Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The front of the museum in present day.
The Railway Museum (Spoorwegmuseum)
Detail of the church’s right aisle
The Mosaic of Andreina
The older engine.
Dalat Railway Station
The exterior of STRAAT.
STRAAT
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
about 2 hours ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
1 day ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
1 day ago
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Texas Texas City Texas City Memorial

Texas City Memorial

This memorial marks the devastating day that Texas City was destroyed in a daisy chain of exploding ships.

Texas City, Texas

Added By
AF
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Parking lot 1/4 of a mile away from the explosion   University of Houston Libraries on Wikipedia
Parking lot 1/4 of a mile away from the explosion   University of Houston Libraries on Wikipedia
The SS Wilson B. Keene, destroyed in the disaster’s second explosion   University of Houston Libraries on Wikipedia
A demolished five-story rubber factory   University of Houston Libraries on Wikipedia
Firefighters Memorial in Texas City   Provines on Wikimedia
One of Grandcamp’s anchors in Texas City Memorial Park   Provines on Wikimedia
Texas City Memorial  
Texas City Memorial Fountain  
Texas City Memorial  
View of the park and graves to the right   Thewanderingmeatball / Atlas Obscura User
View of part of the park   Thewanderingmeatball / Atlas Obscura User
Anchor  
Grief  
Information Booth at Texas City Memorial  
Texas City Memorial  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It was April 16th, 1947, and a crowd had gathered along the shore to watch a fire onboard the SS Grandcamp.

Fires on ships weren't that unusual in the port of Texas City. Thick with refineries and warehouses, there were always little hotspots popping up, and like many times before, people saw the dense, colorful smoke and wandered down to watch the firemen work. This curiosity would seal their fate as victims of the worst industrial accident in U.S. history.

That unusual smoke that drew the ill-fated audience was caused by the ship's cargo, 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate. It was becoming quite a spectacle as the entire Texas City Fire Department battled the blaze, which seemed to be boiling the water around the ship and sending billows of steam into the air. People peered across the docks, watching the strange, yellowish smoke pour into the sky from what seemed like a perfectly safe vantage point. What happened next was a catastrophic explosion beyond comprehension, forcing planes out of the sky and the people of Galvaston, 10 miles away, down to their knees. 

First, the ammonium nitrate detonated, and the SS Grandcamp, which was also carrying small arms ammunition and large bales of twine as cargo, was completely obliterated, sending molten steel and flaming twine flying in all directions, leveling close to 1,000 structures, and sending a 15-foot wave crashing over the wharf. The Monsanto Chemical Company plant was completely destroyed, and its fires ignited several more, spreading from refineries to chemical tanks. The blast sent shrapnel into the air, shearing off the wings of two small planes, and the anchor of the Grandcamp flew deep into the city, creating a 10-foot crater when it landed.

They say that the initial blast killed 581 people: everyone on the docks and onboard the Grandcamp, including 27 of Texas City's 28 firemen, died almost instantaneously. While no city could have possibly been prepared for such a catastrophic explosion, Texas City was at even more of a disadvantage: not only was its entire fire department obliterated, but its phone operators just happened to be on strike. Despite the operators rushing back to work as soon as they could, precious time was lost in regard to calling in fire fighters and resources from outside of the city.

A good 15 hours into the chaos, another ship that had been on fire for hours finally blew. The High Flyer was carrying ammonium nitrate and sulfur and was docked near a warehouse full of fertilizer. When she finally exploded, her shrapnel demolished the nearby SS Wilson B. Keene. A propeller from the High Flyer traveled almost a mile inland. The fires burned for weeks, the damage was overwhelming - 500 homes destroyed, 5,000 injured, 2,000 homeless, 405 identified bodies, 63 never identified, and untold numbers unrecovered. The official death toll was 581, but it's thought to be much higher than that--hundreds more, in fact, taking into account travelers, seamen, and undocumented workers who had no one to report them missing. 

A disaster this size is deserving of a considerable memorial, and while many disasters warrant a plaque or a statue, the Texas City explosion has its own park. Places of reflection include the propeller from the High Flyer and the anchor from the SS Grandcamp, as well as the burial place of remains that were never identified. The firemen have their own angel statue in the center of a fountain . The cause of the fire was never officially determined, but there is a rumor that the culprit was a single, carelessly discarded cigarette.

Related Tags

Memorials Disaster Areas Disasters Industrial Death Memento Mori Mass Graves Ships

Know Before You Go

From Houston, the memorial park can easily be reached by taking Interstate 45 South to FM 1764. FM1764/Lowry Expressway is the main road through Texas City, and the park can be reached by making a left at 29th Street. From Bayview, you may reach the park directly by taking 146 Southbound to the 197 Loop/25th Avenue. The memorial park closes at 7pm.

Community Contributors

Added By

AF

Edited By

Rachel, sstrat5, erjeffery, Isilven...

  • Rachel
  • sstrat5
  • erjeffery
  • Isilven
  • Thewanderingmeatball
  • WalesCoastWalkr22
  • xcitingxcursions

Published

November 18, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/texas-city-explodes
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC32eW-Xh-k
  • http://www.history.com/topics/us-states/texas/videos/texas-city-explosion-kills-nearly-600
  • http://www.texascity-library.org/disaster/memorial.php
Texas City Memorial
2900 25th Avenue North
Texas City, Texas, 77590
United States
29.408063, -94.937405
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Texas City Museum

Texas City, Texas

miles away

S. S. Selma

Galveston, Texas

miles away

Th_Prsrv

Kemah, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Texas City

Texas City

Texas

Places 2

Nearby Places

Texas City Museum

Texas City, Texas

miles away

S. S. Selma

Galveston, Texas

miles away

Th_Prsrv

Kemah, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Texas City

Texas City

Texas

Places 2

Related Places

  • Asbury Park, New Jersey

    SS Morro Castle Monument

    Memorial to the 137 lives lost on a ship fire, the whole hulk of which washed up on the Asbury Park shore.

  • The memorial.

    Hanover, Germany

    The Victims of Fritz Haarmann Memorial

    The mass grave of the 27 victims of the "Vampire of Hanover."

  •  The breach in the dam wall.

    Dolgarrog, Wales

    Remains of the Dolgarrog Dam Disaster

    The worst flood disaster in Welsh history might have been a lot worse if it had not happened on movie night.

  • Tributes on the memorial next to the stadium.

    Sheffield, England

    Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Memorials

    Three memorials honor the victims of the worst sports stadium disaster in Britain.

  • The entrance to Couch Place today.

    Chicago, Illinois

    Couch Place (The Alley of Death)

    This alley in downtown Chicago held the bodies of over 600 people after the fateful Iroquois Theatre fire.

  • Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial.

    Whitesville, West Virginia

    Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial

    A memorial in coal country commemorates the victims of an all-too-preventable mining disaster.

  • The phone of the wind.

    Otsuchi, Japan

    Wind Telephone

    A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.

  • Washington’s Titanic Memorial

    Washington, D.C.

    Titanic Memorial

    This lonely waterfront memorial to the men of the Titanic was erected by the "Women of America."

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.