The Historical Foundation is located on Pier 21 and is the home of The Elissa which is a three-masted, iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1877. For a small fee you can view the History Center which includes a computer linked to a database of immigrants who came through Galveston in search of their dreams as well as artifacts and photos of Galveston throughout the years. The ship is open to you as well and you can freely roam the deck and the insides of the great ship while viewing images of the Elissa over the past century and learning a bit about life on a ship. The Elissa is not a replica, she is an authentic survivor of more than a century of duty. The ship is lovenly maintained by volunteers. While visiting the Museum, get a ticket to board the Seagull II and take a tour of the harbor. Also on Pier 21 is the Pier 21 Theater where you can watch "The Great Storm" which covers the hurricane of 1900 that all but destroyed the entire island of Galveston and killed 6,000 of it's residents.