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Shop at Moody Gardens!

December 17, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 7 Comments

Once you’re done exploring all the beauty and entertainment that Moody Gardens has to offer, be sure to take home some great souvenirs. Moody Gardens’ souvenirs and paraphernalia also make fantastic gifts, which is important to keep in mind during the holiday season. Moody Gardens offers a few different shopping options for your retail fix!

The Shops at Moody Gardens: There are two different gift shops in Moody Gardens. One can be found in the Aquarium Pyramid and the other one is located in the Visitors’ Center. These shops offer unique and high-quality apparel and souvenirs for visitors to take home with them and remind them of the memories they created at Moody Gardens. Some of the popular items featured in the gift shops include:

T-Shirts
Souvenirs
Tropical plushies
Games
Educational toys
Scientific toys

Boutique Le Fluer: This high-quality Moody Gardens Hotel Gift Shop is the perfect place to shop for items that capture the memories of your stay. The shop is located next to the registration lobby and carries a variety of keepsakes for sale. Shop for: eclectic souvenirs; Moody Garden logo items such as sweaters or key chains, jewelry, swimwear, resort fashion apparel, and regional treasures.

Shopping Shuttle: Moody Gardens Hotel also offers a complimentary shuttle to the Historic Shopping District in Galveston on the weekends. The Shops at Seawall and Strand are the best places to get in a little retail therapy while you stay in Galveston, which we wouldn’t want you to miss out on!

If you’re looking for a family-friendly hotel in Texas, then look no further than the Moody Gardens Hotel! Moody Gardens is the perfect place for your next family getaway in Texas. Soak up the sun along the coast of the Gulf, and enjoy the educational entertainment of the Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, or Discovery Museum.

Learn More About the Animals at Moody Gardens

December 14, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Moody Gardens is home to over 5,500 animals representing 650 different species from around the world. Moody Gardens is a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and is dedicated to the survival of selected wildlife species. We’ve put together a few fun facts about some of the awesome animals living at Moody Gardens.

Blue Duiker: The blue duiker is a small antelope with slate-colored fur and a slight bluish tint. The average lifespan of this nocturnal animal is about ten to twelve years. Blue duikers come from forested and shrub habitats, including rainforests throughout central and southern Africa. They are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, mosses, leaves, fruit, and the occasional small animal. The word “duiker” is Afrikaans for “diver,” and the animal was given this name because the antelope dives into undergrowth when startled. The animal is becoming less common in the wild because of hunting. It is not necessarily threatened with extinction but still needs extra care to ensure its survival.

African Speckled Pigeon: This African bird is brown to bluish-gray with a gray head and underside. Its name stems from the white speckles on its wings. These birds also have red skin visible around each eye. They can grow to be about thirteen inches in length from head to tail. African Speckled Pigeons can be found in grasslands, urban areas, forests, and cliff ledges south of the African Sahara. They eat seeds, grains, and fruits and are a very urban species in Africa. They are a non-threatened species.

Panamanian Golden Frog: This brightly colored frog is yellow-orange with black splotches. Its skin secretions are toxic and used as a defense mechanism against predators. The Panamanian Golden Frog can be found in moist, humid, forested areas in Panama (hence the name). This golden frog is an insectivore, surviving off a variety of insects. It is a cultural symbol of the Republic of Panama and is a threatened species, meaning it needs extra precautions taken to ensure its survival.

Learn more about the animals of Moody Gardens by visiting the Aquarium Pyramid and Rainforest Pyramid. Be sure to check out the Moody Gardens Hotel for family-friendly accommodations on your next trip.

Check out Moody Gardens Hotel and Property Amenities

December 13, 2012 / Moody Gardens

At the Moody Gardens Hotel, we believe in providing our guests with a pleasant and memorable stay, which is why we’re the most popular resort in the Galveston area offering world-class service.

Hotel Amenities

Upscale full-service spa and salon
High-speed Internet in all guest rooms
Wireless Internet access in hotel Lobby, Shearn’s Lounge, and pool side
Indoor lap pool
Texas-size pool with swim-up bar
Hot tub
Sales and catering services
Mini-refrigerators
In-room safes
Plush bathrobes
37” Televisions
Express check-out
24-hour in-room dining
Outdoor jogging track
Complimentary business center with high-speed Internet access
Child-care services
Concierge
Laundry service
Twice-daily maid service with evening turn-down
Complimentary shoe shine
Valet parking
Self parking
Weekday newspaper delivery
Voicemail
ATM
Check cashing
Audio/Visual services
Mail/Shipping services
Florist
Boutique Le Fleur hotel gift shop
Casablanca’s Apparel
Complimentary shuttle to historic strand district shopping (weekends)
Kids’ camp (summer)
Marina slips (seasonal)

Property Amenities

Free high-speed wireless Internet access for the business center, North Tower guestrooms, main lobby, and poolside terrace.
Business center with access to computers and laptop connectivity located in the lobby across from the Frances Anne Moody Ballroom. Printing, copying, faxing, secretarial services, and shipping services are also available in the business center.
Fitness center with a full circuit of Cybex machines, cardio equipment, free weights, and separate women’s and men’s changing rooms with showers, lockers, and saunas. Complimentary weekly yoga classes are available, and the Fitness Center is accessible 24-hours a day with your room key.
Jog around our 3/8-mile track with a scenic path along the marina and volleyball courts.
Complimentary courtesy shuttle service can take you to and from full service boat slips along the Offat’s Bayou at Palm Beach.
Access to our laundry room 24-hours a day on the garage level.
Complimentary shuttle service will take you around Moody Gardens, The Cruise Ship Terminal, The Strand Shopping District, and to and from Scholes International Airport.

If you’re looking for family friendly hotels in Texas, with great service and amenities, than you’ve found the right place! Moody Gardens and Moody Gardens Hotel is the perfect place for your next vacation destination.

Field Trips to Moody Gardens

December 12, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

While Moody Gardens is fun and entertaining, it is first and foremost a nonprofit educational destination utilizing nature in the advancement of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation, and research. Which is why it is the perfect destination for a field trip! There is so much to learn and explore at Moody Gardens. Guided and unguided programs are available. There are three different fantastic field trip options to choose from.

Rainforest Exploration

Students will get to experience hands-on fun with some of Moody Gardens’ exotic animals at The Learning Place. A guided tour through our “tropical classroom,” the Rainforest Pyramid, gives students the opportunity to observe interesting plants, exotic fish, and colorful birds from the rainforests of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The trip includes a visit to the MG 3D Theater for a multi-sensory viewing of an educational film.

Ocean Exploration

An instructional presentation starts off this underwater adventure and is followed by a guided tour of the Aquarium Pyramid. In the underwater “classroom,” students observe exotic fish, unusual invertebrates, frolicking seals, and playful penguins. The Aquarium Pyramid features the underwater environment of the Caribbean, South Atlantic, North Pacific, and South Pacific. The trip includes a visit to the MG 3D Theater.

Funday

You can custom-design your own field trip by choosing your favorite attractions and creating a unique learning experience! Select a self-guided tour of the Aquarium Pyramid, Discovery Pyramid, a film at the MG 3D Theater, a simulated moving adventure at the Ridefilm Theaters, a ride on the Colonel Paddlewheel Boat (weather-permitting), or a multi-sensory experience in the 4D Special FX Theater.

For more information on field trips, visit us online at www.moodygardens.com. Be sure to let your local schools know!

For events in Galveston, be sure to check out Moody Gardens Attractions, Moody Gardens Golf Course, and Moody Gardens Hotel. We hope to see you soon!

The History of Moody Gardens

November 30, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Moody Gardens began as an extraordinary vision to create an island tourist destination. It has grown to become one of the premier education and leisure facilities in the Southwest, with approximately two million visitors annually.

1986: Moody Gardens began as a horse barn with a riding arena that provided a hippotherapy riding program for people with head injuries. The Hope Arena convention center was established, which later expanded and became the Moody Gardens Convention Center.

1988: White Florida sand was brought across the Gulf of Mexico to create Palm Beach. Seaside Safari opened and is now The Learning Place, home of our educational programs.

1990: The production area opened, which included two greenhouses used to propagate most of the plants seen on the ground for our Medicinal Plant Program.

1993: The famous Rainforest Pyramid opened its doors, featuring over 1,700 exotic plant and animal species from all over the world. The Garden Restaurant also started serving delicious food to our customers this year, and America’s first IMAX 3D Theater started showing films in the MG 3D Theater Complex.

1997: The Discovery Pyramid debuted with NASA-inspired exhibits.

1999: The family friendly accommodations and tranquil services of the Moody Gardens Hotel and Spa opened. The hotel is an architectural masterpiece featuring 428 rooms and over 22,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, dining, and a full service salon and spa. The 1.5 million-gallon Aquarium Pyramid opened as one of the largest aquariums in the world.

2004: The hotel gained a brand new 125-room wing, and the Exhibit Hall grew by 60,000 square feet.

2005: The 4D Special FX Theater opened, creating a totally new way to experience the movies.

2008: After a $16 million renovation to the Galveston Municipal Golf Course, the Moody Gardens Golf Course opened, becoming the premier golf course of Galveston.

2011: The Rainforest Pyramid and Palm Beach reopened after extensive enhancement projects, making Moody Gardens better than ever.

If you’re looking for a fun place to visit on your family weekend getaways in Texas, don’t skip the Moody Gardens. Our family friendly Moody Gardens Hotel gives you a luxurious place to rest your head at night, while the Moody Gardens Golf Course and attractions will keep the entire family entertained all day.

All about Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid

November 29, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 2 Comments

At the Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid, you can experience one of the most authentic rainforest recreations in the world. The ten-story glass pyramid features over one thousand exotic plants and animals from the rainforests of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. A recent $25 million enhancement project has improved the attraction, making it more realistic and bringing you closer than ever to a true rainforest experience.

As part of the enhancement project, a new walkway was built in the Rainforests of the World, which overlooks the endangered giant Amazon River otter exhibit. The unique walkway leads you into the pyramid at the canopy level. In the canopy level you can explore the rainforest from above, allowing you to get closer to the free-roaming tree-dwellers of the rainforest such as birds, sloths, white-faced saki monkeys, and cotton-top tamarins.

Featured in the canopy walkway is one of the most famous attractions in Moody Gardens: the butterfly exhibit. Several species of beautiful butterflies flutter around you as you wander through.

The next part of your journey takes you to the cloud forests, which are considered nature’s water towers. Observe the colorful frogs and artifacts from people of the rainforest before heading down to the rainforest floor. The nocturnal exhibit on the rainforest floor is home to a prehensile-tailed porcupine, African palm civet, and other creatures that only venture out after dark.

On the rainforest floor you will also discover plants and animals from the Asian rainforest, such as the carnivorous pitcher plant, colorful orchids and fish, and two Chinese alligators.

The rainforests of Central and South America are filled with colorful macaws, a spotted ocelot, and a flowing waterfall! You can also learn about the smells and spices of rainforest food in the interactive exhibit. Tour the Mayan ruins, home to a giant anaconda, piranha, caiman lizards, and even vampire bats!

The final stop on your Rainforest Pyramid adventure is down the Africa trail where you can marvel at the spider plant, giant windowpane palm, and the dead rat tree. Don’t worry; there aren’t actually dead rats in the tree! On your way out, you’ll be able to experience the ground-dwellers of the rainforest, including a Daramaland mole rat, Brazilian rainbow boa, and a cobalt blue tarantula!

Click here for ticket prices and more information.

Don’t miss out on a visit to the Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid during your next family weekend getaway in Texas. Moody Gardens is the place to be for the best events in Galveston. Learn more at www.moodygardens.com. We hope to see you soon!

Relax at the Spa at Moody Gardens

November 28, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 1 Comment

Life can be a little hectic, even when you’re on vacation. Treat yourself with a visit to the Spa at Moody Gardens! Our professional and caring staff can liven your senses, restore your body, and ease your mind with tropical fragrances and ocean elixirs. You can’t help but feel relaxed among the enchanting pyramids and botanical beauty.

The Spa at Moody Gardens offers a wide variety of ways to pamper yourself, from couple’s massages to skin care and hair services. Choose from:

Packages
Bridal Packages
Massage Therapy
Skin Care
Hydrotherapy
Body Exfoliation
Body Wraps
Waxing Services
Nail Care
Hair Services
Makeup

Whether you are choosing a gift for a friend or taking a little time for yourself, we have something for everyone! We suggest you try our hydrotherapy! The belvedere hydrotherapy tub has 147 jets that are designated to systematically detoxify and massage your body. You can choose from four different exciting hydrotherapy options.

Coconut Milk Bath Soak: A calming milk bath that both hydrates your skin and calms your mind.
Pure Passionflower Bubble Bath: Immerse yourself in the pure scent of passionflowers.
Seaweed Splash: This special bath is infused with three types of seaweed to detoxify, re-mineralize, and soothe your skin.
Couples Hydrotherapy Bath: Enjoy a romantic spa treatment in our private couple’s suite hydrotherapy tub.

One of our most popular spa services is massage therapy. For a limited time, when you buy one Swedish massage, you’ll get a second one free! Enjoy two fifty-minute sessions of the relaxing full-body massage for the price of one! You can also choose from three of our massage therapy upgrades:

Aromatherapy: An aroma of your choice is mixed into the massage cream for a relaxing scent experience.
Warmed Tropical Oil Scalp Massage: A wonderful addition to any massage.
Aromatherapy Paraffin Dip: Leaves your hands and feet feeling extra smooth.

To learn more about the Spa At Moody Gardens, visit the Moody Gardens Hotel online at www.moodygardenshotel.com. And don’t miss out on our limited time spa offer!

Philippine Travel Update 6-11 November, 2012

November 27, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Read Intro Post Here

By Moody Gardens Animal Husbandry Manager Greg Whittaker

We arrived in Subic Bay at about 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, after a 43-hour door-to-door adventure that re-routed us through Los Angeles and Seoul, Korea.

However, our checked luggage went on the original routing through Honolulu and Guam, and didn’t arrive until 1 a.m. on Saturday. With a little rough beginning, we had the entire team assembled at noon on Friday, Nov. 9, and began the real work.

The project team includes Roy Drinnen and Greg Whittaker from Moody Gardens, Dirk Peterson from SECORE.org, Bart Shepherd from California Academy of Science, Eric Hovland from Florida Aquarium, and Bianca Espinos and Jonathon Apurado from Ocean Adventure.

Friday afternoon was spent snorkeling the shallow reefs adjacent to the Camayan Beach Resort and Nabasan Point. We were discouraged as there was evidence of significant environmental stress in both areas and the reef closest to the resort was mostly dead and covered in algae.

We concluded that the heavy typhoon season’s high tides, large waves and heavy rains had caused silt deposition over large areas of reef. Those that were shallow and had poor water flow were not able to recover, and once the corals died back the algae quickly took over.

Saturday was spent diving the deeper reefs off Nabasan Point, Tago Beach and Grande Island. We also surveyed the artificial habitat created by the polyethylene tensar net system that encloses the massive marine mammal complex.

Everyone was much more optimistic after seeing the conditions of the reefs in these zones as the coral condition and diversity indicated the environmental conditions were suited to maintaining them.

Stay tuned for next update!

All About Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid

November 27, 2012 / Moody Gardens

Experience the beauty of the North Pacific, South Pacific, South Atlantic, and Caribbean with a visit to the ten-story blue-glass aquarium building. This incredible attraction features 1.5 million gallons of water and more than ten thousand marine animals. The Aquarium Pyramid is divided into four regions, each representing a different area of the oceanic world.

Caribbean Exhibit

The Caribbean Exhibit is the largest of the four. It features sharks, sea turtles, eels, and thousands of beautiful tropical fish that swim overhead as you wander through an underwater tunnel. The tunnel completely surrounds guests and is filled with one million gallons of water.

South Atlantic Exhibit

The penguins of Moody Gardens reside in this area of the pyramid! The South Atlantic Exhibit is designed to closely resemble the rocky beaches of the South Georgia Islands. You can view the penguins from both above and below the surface. With our Penguin Encounter program you can even get up close with the penguin residents and take home some of their fabulous artwork.

North Pacific Exhibit

The furry seals reside in the North Pacific Exhibit. Watch as they play on the rocky shore and dive into the water. A few feet away, you can watch the sea urchins, anemones, and other colorful marine creatures in the tide pool. A kelp forest houses the rich and diverse underwater world representing Northern California to the Gulf of Alaska.

South Pacific Exhibit

Go on a journey through the depths of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea! The South Pacific Exhibit features a tide pool with vibrant sea anemones and sea urchins. In the lower level, you can see more than 200 species of fish, stingrays, and sharks in their beautiful underwater environment.

New Exhibit: Sharks in Depth

The newest exhibit at the Moody Gardens explores shark fact versus fiction, shark anatomy, and shark behavior through hands-on activities. Learn how sharks survive, how they sense their pray, and what threats there are to the shark population. This exhibit is better than Shark Week! With an Aquarium Pyramid Shark Passport, you can learn to identify shark species from around the world.

If you’re looking to plan your family weekend getaways in Texas, don’t miss out on the Aquarium Pyramid at Moody Gardens. As part of our recent holiday offer, you will gain admission to the Aquarium Pyramid!

Midnight in the Gardens

November 23, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

If you’re looking for holiday events in Texas, visit Galveston! Moody Gardens offers some of the finest holiday events around. One of our most extravagant events is our New Year’s Eve Gala, which has become known as one of the best places to be during New Year’s Eve in the Houston and Galveston area. This New Year’s Eve, the Moody Gardens Convention Center will be transformed into a modern winter wonderland fit for only the most lavish affair.

This year’s Gala will once again feature Commercial Art, one of Houston’s most popular party bands. Commercial Art is sought after by all of Houston because of their eclectic mix of music. They offer everything from vintage rock and 40’s swing to classic soul and modern hits. With the great entertainment on hand, this New Year’s Eve Gala will be quite the party.

However, if you’re also looking for a romantic night for two, the Gala’s sophisticated setting is the perfect place. Moody Gardens will be offering an elaborate array of food, and of course an open bar. For added extravagance, don’t forget to take part in our champagne toast. Finally, ring in 2013 with our midnight balloon drop.

Tickets are on sale for $425 per couple or $225 per single. Don’t forget to make your reservations at the Moody Gardens Hotel; accommodations begin at $109 plus tax per night, with the purchase of a Gala ticket. For reservations, call 888-388-8484. Call now so you don’t miss out on the party of the year!

If you can’t make it for our New Year’s celebration, be sure to check out our other Galveston and Houston holiday events. We offer a Festival of Lights that offers more than 1 million lights in 100 animated light displays. While there, be sure to stop by our Festival of Lights Buffet. For more family fun, visit our Magical Christmas Dinner and Show starring Master Illusionist Curt Miller and Friends. Get your tickets here. Finally don’t forget to take advantage of our outdoor ice skating rink and visits with Santa! At Moody Gardens, there’s holiday fun awaiting the whole family!

Moody Gardens