Galveston County, Texas, located southeast of Houston, is a county of about 255,000 citizens. The County is approximately 33 miles north-south and 52 miles east-west and includes approximately 908 square miles of land.

Galveston County is one of 254 county governments in the state of Texas. Galveston is the largest city in the county and home of the largest employer in the County, the University of Texas Medical Branch. The County Seat is also located in the City of Galveston. The northern areas of the Galveston County, in particular League City and Friendswood, are the fastest growing due to their proximity to Houston and NASA's Johnson Space Center. Other incorporated cities in Galveston County include Texas City, La Marque, Santa Fe, Hitchcock, Dickinson and Kemah. Unincorporated areas in the County consist of the Bayshore-Bacliff-San Leon community and Bolivar Peninsula.

In 1998, Galveston County Commissioners Court adopted the Galveston County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. Since then, the Parks Department has aggressively implemented projects outlined in the 1998 Master Plan. In the fall of 2002, the Commissioners Court voted to place the Senior Citizens Programs under the jurisdiction of the Galveston County Department of Parks & Cultural Services.

In 2012, the Commissioners Court adopted a new master plan and in 2017, they voted to update to include more projects for the parks and senior centers.  In 2014, Commissioners Court also voted to include the County Museum under the jurisdiction of the Parks Department, changing the name from Parks & Seniors Services, to Parks and Cultural Services.