Moody Gardens

Fun for the family! We enjoyed the aquarium, free form rain forest exhibit and 4D Ice Age movie. Our kids were 8, 10, and 12. Seals and penguins were cute at the aquarium. More of a standard exhibit where you look in my and and follow a path… Got to see them feed some leopard sharks… Laid back and pretty cool. Rain forest exhibit was a little more updated. 2 monkeys hop around in the trees around the walk path. It’s more of an open exhibit where the animals are not all caged in. Parrots, turtles, fish in a natural type environment. We ate at the restaurant there and it was pretty good. Decent price for kids buffet. We also watched the Ice Age movie… It was a little short — maybe ¹⁵⁄₂₀ minutes? We saw the river otter feeding and it was informational and cute. We spent about 4 hours there… A little pricy, but was better than I expected and I thought it was worth it. So did my kids!

Pricey pricey pricey but, to be honest, you get what you pay for. I especially enjoyed the the lighted vanity and portable vanity mirror. The amenities are perfect. The décor is tasteful and not dated. The staff is friendly and obliging, and the beach and outdoor space was excellent.

This post is regarding Robert Ryan of the Moody Gardens security detail. I left a thousand dollars worth of electronics and priceless work docs on the side of my truck and drove off, very stupid. Thankfully, Mr. Ryan found it, called me and returned it to me. Thank you very much Mr. Ryan for being honest and thoughtful in a world where that is becoming more and more infrequent! And thank you Moody Gardens for hiring good folks to take care of your customers. We will definitely be returning and Moody Gardens will forever be our hotel of choice on the island!

Our trip to Galveston was unexpectedly extended for an extra day, due to flooding in Houston and our cancelled flight. We didn’t want to take chances driving too far out of Galveston but needed a fun rainy day activity, so we decided to head to Moody Gardens.
There are a lot of options for what type of ticket to buy, and the cashier seemed fully exasperated with having to answer our questions. But we got past that and decided to visit the rainforest pyramid, and to see both a 3D and 4D movie. I’m sure the aquarium is cool, but I feel like once you’ve seen one aquarium, they’re all basically the same. The rainforest pyramid was amazing! There were animals roaming freely and also a butterfly area. My favorite was the river otter, once he finally made an appearance.
The 4D movie (Ice Age) was a little short given the price, I wouldn’t do it again. But the 3D movie on National Parks was amazing. Definitely see that one if you get a chance.
Most of the concessions were closed, not sure if it was due to weather or just if Mondays in April are not a busy time for them. But luckily we had eaten lunch before we arrived, so we didn’t really need anything, and the gift shop was open. Overall, it was a really fun way to spend an afternoon and make the best of our unexpected extra time in Galveston.

Visited Palm Beach today with my husband and two children for some Memorial Day fun. A little over priced considering an attraction was closed, but for the most part, well kept and relaxing. Not much to do for children under 6 (48 inches) except lazy river, splash pad, and wave pool. Not worth going back for the price, but def worth trying once. The other downfall, not being able to bring a cooler or food (can bring bottled water) so your left to either buy a $ 9 hot dog (cheapest item on menu) or leave to go get food. All in all, nice place for families with smaller children.

We visited Moody Gardens on Friday, May 27, 2016. The day pass was $ 60($ 59.95) This was to get to the aquarium, movies, rain forest, boat ride, Wings of wonder bird show and museum. We waited in line for 35 minutes before we could even purchase the ticket/​day pass. There were only two cashiers handling the front desk and there were multiple groups of schoolchildren being processed into the venue. The boat ride, wings of wonder bird show and museum were down due to high winds and other reasons. (This information was not imparted to us while we were buying our pass. We only found out about it as we attempted to go to each event.) So we got to see a movie, the aquarium and the rain forest. While we enjoyed the rain forest, aquarium and movie very much it was disappointing to miss out on the boat ride, Museum and wings of wonder. Sadly with no discounted price.
The aquarium was very nice. We got quite a number of very nice photos. I personally loved the rain forest pyramid. But I am a gardener And was entranced by The many varieties of flowers and greenery. We chose the national parks movie and it was educational, Beautiful and moving all in one. After finding out that our boat ride was canceled. And the wings of wonder bird show was a no go and the museum was not opening we found a bright spot in the Garden restaurant. The Garden restaurant was moderately priced, the food was delicious and the service was excellent which helped soothed our disappointment about the other things.
All in all it was a pleasant experience but I still don’t think they should charge the full price for only half of the events without even telling you what is and Is not available to see that day for your $ 60.

I love Moody Gardens and have been a member for several years, but I HATE the new Palm Beach. It used to be a really relaxing place with plenty of lawn chairs and smaller little pools under palm trees, more like lagoons. It was quiet and serene, and it was one of my favorite places to spend my time and read a book. I understand wanting to make improvements, but the new additions are ugly and loud. The place has been desecrated by screaming children and inflatable tubes and the loud horns going off all the time. I can’t hear the music anymore, and the beach chairs are nowhere near the water; half of them are broken. I hate it.
The rest of the facility is great. I love going to the aquarium and the IMAX especially. I wish they had better traveling exhibits, but I understand it is a non-​profit with limited funds. I also enjoy going to the Festival of Lights (although that was even kinda pathetic last Christmas.)
But I just can’t get on board with the new Palm Beach. I’ve resigned myself to only going on weekdays to minimize the annoyance. I wish they would at least add some sort of adult-​only area that was quieter and served drinks.

A group of friends and I got a groupon and came here to view the lights and to see what Moody Gardens had to offer. I remember coming when I was younger with my family, but I don’t remember much other than that I was bored out of my mind. Coming with my friends, I realized it was boring and it wasn’t just some false childhood memory.
The pyramids don’t offer anything spectacular. I wasn’t amused or entertained one bit. I was so disappointed. I thought they would’ve improved on their exhibits since I haven’t been back in years, but sadly it was the same old boring display as the last time I visited. The only thing that was remotely amusing was the penguins. They were so cute!
The lights were another disappointment. I was expecting something extravagant, but it was just displays of lights spewed around a walkway. We tried to enjoy it, but we ended up keeping ourselves amused instead with other distractions. I won’t be wasting anymore money here. It’s definitely not worth the drive or the money.

Great place to take the kids. Good clean fun. If you live close enough you should spring for the annual membership, kids 3 and under are free :) works out well because the water park is perfect for small kids.
They also do a thanksgiving buffet that is really good. In winter they have the ice sculptures, and the pink pyramid rotates exhibits like a museum. All year long there’s always something going on. They are also Renovating the aquarium so I’m interested to see how that turns out.
If you are coming for spring break moody gardens is a good option to keep in mind if the weather is iffy… You get to see the water and be near it, but most attractions are indoors.

I like how you see the main features from multiple points of view. Staff inside exhibits are friendly and engaging.

As a native Texan I’ve been told there are certain things we have to see. One of those places is Moody Gardens in Galveston. I haven’t been to Galveston in over twenty years. No reason in particular just haven’t had a real desire.
I decided to take my Wife on a weekend trip. We got Moody Gardens around noon 2.28.16. The parking lot wasn’t packed but full. We only had a few hours before we went elsewhere. We decided on the aquarium exhibit less the penguin portion. I told the cashier to give me the tickwfor the aquarium and 3d movie. I made the purchase and off we went.
After traversing through the aquarium exhibit for 90 minutes or so we were hungry. We left and wasted good money at a place a few miles away. You can see that review too. After picking over our food we headed back to see the movie.
The movies are shown at the visitor center and they have a restaurant and gift shop there too. I got to the counter to ask what time the next show was. The young lady said let me see your tickets. She says sorry sir you paid for the aquarium only. Nuts! You mean after telling and discussing it with her I got to pay the $ 6 difference. I wasn’t happy solely because it should have been right however I had a responsibility to check too.
The 3d movie was cool and the chairs spacious. I won’t lie they had nice chairs and I even got sleepy once lmao.
The place wasnt bad and I know my Wife enjoyed the aquarium exhibit and movie. The restroom was clean and staff nice. I love the free parking that was pretty good. Be prepared to walk but it’s worth it all the way. I noticed they also have a zip line for the kids.
It was hard to beat today because the weather was immaculate. Not a bad experience at all for the first time.

Great thing to do in Galveston but it is a little pricey depending on what you want to do. We went to buy the day passes but they said the penguins at the aquarium were under construction and all of the discovery museum except SpongeBob was closed. Since that would have been a waste of money so we opted to get the membership so we could visit again. The membership gives you access to everything (except the ropes course and zip line) and discounts at the restaurants, penguin experience, etc. Even though so much was closed we stayed busy all day doing the Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, 4D special FX theater (Playing Rio), and Colonel Paddlewheel Boat.
Our favorite by far was the Rainforest Pyramid because there was so much to see and they make you feel like you are really in a rainforest. The Aquarium Pyramid was very disappointing. Since the penguins were closed it was really only two huge fish tanks and a sea lion tank. There was nothing much more to it and when I asked where the sting ray tough tank was (as described on their website) the employees looked at me like I was crazy and had no clue what I was talking about. I do look forward to visiting again once the penguin exhibit is back up.
The short 4D movie was extremely cute for kids and they change the show periodically so it is not always the same. The Colonel Paddlewheel Boat is a short ride and it takes you around where there is not much to see but it was a neat experience. We would not ride it again and were happy we did not pay separate for it because then it would have been a waste of money. We can not wait to come back and see a lot of day trips to Galveston just to come here. There will always be something new to see and our 15 month had so much fun she did not nap all day!
We had lunch at the Garden Restaurant which is located in the Moody Gardens Visitor Center. The service was not good for how slow the restaurant was but the food was good and prices were even better (depending on what you order). The food came out quick which was great for a fast lunch. It was a great alternative to concession food.

So after over a decade since coming here we decided to stop by on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Place was not packed and was actually pretty empty. It was around 2 pm and most of the food courts were closed already (not that I recommend eating here). As for the attractions, they were pretty pricey at around 23 dollars a pyramid. They have a day pass that will save you a couple of bucks versus buying them separately. The water pyramid had to be my favorite since it seems to offer the most unique experience. I felt the rain forest pyramid was barely better than the observatory at the natural science museum. For about 40 minutes of entertainment per pyramid I found the price to be unreasonably high. If you have a big family it can add up really quick. At least the parking was free.

Small and dated aquarium. The most interesting attraction were the sea lions. At first glance their tank is seemingly tiny but it is many floors deep. They seemed happy when being fed. When we went the penguin exhibit and other parts were being renovated so I’m sure the aquarium will improve. The garden area was not well maintained. Nothing that caught my eye. You can see the water from the aquarium but it is just meh. Some cool fishes but this place pales in co parison to the Dallas World Zoo aquarium and Shedd. Not overly packed and parking was also fairly easy. Facilities were clean, just outdated.

This is a great place to check out if you’re an animal/​science lover, or just looking to do something in Galveston.
The goods: there is plenty of nature and animals to see in both the aquarium and rain forests. There are lots of learning opportunities as you go through. Staff are often spread about, willing to inform or answer any questions. As a whole, it’s a great place for children and all ages. Parking is free and not very difficult. Lastly, MOST of the staff is generally friendly, which is important in a setting like this.
The bads: Although there are plenty of eating establishments throughout the park, the food is low-​quality, overpriced theme park junk food. Unless you aren’t picky, I’d reccommend going somewhere for real food. Next thing, EVERYTHING is overpriced for what it is. Although SOME things are rather intriguing, I’d say it isn’t worth the money.
Overall, it’s something to do if you are looking for a Galveston attraction, but rather pricey. The best time of the year to go is around the holidays when they have all of their Christmas things going on. A neat place, but still has its flaws. Try it out at your own risk.

While the lights were nice and the juggler was funny… it seemed like everyone had nothing else to do tonight and weren’t in a hurry to leave. The crowd was dense. Just flocks of people everywhere who thought it was fine to just abruptly stop to take a photo of something. We got our tickets on groupon. Had I paid full price, I would’ve felt overcharged. Part of our ticket let us in the Indy exhibit. There were lots of «offline» exhibits (aka out of order). There’s no way I’d paid extra for that. It served the purpose of something to do. I paid about $ 10 per person and bought two bags of $ 3.50 popcorn. MAJOR TIP: wait til you get inside and buy fresh kettle corn. It’s $ 8/​bag but smelled good. The train is an additional $ 7 per person. Everything is extra… feel like they nickel and dimed me.

Ice Land! Another year! Spongebob Square Pants! My boyfriend and I got here early to avoid the crowd. Parking is free. Ticket is $ 27ish. Tickets are sold in the Vistor Center. And the Ice Land is located in tent outside. Entering the Ice Land are every 30 minutes. All built with ice! Make sure you come prepared it’s 9° inside. I brought my winter coat, fur boots, and gloves! They provide an extra jacket to put on top of your clothes. This year at Ice Land was different than last year. So new ice sculpture and characters.
Last year I went to the Festival of Lights. Do not go. It’s a waste of money! Not even worth for groupon. Long line and lots of walking to see boring lights.
Instead of going to the Festival of Lights. This year we went to Home for the Holidays Gift Market. Its located at the Moody Gardens Convention Center. There is a BOGO online, just show it to the ticket counter. $ 6 for two people. I bought candles and knick knacks. I hope next year they will have more vendors.

Went for the Festival of Lights. What a disappointment! Kids will like this but get bored before it is over. Static light sculptures scattered over a one mile walk.
A WASTE of TIME & MONEY!
I would not return if this was free. $ 10.95 per person is way overpriced.
I have seen better & more impressive light displays at peoples homes.
My sense is that everything about Moody Garden are just overpriced tourist ripoffs. Save your money and do something real.

We visit Moody Gardens once to twice a year and although it’s not much to write about my kids have always enjoyed themselves so that’s all that matters to me. The 4-​d theater is pretty cool but I just wish the movies were a little longer for the price you pay. The food is overpriced for the portion and quality so I would recommend packing lunch and eating your food at the one of the playgrounds that are located there.

Wir waren 2 Nächte über Weihnachten dort und fanden es toll. Leider ist der Preis hoch, Frühstück nicht inklusive, aber der Starbucks-​ähnliche Coffeeshop in der Lobby hat darüber hinweggetröstet.
Beim Check-​in war der alleinige Angestellte (21h) sehr gestresst und hat uns kurz angebunden die Zimmerkarten ausgehändigt. Da das Hotel komplett ausgebucht war, konnten wir nicht kurzfristig umbuchen. Das Zimmer selber ist sehr geräumig, Hotel bietet einen Laundryroom. Frühstück haben wir nicht ausprobiert, da es in wenigen Fahrminuten günstigere Angebote gibt (zB Ihop, Waffle House). An Weihnachten wurden Shows angeboten, wegen den überteuerten Preisen (ab $ 60.auch für Kinder) haben wir dies ausgelassen. Wir hatten 2-​Tageskarten für das Moody Gardens für über $ 70 und auch das ist leider überteuert. Die Rainforest-​Pyramide war noch sehr schön und hat uns sehr zugesagt, auch das Aquarium war toll gemacht (ähnlich wie Sealife). Enttäuscht waren wir von der Zusatz-​Ausstellung Ice Age in einem separaten Gebäude; gelangweilte Angestellte, schmuddelig und Abfall der Besucher lag zT herum. Die restliche Anlage ist ein Besuch wert, jedoch gibts Minuspunkte beim viel zu hohen Eintrittspreis.
Hotel hat übrigens einen Indoorpool, Kindern unter 14 Jahren ist jedoch der Zutritt untersagt. Dekoration während der Feiertage sehr schön, einen Besuch an der Bar kann ich auch empfehlen, wenn die Kinder dann im Bett sind. Das Hotel ist sehr zu empfehlen wenn auch der Besuch im Moody Gardens geplant ist, ansonsten gibt es in der gleichen Preisklasse auch weitere Hotels in Galveston

Bom para ir com crianças pequenas.
Parque Aquatico, Tiroleza, Jardim Tropical, Aquario, alguns filmes de aventura para os pequenos.

Here’s the thing: We have a family membership, so we pay a set fee for the whole family, and then we can go for ‘free’ whenever we want. That includes all the IMAX educational and fun movies, the 4D ride movies, and the exhibits. That membership also gives us a discount on concessions and giftshop and special events.
It’s worth it. There’s the aquarium pyramid, which has sharks, seals, otters, octopus, snakes, manta and stingrays, huge groupers, starfish, a touch pond (yes, you can touch things!), and several interactive exhibits kids can put their hands on. We can sit and watch the big main tank all day and I love the penguins. If you go early in the morning, check out the time they do special things, like feeding the seals or feeding the penguins and try to plan your day around those events so you can be back in time to watch them. We love watching the penguins eat! The seals will do tricks during feeding time too.
At the rainforest, they have slowly recovered from Hurricane Ike, and they have all their animals back now. The butterfly room has moved to a patio loft type room up on a catwalk type area, and it’s amazing. There are parrots, monkeys, lemurs, a big cat, bats (the bats are cool!), turtles, all sorts of birds, and some fish. It’s super humid in there during the summer, but not so bad during the other seasons.
The Discovery Pyramid changes and has different displays all through the year. you can look on the webpage to see what’s new there, and then there are the movies that change.
We also go to the festival of lights, the magic show every year, the ropes and climbing courses they added this past summer/​spring, and the valentine’s dinner event (which is neat – but we won’t be going again). They are always doing some special event, so you have to subscribe and stay up on the new stuff. They also have a behind the scenes tour where you can have a penguin encounter and see how they care for the fish and the tanks.
For me, the main thing I love about Moody Gardens is the wheelchair accessibility. It was originally built for a place for kids with low mobility and learning or physical disabilities to come and explore and learn. Because of this, EVERYTHING is very much geared to the accessibility aspect. They have shuttles that take you to and from different places or to the parking lot back to your car or to the different pyramids, etc., and they all have wheelchair lifts on them! They have ramps everywhere, elevators in every pyramid, and the ONLY thing we found that wasn’t 100% accessible is the behind the scenes tour… you can do the tour in a wheelchair, but you can’t walk across the catwalks over the big tanks – just logistics, but you can still SEE the tanks and go into the tank room. Really lovely place for someone in a wheelchair like I am to go, because it’s so easy to get around everywhere!
There are also three restaurants in the area there, a café, a diner type buffet and Shearn’s in the hotel for something fancier. There’s a bar in the hotel, full bar, and then there’s the hotel too. There’s also the boat ride (which is always 100% accessible) and the palm beach (which is not 100% accessible – it’s a sandy beach, what can they do about that?)
There is literally something for everyone. You can plan to spend the entire day there, eat breakfast and lunch and dinner, catch a movie or two, and then spend the night at the hotel. It’s a great family vacation ‘resort’ type experience, and the hotel even has a spa!
We go often. I like the whole experience, and with the family membership, it’s a great price to do ‘free’ stuff all year round.