bay. The area was developed by Landry's Restaurants, which owns all of the restaurants on the boardwalk. Activities include shopping and midway games, as well as a miniature train that traverses the entire area. Additional attractions include a 36-foot (11 m) carousel, a 65-foot (20 m) Ferris wheel, and a new wooden roller coaster (the Boardwalk Bullet).

Since the closing of Six Flags Astroworld in nearby Houston, this is now the nearest recreational and entertainment park in the Houston area.

The South End Historic District of the Kemah Boardwalk features many local, family owned businesses. The businesses range from bed and breakfasts to shopping. The Clipper House Inn has several cottages to choose from. Shopping attractions include Boardwalk Fudge, Berdans, The Enchanted Christmas Cottage and Kemah Candles and Soaps. The Boardwalk also has Kemah Bella Spa and Reyna's Salon.

The boardwalk was among many Houston destinations devastated by the storm surge of Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Most of the rides were completely destroyed aside from the Boardwalk Bullet Roller Coaster but have all been repaired and reopened. Two new rides, the 140-foot (43 m) Drop Zone, and Wipeout, were added during the rebuilding.

Rides and games

A side view of the Boardwalk Bullet taken on April 26, 2009.

Here is a description of all the rides at the Kemah Boardwalk, primarily a collection of Chance-Morgan–built devices:

• Aviator – riders can swing their airships in and out with a rudder as they circle in the air
• Balloon Wheel – a miniature Ferris wheel
• Boardwalk Bouncer – a small bouncing drop ride, a variation of the S&S Power "Frog Hopper".
• Boardwalk Bullet– a high-speed wooden roller coaster. Opened August 31, 2007. This is currently the only roller coaster in Greater Houston. It is a 96-foot-tall (29 m), 3,236-foot-long (986 m) twisted wooden roller coaster designed by The Gravity Group built on a 1-acre (0.40 ha) footprint, making it the most compact wooden coaster in the world.
• Boardwalk Tower – a raising observation deck
• Carousel – a double-decker carousel
• Century Wheel – a gondola wheel
• Drop Zone – a 140-foot-tall (43 m) Larson/ARM drop tower
• Kemah Railroad – miniature railroad that traverses the premises
• Inverter – a ride that flips people, and the only one that takes people upside down
• Pharaoh's Fury – a swinging ship ride
• Red Baron – a little airplane "Dumbo" ride
• Wipeout – a Chance Wipeout

The attractions are individually priced pay-per-ride, and an unlimited wristband option is also available.Property owner Tilman Fertitta has spoken in recent interviews that he plans to expand the ride selection in Kemah.

There are also many carnival-style skill games on the boardwalk, priced between three and five dollars. Winners receive prizes (typically stuffed animals) of various sizes depending on the difficulty of the game.

One of the most popular rides is the 140-passenger speedboat called "Boardwalk Beast". The "Beast" is a 70-foot (21 m) open-deck speedboat that takes passengers out into Galveston bay for a wild, wet 25-minute ride at speeds up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). Riders should be aware that they will get wet, possibly soaked as the "Beast" performs high-speed turns out in the Bay. The "Beast" season is from around Spring Break until about Thanksgiving.

Restaurants and Shopping

There are many family-oriented restaurants and places to shop on and around the Boardwalk. These can be found on http://click2kemah.com and include:

• Joe's Crab Shack
• Red Sushi
• Cadillac Bar
• Dippin Dots
• Landry's Seafood House
• The Flying Dutchman
• Aquarium Restaurant
• Lighthouse Buffet
• Saltgrass Steakhouse
• Bayside Grille
• The Pizza Oven
• Marble Slab Creamery
• Tabella at Clear Creek Winery
• Tequila Mia's Restaurant
• Bakkhus Taverna Greek Restaurant
• Palapa Bar
• Takeout Waiter

Shopping

• Kemah Candles & Soaps
• Kemah Boardwalk Ghost Tours
• Marble Slab Ice Cream
• Clear Creek Vineyard, Winery & Resort
• Ber-Dan's Gifts & Souvenirs
• The Enchanted Christmas Cottage
• Boardwalk Fudge

Marina

The marina, located adjacent to the boardwalk, is a popular destination for Clear Lake visitors. There are about 424 boat slips. Other security fees and insurance are required to rent boats.

External links

• Kemah Boardwalk
• Kemah Boardwak Marina
• Boardwalk Bullet Construction Photos
• Kemah Boardwalk Photos
• BoardWalk Bullet topping off
• Boardwalk Bullet POV Video
• Boardwalk Bullet Home Page
• Ike Recovery Photos