Yes, the palace is a beauty… and she’s plenty sturdy, too. Over one hundred years before Ike’s wind and rain pummeled her facade, the steel and stone structure survived the Great Storm of 1900. Now recognized by the American Institute of Architects as one of the nation’s 100 most important buildings and listed as a National Historic Landmark, the ornate limestone and granite Victorian structure features three stories, a basement, steep roofs, elongated chimneys and ornate details. The grand central stairwell, made of mahogany and lined with stained glass windows, is magnificent. Equally impressive are the Victorian-era furnishings and wallpaper.

Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton designed the mansion that was constructed between 1886 and 1892 for entrepreneur-turned-politician Colonel Walter Gresham. In the 1920s, the Catholic Church’s Galveston-Houston Diocese purchased the 7,500 square foot home for $40,500. For many years Bishop Christopher C.E. Byrne resided there, hence the name. In 1963, the diocese opened the structure as a museum, providing tourists and locals alike the opportunity to experience first-hand this Texas palace.