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Moody Gardens
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
23 reviews for Moody Gardens
The aquarium is awesome.
about as good as any other aquarium.
It was right before christmas when I went so there was a trail of lights outside.
another experience with an ex boyfriend.
I think that was the best date that we ever went on.
This place is the best!
They have the aquarium and the rain forest (small but nice). Take your cameras. The prices are fair. I would recommend going during the week so that it's not packed!
We also rode a 3-D, super fun both kids and adults alike!
Take your family, you won't regret it. :)
Yesterday we went to the Aquarium, the rainforest, and the bone exhibit at the museum. We thought we were getting a great deal buying the day pass online. Please, unless you just want to give this place money which they obviously need. . .just go to the aquarium. The aquarium was great. The kids loved it. They loved getting their shark stamps and watching the penguins.
The rainforest on the other hand stinks. Unless you really enjoy the plantlife, which is really pretty. . .there are no animals in there. I see more life at Zilker park or at the beach which are both free. I feel like I threw money out the window yesterday when I could have been frolicking on the beach with my kiddos.
Spend $15 and go to the aquarium.
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I enjoyed the parts I didn't think I would and didn't enjoy the part I thought I would.
The boat ride - I could do without. Though, it is a nice photo op. I was told they would talk about what the hurricane did to Galveston but the music on the boat was up too high to hear the recording of the speaker.
The water area - so cool! If I lived closer, and had kids, we'd go every week!
The aquarium - open and easy to walk around. I think ATL aquarium took some ideas from Moody Gardens.
The discovery pyramid - I liked the bones exhibit, the skeleton grilling the bones of a chicken was pretty funny!
The rainforest - very informational. I didn't know all that stuff came from the jungle.
The Imax - who could pass up an Imax? cheapest one I've been to.
Dino's Alive - In a tent with fans. Even though it was an outside exhibit, it wasn't ridiculously hot. The dinos had skin, moved around and were equipped sound, way cool! Some of the little kids were so scarred they hid behind their mom's, peering out from behind their legs.
My advice? Buy the day pass online and save some $$. Eat breakfast before you get there. Go swimming after you see the exhibits. And to avoid the crowds go early on a weekday.
Another Houston Area Tourist Trap
BUT! It's actually worth seeing.
There are many things here to check out including the Aquarium, Rainforest Exhibit, and many IMAX Movies.
Honestly, it's more of a family place to visit, take the kids early in the morning and spend the whole day there.
It's also an interesting date idea. Lots of nice scenery for pictures. I wouldn't go more than once every few years but It's worth checking out if you've never been at least once.
After reading others reviews, I limited our Moody Gardens experience to just the aquarium and the 4D Theatre for this trip. Aquarium is top notch and great fun. We went at the aquarium opening. Takes about an hour and a half to do it right. Very enjoyable.
The 4D Theatre wasn't that great. It was 20 minutes long and done in a monotone about dinosaurs. The 3D effect seemed to be neglected for pumping various scents into the room. I like a regular IMAX better. It seems the 4d is a bit overrated and it was filled with unhappy small children.
Search for an online coupon for two dollars off admission.
Rainforest Pyramid still closed but supposed to open at the end of April 2010
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The aquarium was kinda neat but also felt small. The rainforest pyramid was closed, and the other pyramid was stupid and really small (the one with the human body stuff and bones and what not).
all the shows have long lines, and the colonel boat ride is kinda pointless. its relaxing i guess since you get to go around and see the sea (no pun intended) but its so slow and there doesn't really seem to be a point to the ride.
also the restaurant there is something everyone should steer clear of. food is crap, service is okay at best, food is also way overpriced. both the buffet and the menu.
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I don't know of anywhere else where you can actually pet a penguin!
Yes, if you do the Penguin Encounter program -- you get to pet a penguin and watch it make art. You learn all about them and their life there -- turns out that the Penguins get the same lettuce etc. you would at the restaurants in Galveston.
The rest of the place is pretty cool, I only knock it a star because I was counting on going to the Rainforest Pyramid. But it's hard to blame them because the Hurricane caused more then 10 feet of flooding to it.
Note: I understand ethically that Penguins probably shouldn't be exploited in that way but it still was awesome for this Penguin Fanatic.
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"Scared of the world outside, you should go explore... Pull all the shades and wander the great indoors... the great indoors...". Okay, enough of channelling John Mayer - this is a great entertainment/amusement park/garden with lots of butterflies that flutter by and a multitude of water-themed exhibits for both the little people and the adults. I love aquariums and rainforest-themed adventures, so if you're anything like me, you'll really enjoy the Moody Gardens!
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I really liked this place! I took my two kids, my two nephews, a bored brother and my neurotic mother and we all loved it.
It is separated into 3 main pyramids (Discovery, Aquarium, Rainforest) and each has some sort of attraction. They had the Titanic exhibit in the Discovery pyramid and it was not great, but I had already seen it a while ago in Vegas.
The Aquarium pyramid is surprisingly good! I don't know what I expected, but it's really easy to get in and out of and it's not overwhelming for whiny, hungry, tired kids. The penguin exhibit is really cool and fun to sit and watch.
The Rainforest pyramid is awesome. I loved the humidity in there and the feeling of being in an actual rainforest. We spotted 3 sloths in the trees as well as a lot of lizards and other critters just wandering around. There's an extensive wild plant exhibit in there and I loved looking at all the different orchids.
My suggestions?
-in the summer, get the 2 day pass and end the 2nd day with the beach they have there
-Don't forget to take the paddle boat ride
-skip the ride in the Discovery Pyramid. Snoozefest!
-Experience at least one of the IMAX movies
-Don't do the "buffet" at the restaurant. Too expensive for that food.
My only complaint? That they didn't have more hands-on activities in the rainforest and aquarium.
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This was an interesting place to visit with our granddaughter and her sibs. I'd call this place a theme park. It did evoke a Disney-esque type of atmosphere as another reviewer pointed out. However, I thought it was in a good way. But, then again, I'm also a Disney fan, so there.
Pricing is interesting here. You can go a la carte and purchase a ticket for each building or attraction you want to visit. it always seems the best route to get the all-day pass that lets you into all buildings and attractions and includes one of your choice of 4-5 Imax movies that are showing continuously. I'm always wondering if I got my money's worth on these things sometimes as we didn't visit all of the buildings and arrived late morning and left early. But, we had a great time at this place overall.
We started off in the Aquarium pyramid and this was just enough fish, water and fun for everyone. They had amazing sea turtles and the baby seahorse nursery was certainly a highlight. A lot of underwater crammed into a small place. Great seals too! Well-done.
On to the Rainforest pyramid. This was my favorite of the ones we visited. Incredible tropical foliage from the native locations. It was all identified and well-marked. The various parrots and animals freely inhabiting the pyramid were strikingly beautiful and looked elegant amidst mostly natural looking surroundings. Smaller sections of caged animals (the vampire bats drinking blood were certainly a hit with some!) again gave a lot to see in a small place. The interior portion of the tour had plenty of amphibians in all colors as well.
We hit the Shark Imax movie next and while good, it was too long in my opinion. could've cut that one in half and been good.
Kids had gone off to the Caribbean Beach and so we met up there. A ton of water fun to be had; most of which I did not partake of. I did get to build a small sandcastle with my granddaughter and that was fun enough for me. You could actually purchase beer, wine or an alcoholic smoothie type or other beverage here as well if you wanted to. Nice waterfalls and awesome views of Galveston shoreline. Pretty cool.
We missed going in the Discovery Pyramid and did not get to do the 4D attraction nor the Paddlewheel boat. Aside from your typical (well under-typical compared to higher scale amusement parks) concession stand crap for food for too much money, this was a fun place that I would go back to again for another visit.
And for anyone that wants to go two days in a row, they offer a 2-day pass for only an additional $5 more to the first day. That's a really good deal!
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Well this place needs some funding. The aquarium is ok I guess. They should lower their prices and bring in some dolphins or something.
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Excellent exhibits and attractions. I LOVE that we can go here a couple times over the summer, in addition to several times throughout the year, and still see new and interesting things. They rotate the themes and attractions very frequently!!
Since I live so close by, I just get one ticket each day. Today we went for the Rainforest Pyramid ($8/kid, $10 for adults) and the Palm Beach ($7 for kids and $12 for adults). We spent at least 2 hours in the Pyramid looking at the native plants and searching for animals. I would think the kids would get bored, having to "search" for the animals, but it turns out being more of a treasure hunt!! We found the huge sloth in the top of a tree and he proceeded to climb along the rafters to another tree. The kids were amazed at how big he was to be so high. They also enjoyed the bats, even though it scared the beee-jeezus out of my little one!
The Palm Beach was very crowded, some families, but a LOT of daycares. Some of the daycare teachers weren't being as vigilant as they probably should have been, especially near the water. Not only did I have to tell one little boy to stop hitting my daughter, I also had to help one little girl when the water went over her head and she started to sink!! But besides that, my kids really enjoyed the separate areas, one right off the sand and another with water slides, and one of those big water buckets that dumps on everybody. The water in the kid area wasn't over 2 feet deep so I could sit on the side and watch and not worry too much about them swimming.
Definite must-see and do if you're in the area.
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Its still under construction,but its worth it.Alot of entertainment!!!!!There's gona be new things to come than before.Galveston beaches have "SAND"!!!!!! There's some business out there.
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Moody Gardens was the final tourist activity I experienced during this visit to Houston while visiting my girlfriend. Actually, it was really the only touristy thing we did, but I don't hold it against her. : p
To be perfectly honest, I did not think Moody Gardens was going to be as good as it was. I was also only looking forward to seeing the aquarium portion, but having been to the Monterey Bay and Georgia aquariums, I did not set my expectations too high. On this particular trip, my girlfriend and I visited the Rain Forest and Aquarium pyramids and they were absolutely fantastic!
The Rain Forest pyramid was a big surprise. It was a little humid inside, but it's supposed to be a rain forest environment so that was understandable. If it wasn't for the brick pathway, it almost did feel like you were walking through a jungle environment minus the poisonous frogs. The flora was beautiful as were some of the birds with the most recognizable being the parrots. The central exhibit was very impressive: you're brought to a plexiglass embankment of a brackish water environment full of giant catfish all surrounded by granite rocks and lush foliage. In the middle, there were a couple of red macaws perched on a post that extended from the water. All in all, it was a beautiful exhibit. At the end, you can take an elevator up to the second floor to survey the beautiful scenery.
Next was the Aquarium pyramid. The layout of the aquarium is a little confusing since there were multiple pathways leading to the exhibits, but I liked the fact that you had to descend to the lower floor giving you a feeling that you're going under the sea. The penguin exhibit was particularly well done as it was one of the large exhibits that you can view from either floor and the deep ocean exhibit was nice because I believe it had animals indigenous to nearby oceans.
The only reason I'm denying Moody Gardens a star is that I would have to give it some time before ever wanting to go back. It's an awesome destination, but one trip is enough for awhile.
We went on a Saturday during the winter so there wasn't really much of a crowd. If you're in town visiting Houston, be sure to head on down to Galveston to check out Moody Gardens!
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I worked here for 3 years, although in the engineering dept. and not with any direct guest relations. I still know the place in and out and have a few friends that still work there as well. There is a lot to see here, and they rotate in new attractions and exhibits several times a year.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the aquarium and rainforest pyramids are great, but the often overlooked Discovery Pyramid has interesting exhibits as well. There's Imax ride films downstairs, and traveling museum exhibits upstairs. There are also seasonal and special exhibits in the other two pyramids. There is even a full fledged Imax theater in the visitors center with a few shows a day.
There's also the Festival of Lights during the Christmas season, Palm Beach in the summer (it's basically a waterpark that looks like a white sand beach), and even an ice skating rink in the winter and in the summer. They have various concerts, plays, and musicals in the new convention center, and the hotel is really great, with a restaurant and bar (with a giant koi pond) downstairs, and a formal dining restaurant on the top floor, with a great head chef. If you stay at the hotel, check out the pool with a full bar in the summer, or the full service spa and private gym on those rare days when it's cold in Galveston.
The day pass is a good deal if you're staying on the island, but if you're driving down for the day you'd get tired before you could see everything.
Call the reservations desk and haggle a deal, and if you have a group of people call their group sales desk and they'll often offer a package deal for groups with rooms, day passes, and transportation service.
There really are quite a few neat things here, so check the website or speak with the hotel conceirge before heading down.
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A great day with the family, the relatives comming to visit.
Keep the children close as its crowded.
Enjoy !
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Moody Gardens is a great way to spend a day in Galveston if you want to get out of the weather. I mean, if you're bored of the beach scene or checking out all of the shops on the Strand - this is definitely an option while you're in the area.
There's a lot to do and you won't have to worry about getting sunburned or overheated. While that's a good thing this far South, there's also something to be said for getting out in the fresh air and getting a little sun though.
If air conditioning is your thing, I would suggest going ahead with the day pass to Moody Gardens. You can easily see all they have to offer in one day and it is cheaper than buying things individually if you are considering taking in more than one tour or show. Yes, the day pass does kind of plan out your day for you but you'll only have to wait in line once and you'll probably come out cheaper for it in the end.
The whole place is a self contained entertainment plaza and everything is easy to access as you make your way through the exhibits. Moody Gardens is a great place to take out of town guests and kids if you're willing to make the drive down to Galveston and spend the day.
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The only mood I had at these gardens was creepy...seemed like a very Disney-esque set-up with soothing ambient music oozing from the bushery and a deep masculine voice subliminally telling us how much fun we could be having and to buy more tickets, like the voice of some great white God coming from the palm trees. These theme parks are creepy when the place is mostly deserted. The animals were impressive in the Rainforest pyramid, although I had a hard time seeing them through my rainforest-humidity-fogged specs. Make sure you have coupons or you will pay through the nose for this little slice of alternate reality.
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This is an awesome place to take your significant other, and/or kids for a day or two of fun for only about $40 each (which can be purchased by individual attraction if you prefer, making it even more affordable).... It sounds like a lot unless you've wasted your time at other amusement parks where you end up standing in line for an hour per ride, ending up only getting to ride about three rides by the end of the day. This place has three large pyramids surrounded by botanical gardens, and a beach! You can stay at the resort hotel, or just drive in for the day. We came the one hour drive from Houston... and it was well worth it! One pyramid has the tropical rainforest inside, with colorful birds, little monkeys up in the balcony of the tree tops, various areas with smaller mammals and lots of flora to check out, which has a stream running through the gardens. The second pyramid is the aquarium, with playful penguins, sea lions, and all kinds of fish and invertebrates. They have a wonderful area with many different types of seahorses that rivals the Monterey Bay Aquarium for sheer variety. Everyone looks very healthy and happy, too! There's a 3-D Imax movie included in the price of admission (your choice of three shows) as well as the 4-D Spongebob movie, which is SO FUN! I'm not even a kid anymore, and i loved it! It scared some of the smaller kids (less than 4 years old) but the 5 and overs loved it! A ride-film about dinosaurs is also included, and it's a bit intense. I got a little motion sick on it, and screamed a couple times, but I still thought it was cool. Not as cool as the Spongebob movie, however!
The third pyramid is the Discovery Center. I have to say that everything else took us so long that we didn't make it here before closing time. We didn't get to do the one-hour paddleboat tour, either, which was also included in the price. If we'd known there was so much to check out, we'd have gotten there at the 10 am opening, but we got there at noon. Five hours of fun, with a 17-year old nephew of my husband's, and all of us were happy and exhausted by the end of the day!! Also, the beaches around Galveston are kind of cool to walk around, as they have live music on the docks Thursday nights and other things going on the other nights. The bonus is the cooler breeze coming off the Gulf. You don't get that in Houston!
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Instead of going out to a snooty (aka pricey) restaurant for valentines day, my hubby and I decided to venture out to Moody Gardens the day before valentines. It was the perfect way to spend some time together and see something neat and different. I would highly recommend going there on a rainy day to enjoy all the beautiful things that nature has to offer. I absolutely loved the aquarium pyramid, with sharks, seals, sea turtles, and more. We walked through both the rainforest and the aquarium pyramids twice, and really had fun discovering new things each time. The rainforest is beautiful and complete with large snakes, poisenous frogs, lizards, and fish that look like they could eat me up in two bites.
The only reason that I give Moody gardens 4 stars instead of 5 is that the restaurant (that could have a lot of potential in that location, such as being unique and environmentally friendly, and kid friendly) is stuffy yet casual with a very mondain menu of a burger, wraps, and chicken sandwich... definately nothing fun or different. If I went to Moody gardens again, I would not eat lunch their, but I would definitely return for the exhibits...fun and interesting.
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Since I started working in Galveston, all I ever heard about was the Kemah boardwalk and Moody Gardens. Neither seemed interesting and both seemed pretty touristy to me. So when my family came in to look at TAMUG (whoop!), I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to check it out without truly admitting that I enjoy touristy things. :)
It was hot. Well, it's Texas in the summer, of course it's hot. No, really, it was hot. The parking lot is a mess to navigate through and there's not enough parking. So to actually get to the building requires a 20 minute hike from your car to the airconditioning. Where you must wait to buy tickets. We ended up doing just 2 out of the 3 temples (actually really pretty to look at). The Aquarium is my favorite. My cousin plans to go into Marine Biology, so that's where we went first. They'd just come back from looking at schools in Cali and claimed that our aquarium was so much better than all the ones they saw in CA. There were plenty of fish, the penguins were a big hit (plus, I'd just seen Happy Feet that week, so I was all pumped up to see Robin Williams in penguin form), and the gift shop was well stocked with a variety of things that weren't all that overpriced compared to other places I've seen.
We also checked out the Rain Forest pyramid. Very cool. There's a lot to see (including the freaky bats that'll wake up out of nowhere!) and plenty of room to take a lot of pictures. Some of the animals just roam around freely, especially the birds. I was most interested in seeing the sloths, but they tended to stay so far up in the air that we didn't get a good view till we actually exited the pyramid and were walking to the car!
All in all, a great place to take people--especially guests and even more so, kids. It is actually pretty reasonably priced (though I still think that you get more bang for your buck at the Aquarium pyramid) and it is educational as well.
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If you ever happen to be in this part of Texas, this is an all right place to see. We only went in the Rain forest Pyramid and it was an excellent greenhouse. It's great for kids with all the animals they have in there. Sloths, iguanas, monkeys, snakes, bats, a gigantic fish tank, parrots, free roaming birds and more.
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