Award-Winning Audio Tour and Podcast exhibiting Galveston’s bold history.

Explore the Island. Your way.

For Free.

Galveston Unscripted is a history podcast and a self guided audio tour of Galveston, Texas. 100% Free and built for everyone.

Galveston Unscripted Feature in Coast Monthly Magazine

Use our location-based interactive map or podcast app to explore popular points of interest on Galveston Island.

Galveston Unscripted has some hidden gems & exclusive interviews waiting to be discovered!

The interactive map is best used with your location services turned on!

Either way, you can explore any location, event, and historical information on the map or podcast at your leisure.

An audio guide for each historical location or event can be accessed through this site or on any major podcast platform: FOR FREE. 

We have created this experience to be enjoyed at your convenience and activity preference, whether you are on the island or 1,000 Miles away!

New locations, people of interest, and historical events are added frequently

We are working diligently on research, recording, and editing to provide the most accurate and informative self-guided tour! New audio will be added a few times a week!

Reach out.

We want to hear from you! Please reach out if you wish to have a historic location, an exciting story, or even general fun knowledge added to the audio tour! We welcome any fun or exciting content!

If you have any questions or would like to inquire about an in-person tour, please email Galvestonunscripted@gmail.com.

Are you enjoying the tour? Please rate and review or subscribe anywhere the podcast is available!

Find Galveston Unscripted on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher.

How it works

Meet the host!

  • J.R. Shaw

    Creator & Host

I'm J.R., a podcast host, entrepreneur, and speaker. I'm also a history nerd who has trouble sitting still. 

I began podcasting after I realized how much I love talking to people about their stories—and how much of our history is lost when we don't have the opportunity to hear from those who have a story to tell. My podcast, Galveston Unscripted, focuses on interviewing people interested in Texas and Galveston History and getting them to share how history has shaped their life experiences with listeners. The podcast can also be used as an audio tour of Galveston Island and has been featured in Coast Monthly Magazine. Galveston Unscripted has received over 600,000 downloads worldwide since its launch in 2021.

I got my start as an extrovert—I grew up along the Texas Gulf Coast, where I learned to talk with anyone about just about anything! I graduated from Texas A&M University - Galveston with a degree in Maritime Administration and a minor in economics. I learned through a decade in the Maritime industry that I am more interested in people and social dynamics than shipping.

I wanted to talk directly with people and learn their stories firsthand! That's why I decided to start my own podcast: so that I could help others connect with each other and provide historical education by sharing their stories.

My mission is simple: To push the envelope to highlight history by creating space for everyone's voice to tell the full story.