Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum

The Ocean Star Offshore Oil Rig & Museum, located in Galveston, Texas, is a museum dedicated to the offshore oil and gas industry. Located next to the Strand National Historic Landmark District, the museum is housed on a retired jack-up rig set up in the Galveston harbor.

History

The Ocean Star was built in 1969 in Beaumont, Texas by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation (Hull Number 6845) for the Ocean Drilling and Exploration Company (ODECO) fleet. She worked in the Gulf of Mexico throughout the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast and drilled approximately 200 wells during her active life. The museum, sponsored by the Offshore Energy Center (OEC), is a non-profit organization funded through private donations, admissions, and corporate donations. The OEC acquired the Ocean Star and spent 2 years converting her into the museum. The museum opened to the public on April 27, 1997.

Exhibits