Kemah Boardwalk

This amusement park is beautifully designed and located right by the sea, which gives it a unique and relaxing atmosphere. The whole park has a strong Spanish character, which adds to its charm and authenticity. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, offering a variety of food options — and many with great views. The rides and attractions are a lot of fun, well-maintained, and offer something for all ages. Whether you’re into adrenaline-pumping roller coasters or more relaxed experiences, there’s something here for everyone. Prices are relatively affordable, especially considering the quality and variety the park offers. All in all, a fantastic day out — fun, scenic, and very Spanish in the best way!

Great place to spend time with kids 👍😃 Everything is clean and well-maintained. Not too many rides — just enough to have fun without feeling overwhelmed. No long lines on a weekday in March. We loved the train ride, and being right by the sea makes it even better — the ocean breeze is amazing :)

We have been here before several years ago. We went again mainly to ride the beast. That was an awesome boat ride. The captain and his mates were clear of. Safety and what was about to happen. The music is fun the ride starts slow then picks up speed. You don't get wet you get soaked. Spring for the rain cover when buying tickets. If you don't want to get wet.

This is one of my favorite places? specially when we have family visiting. We love walk in there, the area in general is very attractive. The facilities are pretty good and clean. People in many businesses are friendly. I like the fact, parking is covered and fairly priced for a full day. Strongly suggest to get the wooden roller-coaster, it is fast, fun and noissy just for 8 bucks.

I visited this place for the 4th of July. It was an unforgettable experience. My family and friends in the Philippines enjoyed the light show. It was beautiful. There were a lot of people that day, but they also had a lot of security, which made it possible to enjoy the night with confidence in a safe place. I loved it. My son enjoyed this place and they will love to return.

I visited Kemah Boardwalk with my family and it exceeded all our expectations. The place perfectly combines exciting attractions, excellent food and a beautiful view of the bay. The Boardwalk Bullet roller coaster was incredibly fun, and the Boardwalk Beast speedboat ride gave us a unique dose of adrenaline. We also enjoyed walking on the boardwalk, feeding manta rays at the Stingray Reef and watching live music at sunset. The restaurants have a very good atmosphere, especially if you like to eat with a view of the water. The whole park is clean, well organized and with friendly staff. We will definitely be back! It is an excellent option to spend the day near Houston without having to get to the beach.

This is a wonderful amusement park! Our whole family had a great time here — there are rides and attractions for both big kids and little ones. Everything was clean, well-organized, and so much fun. Highly recommend visiting!

Came here on a Monday afternoon and it was fun! Not many people so there was hardly any wait. We loved the roller coaster, wheel of fire and Pharoah ride! Vanilla Ice cream cone at the funnel cake shop is delicious. Two of the rides were under maintaince which was slightly disappointing…overall it was a fun experience

It's a nice boardwalk with stores, restaurants and rides with an inexpensive ride wristband. It was nicer than I even expected it to be. There's a boat ride available for $25 which is pretty wild and fun! The shopping area has a big courtyard with a stage for live performances. You can really spend all day here. The only downside is that there aren't a whole lot of ride options which means, getting on rides takes very long. It's normal to wait 30-45 mins to ride anything.

Boardwalks are always some of my favorite places to visit and this is one of the awesome ones out there as it has something for all ages! This one in particular has some really fun attractions like Boardwalk Bullet Roller Coaster and numerous flat rides as well as a train ride that goes around the area making for not only a fun ride but a sightseeing experience too! They also have a good number of chain restaurants here so if you wanna get some food you'll be good but I'd personally prefer to go to a local spot. Overall the star here really is the Boardwalk Bullet Roller Coaster as it's super fun and makes for an awesome experience from start to finish so do yourself a favor and ride it!

Kemah Boardwalk is exactly what you would expect when you picture a boardwalk: A collection of carnival rides, amusement park food and chain restaurants with a view of Galveston Bay. Pros: As opposed to Galveston Pleasure Pier, Kemah Boardwalk does not charge admission. The area is beautifully laid out and very clean. Rides looked well maintained and the kids' rides had some interesting fun details, like the indoor western town on the train. Plenty of benches along the water. This would be a fun place to take kids and teenagers. There is a large speedboat ride called the Boardwalk Beast, which costs a separate fee but was very fun, especially if you have never experienced a speed boat ride. You will get wet! Cons: Parking and restrooms !!!! As you arrive, there is a traffic bottleneck as you enter the area from the highway. We were directed into a lot, just following a long row of cars and as we entered the lot, the attendant informed us that there was a flat daily rate. We were only planning to stay for an hour, but couldn't back out at that point, with other cars right behind us. The rate was also considerably higher than what I saw when looking online (maybe because it was the weekend?) Payment could only be done on the phone, with more fees added and I saw several visitors staring at their phone in front of the signs, confused about the procedure. I think it's a fair price if you stay all day, but wish there was hourly rate parking available for those who don't. Naturally park food and rides are not cheap, but well in line with other amusement parks and tourist spots, so that was expected. The boardwalk needs MORE bathrooms. Outside of restrooms we only found one small bathroom underneath the shopping area, with long lines on a cool spring day.

The Kemah boardwalk was a pleasant surprise. I went there on the spur of the moment a couple of days ago. I can honestly say it wasn't your normal boardwalk which was very nice to see something different. Before I even got to the boardwalk, so many attractions, stores, and restaurants caught my attention, and I spent the better part of my time roaming in and out of the businesses. I eventually made my way down to the boardwalk but stopped first at Starbucks, which had a very beachy feel, keeping with the theme. I also checked out the price for a day pass, and it was only 28 dollars. If you don't get the pass the rides are 7 dollars each. So the pass is the better option for people with chikdren. Also, for a small fee there's a fun boat ride, and a train that's takes you around the park.

Nice Boardwalk with Multiple Activities for the Entire Family!!! The boardwalk is pretty large with plenty of shops, food, and roller coaster rides. They sell an all day pass for the rides that is $22.99 for adults and $18.99 for children. The rides lines can get pretty long especially the Boardwalk Bullet (wooden ride) we couldn't ride it because the wait for around 2 hours+. Highly recommend getting there early enough to ride all the rides. Lots of food choices like carnival snacks and actual restaurants. Highly recommend to anyone! ^.^ Great for families and kiddos!

Kemah boardwalk has been the same since visiting years ago really nothing has changed much few things added, only thing good is the dining I enjoy and don't mind there are some good restaurants in the area. I wouldn't bother coming on special holidays or when school is out and like anywhere else this place is a mad house for the amount of money you spend on tickets for rides the time waiting is not worth it. I spent about couple hundred bucks on rides and the times spent waiting to get on we're about 40-60 minute wait for rides that last about minute trill, I'd say plan to be there all day wear your comfortable shoes. There will be a lot of standing and walking back and forth, the area not to big so keep in mind it's a mad house. the best time to go is at dusk when everything starts lighting up the boardwalk. There are gift shops but they only carry very little product like bubble machine wounds for the kids go for 20$-30$ not worth it as they break or don't work, They don't sell magnets, snow globes, keychains or anything with the name kemah broad walk on it which is a bummer wish they had souvenirs which they lack of should have for visitors/tourists. i recommend this place if you want some good dining, some trills, and you can also stay near the boardwalk as they have hotels/motels you can stay in. only thing i don't like is the waiting times for the rides and the parking is horrendous. you just need to know when its a good time to go.

As a whole it's pretty decent. I personally wouldn't recommend the restaurants unless you just want to go full package. (Like the "when in Rome" attitude) but there ARE other places to eat that look and smell amazing OFF the boardwalk. A few things to consider that's already been mentioned, they def do not like to change up the place. We use to make a day of it during the summer but now we go for my youngest's birthday in Jan. We started this ritual in 2022. We did it 2 days ago... same stuff, different day. They slap a few winter lights here and there but it's def same ole same ole. I even want to say the same Boardwalk Tower ride that was one last year was out in 2022(?) In the summer same, just packed depending in when you go. Your best bet very early or very late in summer. In Jan, on New Year's Day? Pfft, doesn't matter people are less likely to brave the cold. So you're good, less of a crowd. We had a less than decent experience with the Build A Bear kiosk in "Kemah Outfitters" but that's another story. Just know that they wrong for that & should tell people before they check out that their printer isn't working. "It'S bEeN oUt FoR a WhiLe." Other than that guy, each staff member we came across was kind, professional and engaging. They *made* the visit more memorable & forget about the lousy store clerk. Nice little get away or to bring out-of-town family. We usual go to the Aquarium when we go to eat but we just wasn't feeling it... ate dinner off the boardwalk. Starts with a 'T' & they're known for their burgers/ onions rings- enough said. No

One time when we went it was so fun on the faris wheel and sky needle train and I even got a free chipmunk and flower

I have come here many times , but this time has been one of the worse ones, everything is expensive many rides were not open @ 5 of them, is was not worth my money at all I pay almost 100 for 3 tickets passes and not even all the rides were open, I think they should say something about it before you but your day pass!!!!

Other than the queen band everything sounds really bad. And I've seen many of the other bands sound good elsewhere so it's not the bands.

We have been to Kemah before but for the first time we tried their new year carnival. Online it said that the park was open only until 9 pm on 31st, so the plan was to be home by 12 to cheer the new year 2024. It was a smooth drive till about 6 miles from the Broadwalk and then everything got locked. We drove at lesser than snail's pace to find a parking spot and kept circling around for the next one hour - every spot was taken, or so we thought... we did not even venture to the parking right opposite to the entrance, I mean come-on, what are the chances that is available- but, actually, it was. It is on the more expensive side, but there were atleast 10 spots free and the entrance was from further away so it was kind of not easy to get in. We finally made it to the entrance and it was such a cheerful ambiance. A juggler juggling with fire!, Dipping dots, soap bubbles making the Christmas tree look magical, food stalls, games and so much more. We were just in time for the fireworks. We didn't get the best place to watch them as it was really crowded but managed a decent waterfront view. It was great. After that we got into the last of the zip lining queue and the line was so long we reached our turn at about 10 pm. It was 2 seater, really small one line, but it was really thrilling as I am among those who cringes at the sight of those roller coasters --lol All done, we headed home and again the traffic was bad to get out ( it IS 31 Dec!) We reached exactly 5 min before midnight. Champagne glasses in hand we cheered to great beginnings in the new year.

Really nice and lively place for groups and families of all sizes! Lots of different booth, resturants, shops, and activities like an arcade and aquarium. There's something for everyone! It's also close to the water for elegant views. Parking is plenty in the nearyby lots, but there is a price. There is free parking a couple more blocks down too!

Located just 20 miles from downtown Houston, the Kemah Boardwalk is home to waterfront restaurants, amusements, retail stores, festivals, and shows every day. The Kemah Boardwalk is open daily and offers fun for everyone. Though I feel like you can experience Kemah Boardwalk in one day, there is a hotel, Boardwalk Inn if you want to stay and take your time. Our family in Houston took us to Kemah for the day. The boardwalk was very busy. There was traffic in and out. Come to find that there was a wine festival being held at the boardwalk. Though we didn't join the party, it looked like a fun time. We ate lunch at Landry's then walked around for a bit. My teenage son played games and went on rides. We had a great visit and would recommend checking it out if you're looking for something to do near Houston!

I love this place! I've been here a few times now, and I still enjoy it every time we come. We don't live close enough to get the season pass, but it is worth it to get the all day pass because it was like 6 rides and you get your money's worth or something like that. I come with my young children and we love the rides that they have like the merry-go-round, the ferris wheel and a few of the other ones. The train is really fun too, as is the one that goes straight up and gives a view overlooking the city. I haven't gone on the scary type rides because I only go with my kids so I can't comment on that. We have come before during a school break and I would not recommend it because it is way too crowded-- I would rather just come during a school day, and have shorter lines for the rides so that we can enjoy it more. Definitely recommend!

Kemah boardwalk is very cute and the Boardwalk Bullet is wild. I was not expecting that roller coaster to be as fast as it was. I highly enjoyed it but first time riding I was just shocked at the speed of it. However after the roller coaster there isn't really much else to do. It's not very expensive but I'm not sure if the price fully supports the quantity and quality of the other rides present.

Needed to get away for the day so hubby and I took a day trip to Kemah Boardwalk. It was very relaxing watching the boats sail by. We ate at a chain restaurant but will try something local before we get here next time. It is a fun place for small kids. It was relaxing watching them ride the rides. Overall it was just what we needed to get away. Next time we will take a cruise on one of the boats.

We haven't been here in years and we were surprised at how much it has grown. We stayed at the Boardwalk Inn which was a splurge for us but well worth it. The Inn was immaculate and we loved being able to walk to all the restaurants and attractions. We also loved sitting on our balcony and watching the entertainer and the sunrise. Truly amazing!

What a cool area to spend the day with family and friends. Tons of restaurants, games, rides, and views.

Love the live music at the boardwalk. Such a great time to be had. Plenty of things to do with plenty of places to eat and enjoy a great meal. I recommend coming to listen to the band and relax having a great time.

ok it was boring for me bc i didn't go any rides or order at the restaurants. i kinda just walked around. the rides had average lines during the day and theres a train u have to watch out for, there are roller coasters. my walk around was nice bc there r pretty views, the drive there from houston was nice and not to far.

NOTE: I am writing this review from the perspective of a senior citizen with a husband in a wheelchair. If this were not the case, the rating would have been a five. My husband enjoys going on rides and eating out, so Sunday, I loaded him in the car, along with his wheelchair and our dog Oreo. We headed north with the intention of going to the KEMA Boardwalk. Since it is off-season, we thought this would be a good time to check it out. I was brought up on the Atlantic Ocean, and one of my favorite things to do was go to Rehoboth Beach and walk the boards and eat Dolly's Popcorn. I was hoping to recreate the experience. Well, that did not happen. There was no Dolly's popcorn! But it was a beautiful day and we had a good time. I wheeled him around and found a restaurant without stairs that we could eat in. Can't remember the name of it, but the food was OK. Nothing spectacular. Then we went to SWEET SCOOPS over by the Aquarium. That place was awesome! We had a peanut butter milkshake. I would drive back to KEMA just for the shake! The only reason I gave this place 4 stars instead of 5 is because it was very hard to push the wheelchair around and not very many places had ramps for us to go into. I had to leave my husband and go up stairs to get to the ice cream shop. Since he has Alzheimers, it makes me nervous to leave him. But we did ok. I discovered too late that dogs weren't permitted, but no-one chased us off. Oreo rode on Bill's lap the whole time, so she didn't pose a danger to anyone. Next time I would leave her home. There is NO GRASS! I finally found some in the parking lot - whew! We did enjoy the day and I would definitely go back, but not with the wheelchair. Next time, I'll go with a friend and see what else there is to see.

4.5 I went to the Kemah Boardwalk with my family. We ate dinner at Saltgrass Steak House and then decided to walk the boardwalk. It's nice to walk around in the evening by the water. It is hot but the ocean breeze helps. There are different rides but they are roller coasters. So mostly for teens and adults. They do have a train that families can ride, some carnival type of games and several claw machines with various items. Everything does cost money though. You have to pay for parking but If you get lucky you might find a spot that's free. There is parking across the street in a lot and there is also a garage. We parked in the lot but sometimes it's really busy and you might have to park in the garage. My family and I experienced the train when my kids were younger and we enjoyed it. It's not a very long ride but it goes around the boardwalk. I really enjoy walking around and looking at the water and the boats.

I went here on my birthday party with my friends and it was so fun except for one ride the pharaoh thing (oh so scary) and we went down and we were almost levitati (oh no!!) ... sorry we almost levitated but still fun

I was on a roadtrip with my family from Louisiana to Texas. All the rides were fun, the kids and cousins having fun and the adults chilling. We went to get food and that one blond girl Jerrica was so mean! I'm surprised all of the staff were nice except Jerrica. This woman should be fired!!!

Ride wait times are far too long for the relatively short lines. Having one person run each ride isn't efficient. It takes about 10 min between each 2 mins Aviator ride with one person loading, unloading and doing the safety check.

My review is based on the hotel parking. Lifelong Houstonian, so I've been to Kemah many times but last night, (Sunday, Tejano night) was the 1st time I parked in the parking garage. Let me say, if you don't want to lose your sanity or get into a fight- DO NOT PARK IN THE PARKING GARAGE!!!!!! $15-$20 to park in the most poorly conceived and designed parking garage I've ever been in! It's a hassle getting in or out since it's so narrow & there's only 1 lane of traffic. God forbid you're stuck behind someone who's waiting on a spot that has a family of 10 trying load their car, you can't even go around! Then exiting at the end of an event is a TOTAL NIGHTMARE!!! With everyone trying to get out of their spaces, they're cutting into this long a$$ line, as well as the cars from the other floors that are trying to merge into this one stupid line, you're only moving inches every 15 mins. The kicker is that you have to prepay and once you do, you have 15 mins to get out. Well it took us almost 40 mins to get to the exit!! I was frustrated & furious my exit time had expired and was not about to pay another $15 for parking. Thank goodness there was an attendant standing at the gate who was helping facilitate and said my ticket was still valid. I can't imagine how much longer it would have taken if he wasn't there. This garage needs to be demolished and rebuilt to accommodate the large amount of visitors Kemah Boardwalk expects. Until then, I recommend parking 10 blocks down if you have to and walking in the scorching sun. It's your best option.

In love with Kemah Boardwalk! The boardwalk is such an amazing experience. I try to visit when I'm in Houston. Takes about 15 minutes one way to get out there from downtown. Completely worth it. Very fun. Lots of shops and excellent restaurants. Parking is easy, getting onto the boardwalk is easy. The place is full of holiday spirit during Christmas time. Perfect place to bring the family or a date. Great experience! Very low key, lovely experience. A definite "to do" if you've never been.

Cute little area. One side is rides and the other side has shopping, play ground, and little splash pad. On the ride side- veryyyy slow lines. The wristband is better price/value but it took us forever to get through the lines. The Ferris wheel and the train rides and the double decker carousel were our favorite ones. The bathrooms are horribly dirty and not air conditioned at the time. There's also only 2 locations - not ideal for how many peiepel there were. Probably wont come to this one again, maybe will try the Galveston one next time.

What a cute little area to hang out. There are some free parking spots and a parking garage. It's 10$ plus tax You can buy wristbands for all the rides kids under 48"pay 19.99$ and above it's 24.99$ They have a big roller coaster and couple other thrill rides but also little rides for the little ones. They also have a big dance area with music playing. We have even seen ppl dancing with hula hoops. On the second floor they have small shops and a little indoor arcade. For us visiting Kemah it was fun to stop by and see what's out there. If your kids like rides and want to spend your afternoon with something fun. It's a great place to stop by and then grab something to eat at the pier.

Great place to bring your out of town tourists or just to hang out. Decent options of rides for big kids and adults. Limited rides for little kids, however lot of other things to do for them including seasonal water fountain, a play area, carnival games etc. There is no entry fee, you just need to pay for the rides separately. Its even great for just going out and leisurely walking along the boardwalk and seat by to enjoy the live concerts or performances. There are some options to eat and drink throughout from dine in to food stands. Additionally, boat rides, yacht and cruise rides are available as well. This is a place where you can just leave your wallet in purse or spend as much as you like. Plenty of parking lots including paid open lot and paid garage. Not sure but to my knowledge, open parking lot accepts cash only while garage parking accepts card only. Nice short escape from the city.

Bad idea to come on a rainy, hot, humid day, but none the less still had a fun time with my family. Probably best to come in the evenings during the summer, I'll probably do that next time I'm in the area. We bought all day ride passes which is useful if you're going to ride all the rides more than once. They offer a military discount as well. Love being along the water. We had lunch at Bubba Gumps and got there right when it opened up. We beat the crowd there so no long waits. There is lots of parking in the surrounding area, we paid $10 to park in the parking garage.

November 20, 2021 Family came in from Beaumont to meet me for a pre BD celebration at Crazy Alan's Swamp Shack (meh, go somewhere else to eat) soo, to walk off the mediocre food we had and all the BD cake...we walked to the boardwalk. Most of us in the group have been here before (I live in Galveston) but, my parents never have. They enjoyed this beautiful Saturday afternoon albeit windy, it was neat seeing all the boats. Enjoyable outing!

Super clean and super safe They do a hour probably on safety check before it opens Before the ride begins they do checks I saw them cleaning all morning Everyone is so nice The workers are pleasant Great day

The boardwalk is very nice with a nice staff. Would be rated higher but the park took down the drop tower, and the wooden rollercoaster is closed and has been closed for months. Other than that it's very nice, clean, and would recommend.

Several rides were down but no discount was offered but we had a good time nonetheless. Plenty of nice places to eat. Place was clean and employees were friendly.

Kemah Boardwalk was so much fun. It wasn't busy there the day we went. It was peaceful and relaxing.

This place is fun to visit and see, but it can often be super crowded. We went on a morning, and it was great. Place was basically empty and it was nice to see the ocean and enjoy the place. I like the little shops and it's a cool tourist spot. I will say, that I really think it is lacking when it comes to food. I can't say that I'd recommend any of the restaurants there. I think this place would be really awesome if they fixed that part of it. With some better restaurants, this place would be improved a lot.

Love Rock the Dock between May and August!! Great cover bands on Thursday nights, 7:30 - 10:30 PM!!

Lovely stroll and I couldn't have asked who to stroll with better than with my fiancé! No people here when on a weekday afternoon! It was a bit windy and cloudy. Nice pier with the fun carnival and souvenirs going on here. A lot of parking and pleasant just to simply drop a visit and peruse through.

Excellent place to visit if you only have a few hours. The lines to all the rides and rollercoasters are short, and all of them are fun. Good place for kids too. For parking, there is a paid indoor parking for 12 bucks which is the best option - avoid all the traffic to the outdoor parking. This attraction is also included in the Houston citypass, which is recommended if you're visiting Houston. Entering is free but if you want to do the rides, you need to pay either per ride, buy the ticket, or buy the city pass; not too expensive either. Overall a must see place.

+This is a fun spot to people watch and chill out and stroll on the boardwalk with scenic views of the water and to enjoy the passing boaters. +A couple of fun rides' -Weekends are waaaaaay too busy. Long, long, long lines to turn into the area. Long, long, long lines waiting to get to a parking spot. 3 hour wait at some restaurants. Long, long, long lines waiting for the rides.

We were at Kemah Boardwalk this past weekend 11/5/2023 and rode the ride Hypospin. Is anyone aware that the latch DOES NOT LOCK on this ride. The guy ignored my gesture to get off when my husband said this doesn't lock as it started to move. I even waved to the attendant so that I could exit pointing to the latch he actually looked at me and ignored the gesture. I immediately had anxiety. This is not ok. The attendant and manager that was called over looked at my husband and I and said THEY ALREADY KNOW IT DOES THIS & the manager had a smirk on her face. This is NOT OK. We went here for the experience not to be devastated as a result. I literally had a panic attack and I was so hysterical after, I kept asking why in such disbelief. Needless to say Tuesday was when I actually slept through the night. This is not ok. What about all those small children that ride.

Kemah boardwalk is awesome! Definitely get the wristband ($25.99) so you can enjoy all the rides. The boardwalk bullet and drop zone rides are TOP TIER! Really fun but will have your stomach falling out of your ass! Make sure you have some cash for the carnival style games. There is a short but awesome seated zip line, a boardwalk beast speedboat ride, and a slower paced boat ride that can be purchased as well. This really is a place you can spend a whole weekend at! The food is on the expensive side as most amusement parks. I do not recommend the food in the park but do recommend Bubba Gump or Saltgrass. I also seen several people enjoying their own foods. Parking starts at $9. There are beers, frozen drinks, and wine available for purchase starting at I believe $9.50.

This place is awesome! You can get a pass for the whole day for $24.99 for 48" and up to $18.99 is the price for 48" and under. For all the rides except iron eagle and a few others. The view of the gulf of Mexico is beautiful. Also, they are sanitizing all the rides and being very cautious. I would recommend coming here as soon as it opens to spend the whole day.

We had fun but too many rides were closed or closed early. Really did not get much value out of our all day, 3PM to 9PM, ride pass. But still the rides that were open were fun and so we don't regret going there just wish we could have ridden the roller coaster again. That was a really good ride.

Great place to take the kids and explore. Lots of activities and get to see lots of water everywhere.

I great place for family. Lots of rids for people of all thrill levels. Best for people who will get the day pass and can handle some lines.

Lots to do here. Buy the all day pass for the rides so you are able to get your money's worth. Plenty of restaurants to choose from as well as stores and a boardwalk to meander on. Seating inside and out gives plenty of great views and people watching. Favorite restaurant Landry's, favorite ride that old school awesome wooden coaster!

This is a nice area for a sunny-day outing. Lots of restaurants, shops, rides (pay to play), and things to see. Given that it is along the coast, lots of opportunities for bird watching (hey pelicans!) and dolphin spotting. Most of the food options falls within the "chain" space, but they are nice and set the vibe for the boardwalk area. They have a large parking lot but it can get quite busy on a nice day, so arrive early.