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City of Port Aransas - Facilities

The City of Port Aransas has a number of facilities that used for local events:

• Civic Center 
• Community Center 
• Community Park and Pool 
• City Marina Pavilion 

Visit the City of Port Aransas web site: http://www.cityofportaransas.org/rental_facilities.cfm. Or, call 361-749-4111 for more information.

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Ferry Dock and Ferries - Port Aransas TX

The Port Aransas Ferries were the only access to the island from the time the first ferryboat, Mitzi, was put into service in the mid-1920's by the Texas Highway Department until the Mustang Island Highway (Park Road 53) was built in 1954. The Ferry System had grown to three ferries by 1951 when it was sold to Nueces County, which charged one dollar a car for the ride. In 1968, the State of Texas again assumed control, and the fee was dropped. The present 20 car capacity ferries replaced the old 9 car ferries, and have considerably shortened the wait to get on or off the island.  The first female pilot, Captain Lori Register, was hired in 1999.

Today, technology can help you check out the traffic at the ferry landing. The Texas Department of Transportation provides feeds from live video cams on the City of Port Aransas web site: http://www.cityofportaransas.org/ferrycam.cfm. Or, you can call 361-749-5494 to check the status when you're traveling.

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Mustang Island Beach

Named for the wild horses that escaped from Spanish explorers and roamed free here, the 18 mile long beach is made of sand brought down the many rivers that feed the Gulf of Mexico, then polished round and smooth by the endless action of waves.  In the early 1500's, a Spanish ship wrecked on a sand bar near the pass, and the passengers were captured by the Karankawa Indians who were the first inhabitants of the island.  The Indians vanished in 1860, hunted to extinction by the Spaniards. During the War Between the States, union troops led by Jack Hayes and Zachary Taylor marched this beach in search of enemy soldiers.  Today, visitors from all over the world visit the beach to swim, fish, sunbathe and enjoy the thousands of sea birds that call it home.

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Port Aransas Community Center

Occupancy: 200 persons

Amenities include: Center, stage, kitchen, and rest rooms

Rates:
Rates vary according to the type of event: commercial, private, and non-profit. A deposit of 50% of total balance is due at the time of confirmed reservation. Port Aransas Fire Auxiliary & EMS Auxiliary are exempt.

Visit the City of Port Aransas website at http://www.cityofportaransas.org/rentalfacilities.cfm for more information about renting the Community Center, as well as other city facilities such as the Civic Center, Community Park Pool, and City Marina Pavillion.

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Port Aransas Lydia Ann Lighthouse

Clearly visible from Port Aransas, the Aransas Pass Light Station was authorized in 1851, lighted in 1857 and guided ships through the pass until it was decommissioned in 1954 and sold into private ownership in 1956. The light was re-lit on July 4, 1989 when owner Charles Butt installed a 19th century Fresnel lens, returning it to service after nearly four decades of darkness. The Lydia Ann Lighthouse is privately owned but easily viewed by boat from Lydia Ann Channel.

During the War Between the States, Federal troops blockaded the Pass entrance and attempted to seize the light.  Confederate troops led by Colonel Marmaduke Hobby, then removed the lens, and buried it in the surrounding salt marsh before damaging the tower to render it useless.  After the war, the lens could not be found and remains lost to this day.  The tower was repaired and a new lens installed in 1866 and the light guided ships through the pass until it was finally decommissioned and the lens removed.  That second lens is now on display in the Civic Center foyer.

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Port Aransas Post Office ZIP 78373

1211 State Highway 361
Port Aransas, TX 78373

The Port Aransas Post Office is located just inside Port Aransas a short distance from the ferry landing.

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Port Aransas Public Marina

Jeff Logue, Harbor Master 
361-749-5429 
cityharbor@cityofportaransas.org

Our slips are assigned primarily by reservation. When you arrive at the harbor, check in at the harbor master's office for your slip assignment. Do not put your boat into a slip without a slip assignment.

You can avoid problems by calling 361-749-5429 to make a reservation. Our office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We will be closed from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for lunch. We are open 7 days a week.

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Port Aransas Waterfront

The waterfront has always been the center of activity on the island.  From the first commercial docks in the late 1800's until today, the waterfront has provided a constantly changing pageant of island life.  Businesses have come and gone, some destroyed by hurricanes, some just by the changing of the times, but through it all, fishermen, guides and tourists have met here.  Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt came here to meet local guides, Barney Farley and "Uncle Teddy" Matthews, for a successful day of Tarpon fishing.  Relaxing in one of the dockside restaurants and watching the boats unload their catch of the day is a great way to spend an evening.

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San Jose Island

First inhabited by the Karankawa Indians, then given as a land grant by the conquering Spaniards, San Jose Island was a haven for pirates by the 1830's. In 1834, the remains of a pirate camp were found here with large iron rings implanted in the sand, for tying boats or slaves.  Pirate Jean Lafitte was one of the first residents, and rumors abound of a Spanish dagger with a silver spike through it, guarding his treasure of silver and gold.  Today, the island is privately owned but accessible by a short boat ride out of Fisherman's Wharf for beachcombing and fishing.

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South Jetty and Ship Channel

This natural pass between Mustang and San Jose Islands, one of only three in Texas, was used by Mexican merchants, smugglers and pirates, is a very important highway from the sea.  The pass was always on the move, shifting with each big storm, often choked with sandbars and the scene of many shipwrecks.  To tame and control it, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set out to build jetties and capture the channel.  After four different attempts over a period of nearly sixty years, the existing jetties bounding the Pass were finally completed in the 1930's.  Millions of tons of shipping now come through the Aransas Pass yearly, and thousands of pleasure and sport fishing boats use it as a pathway to the Gulf of Mexico.

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UT Marine Science Institute

UTMSI was founded in 1941 for research into all phases of marine science, but particularly the study of Texas bays and the Gulf of Mexico.  The Visitor's Center is open Monday through Friday, and features many exhibits, including a collection of aquaria with local fish and other sea creatures.  UTMSI hosts over 30 Elderhostel groups during the year.

Official website of the UT Marine Science institute: http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/ 

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