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5 Reasons to Visit Moody Gardens this Spring Break

March 2, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

1. See Tornado Alley 3D and Meet the Famous Storm Chaser Sean Casey
Opens March 10

The fascinating film Tornado Alley 3D opens March 10 at Moody Gardens and follows veteran storm chasers on two exciting unprecedented missions. Guests will follow Storm Chasers star Sean Casey as he and his crew navigate their famous tornado intercept vehicle—TIV-2—directly into the heart of a tornado and capture its beauty and destructive power on film. Visitors will have the chance to meet Sean Casey in person at Moody Gardens March 10 and 11 as he signs autographs and specialty merchandise. Guests will also get to see the tornado intercept vehicle- TIV-2 up close. Join the storm chaser crew at Moody Gardens for a memorable Spring Break this season.

2. Enjoy Wizard of Oz 4-D Experience
Opens March 10

This beloved classic becomes a modern adventure in The Wizard of Oz 4-D Experience. Newly restored in digital 3D with added special effects, be swept along with Dorothy as a powerful tornado transports you on an unforgettable journey to the magical Land of Oz.

THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Turner Entertainment Co. Judy Garland as Dorothy from THE WIZARD OF OZ. (s12)

3. BODIES REVEALED Exhibition
Now Open in the Discovery Museum

Be among the first to explore the inner workings of the human body at the BODIES REVEALED Exhibition. This fascinating Exhibition is unlike anything seen at Moody Gardens before, with real and carefully preserved human body specimens that will fascinate and inspire. The exhibition takes visitors through galleries providing an up-close look inside the skeletal, muscular, reproductive, respiratory, circulatory and other systems of the human body. As the visitor moves to each gallery, more than 200 organs tell the story of the astounding systems at work within each of us every second of our existence. Don’t miss this three-dimensional tour of the human body!

4. Perfect your game at the Moody Gardens Golf Course

Galveston’s premier public course is a seaside links enchantress whose lush paspalum fairways are lined with 500 palms and shorebird habitat. Sydnor Bayou laps at its shores to entice your best shot. Five sets of tees create diverse challenges for every level of play. This Jacobsen Hardy-designed course is a beautiful and intriguing, demanding in its own Island way. Call 409-683-4653 or www.moodygardensgolf.com

5. Island Getaway for the Entire Family at the Moody Gardens Hotel

Head to the Moody Gardens Hotel this Spring Break for the perfect family vacation. Spring Break fun includes live music pool side, Texas-size Tropical Pool with swim-up bar, adult lounge and cabanas. Looking to keep the kids entertained? The Kids Crew Club will be featuring a Jumping House, Face Painting, Clowns, Balloon Art, Pool Coin Dives, Arts & Crafts, Wii Competitions, Karaoke, Movie Nights, S’mores and a free kid’s fun pack at check-in. If that doesn’t sound like enough, enjoy Starbuck’s Specialty Drinks at Moody Brews. Click here for more information on Spring Break at the Moody Gardens Hotel. For hotel reservations call 888-388-8484 or visit www.moodygardenshotel.com.

CLICK HERE to plan your visit this Spring Break at Moody Gardens.

Save the Date: Bats Are Doin’ It

January 27, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Throughout 2012 Moody Gardens® will bring attention to an often overlooked, but important animal: the bat. The United Nations has declared 2012 as International Year of the Bat and Bat Conservation International (BCI) as an International Year of the Bat founding partner. Moody Gardens® will be participating throughout 2012 with opportunities for the public to get involved in the conservation mission. The International Year of the Bat campaign aims to raise global awareness about bats, bat conservation and the unique roles bats play in our environment.

The “Bat’s Are Doin’ It” fundraiser will bring attention to the ecological importance of bats such as eating their weight in harmful insects and pollinating many economically valuable crops including bananas and mangoes. Guests will leave with a new appreciation for this misunderstood animal species; which will assist BCI in their efforts to protect bats.

Enjoy a special evening celebrating the mysterious creatures with a tasty bat- themed food and drink menu. The night will include a cocktail party, special guest speaker James Eggers from Bat Conservation International and a tour of the Rainforest Pyramid®. This event will give you the chance to help save an often overlooked animal species while celebrating the special holiday.

SAVE THE DATE: Bats Are Doin’ It: A Fundraiser for Animal Lovers

• When: February 11th from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

• Where: Moody Gardens Visitors Center

• Price: $50 for a single ticket, $90 for two
CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

• Included in the price: Heavy hors’ doeuvres and 2 drink tickets for specialty bat- themed drinks. Each attendee also receives a free “Bats Are Doin’ It” goody bag.

• Other Information: Raffle tickets can be purchased upon arrival to the event. Prices are $5 for 1 ticket or $10 for 3 tickets.Prizes will include various fabulous bat themed packages.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EVENT FLYER

Proceeds raised for the event will be donated to the organization Bat Conservation International. This event is open to individuals who are 21 and above only.

And the winner is…

January 3, 2012 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

After 6 weeks of photo submissions and one week of voting on Facebook, we have found our Festival of Lights Photo Contest season winner! With 324 “likes” the winner is:

Congratulations to the Wehrle Family! They have won the following:

Four (4) Tickets to all of the Moody Gardens® Attractions (Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, MG 3D Theater, 4D Special FX Theater, Ridefilm Theater, Colonel Paddlewheel Boat, Discovery Museum and Palm Beach)

Chance to Meet a Real Penguin in a Penguin Encounter for up to four people

Welcome Riley to Moody Gardens!

December 14, 2011 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Another holiday special gift has been given to Moody Gardens this season. Riley, pictured above is the newest addition to our North Atlantic seal exhibit. Riley is an estimated 20 pound seal that is making great progress and making its home here at Moody Gardens.

Baby Riley with mom Presley

The pup is a harbor seal is born to the parents of Presley and Porter who met in 2006. These two seals have had a journey of their own to get to Moody Gardens. Porter, who was rescued near death off the coast of Maine after being abandoned by his mother, made his home here in 2001. He had been bottle fed and nursed back to heath by workers at Marine Animal Lifeline, but after an infection destroyed his eye biologists decided Porter would not be able to survive in the wild. Five years later, Presley joined the Moody Gardens family after her caretakers at Memphis Zoo determined the young harbor seal needed a companion. Although Presley and Porter have conceived in the past, this is the couple’s first successful birth.

“Our seal exhibit is now a complete picture of our dedication to animal rescue and conservancy,” Whittaker said and added that addressing special needs is a key part of the Moody Gardens mission. “Riley is an adorable new addition to our family and a heartwarming gift for all of us.”

We are very excited about our new pup and hope you can come down to see Riley for yourself! If you want to see the harbor seal then take a look at the live seal web cam on www.moodygardens.org.

Welcome to Penguin Manor!

December 7, 2011 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Talk about culinary creativity at Moody Gardens Hotel! Pastry Chef Becky Kastelz spent more than 40 hours building Penguin Manor (in honor of our wonderful penguins), a set of three gingerbread houses decorated with the season’s most delicious candies .

Entrance to Penguin Manor

The three houses, made from 28 pounds of gingerbread (including 3 gallons of molasses) and sugar windows, are adorned with M&Ms, licorice, chocolate snowcaps, fondant candy canes, modeling chocolate wreaths, vanilla wafer cookies, and lots and lots of royal icing (over 20 pounds). The fences and balcony are chocolate-covered pretzels with jellybean gardens. An M&M driveway lined with chocolate kisses leads onto the lawn.

Caroling Penguins

Fondant penguins enjoy the holidays with caroling, skating on a sugar pond, making snow angels in coconut snow, snowball fights, and decorating Christmas trees made of ice cream cones covered in royal icing and non-pareils.

Who knew pretzels could also function as a balcony rail!

To protect the display from Galveston’s famous humidity, the entire house and all decorations have been coated with non-edible lacquer.

A roof good enough to eat!

Snow Angels, a holiday must!

Decorating the tree!

One final look!

Come see it for yourself at the Moody Gardens Hotel lobby this holiday season!

A Special Surprise for Moody Gardens

December 1, 2011 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

This holiday season has begun with some exciting news for us here at Moody Gardens. On November 21st and November 23rd, two baby Gentoo penguins joined our family! Born to the penguin parents of Champ and Casper, the two chicks have already tripled in size. The newly hatched chicks when first weighed by our biologists came in at 324 grams and 272 grams. Chick A and Chick B as they are called for now will have real names once the sex is determined. These two baby chicks are the first of the penguin breeding season.

“We currently have eight penguin eggs, so it seems that our birds are off to a good start,” said Diane Olsen, assistant curator, Moody Gardens. “Both chicks are healthy and adorable of course. We look forward to seeing what the rest of the season will bring.”

If you want to see more of these two adorable penguin chicks then come visit them in the penguin South Atlantic exhibit in the Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid. You will have to keep a close eye out for these small chicks because they do spend most of their time protected by their parents. For a closer view then look at our live penguin web cam located on the Moody Gardens website Penguin Camera.

Shop Till You Drop at Moody Gardens Presents: Home for the Holidays Gift Market

November 22, 2011 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

With the holidays just around the corner, it is sometimes hard to come up with that perfect gift for someone. Whether it is your significant other, brother, sister, mom or dad, the holidays can be a stressful time, but we have the cure this Thanksgiving break.

Come spend the weekend shopping with us at Moody Gardens Presents: Home for the Holidays Gift Market November 25th- 27th. The gift market will be located at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Expo A and Expo B. Here at Moody Gardens we are very excited for the opportunity to give you as visitors the chance to find unique gifts for you and the family. Tickets are $5 for regular admission, or you can make a shopping extravaganza out of it and spend $25 for the Gift Market VIP Lounge. The VIP area overlooks the showroom floor and offers specialty holiday hors d’oeuvres, featured beverages, wines and hot wassail. Over 100 vendors with various products will be here this weekend. If you are not sure what you are looking for we have put some suggestions together for each family member.

Gifts for Mom: At the gift market you will find vendors with homemade jewelry that is sure to be a hit. There will also be clothing boutiques and home goods that she will find enjoy this winter season.

Gifts for Dad: Find a unique present for Dad at the gift market. Some vendors will have household Texas decorations along with sports memorabilia and much more!

Gifts for Sisters: This weekend you will find all types of great gifts for sisters of all ages. Some of the things you will find range from princess themed accessories for little sisters to monogrammed tote bags for big sisters.

Gifts for Brothers: Brothers of all ages can be hard to shop for, but with the gift markets help it should make it a little easier. Look out for great homemade snacks that the brothers can munch on when they are hungry or make a personalized holiday gift for them at the market.

With so much shopping all in one place it will be hard not to find something that you will like. Also, once you are done shopping stay and enjoy the “Tinsel Anniversary” of the Festival of Lights for $5.95 per person. This weekend there is so much to do so get the shopping bags ready and come to Moody Gardens.

Times for the Moody Gardens Presents: The Home for the Holidays Gift Market

November 25th: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
November 26th: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
November 27th: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Click here for more information

Festival of Lights Opening Day Photo Diary

November 16, 2011 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

The holidays have officially arrived at Moody Gardens! We had a great time at the 10th Annual Festival of Lights opening this past Saturday. A big thank you to our sponsors, entertainers and host. We especially want to thank the GREAT crowd that showed up to help us kick off the season. If you weren’t able to make it, you still have plenty of time to check out Festival of Lights. Pictures speak louder than words so here is a photo recap of our opening day:

Santa’s Festival of Lights Photo Contest

November 11, 2011 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Show your best red and green at the Festival of Lights Holiday Scene!

Come to our winter wonderland to capture your best Festival of Lights moments. After getting yourself into the holiday spirit, send us your most creative shots for a chance to receive a special gift. The Festival of Lights photo contest will take place each week during the 10th Annual Festival of Lights, as outlined below, with the grand prize winner selected the week of December 25. Here is a Naughty and Nice List from Santa that will help guide you to your presents. Winners will be announced every Friday on the Moody Garden’s® Facebook Page and also contacted at the email address that the picture was sent from.

NICE:

• Submit photos that are taken at Moody Gardens® and have a holiday theme. Here are some examples of photos Santa would approve of:

o A photo featuring your family and/or friends

o A photograph featuring any of the Moody Gardens® holiday events & activities

o A photo featuring your favorite light display, Santa, Snow Zone, Ice Rink, Christmas tree, etc. The possibilities are endless!

What to send:

• Send photo to facebook@moodygardens.com as an attachment

• Only ONE photo per participant each week so make sure you select your best shot!

• JPEG format in high resolution (please do not exceed 2 MB)

• In the body of the email, include the following information:

o Full Name

o Date of Birth

o Short description of photograph including location of where it was taken

o Date that photo was taken

o Copy and Paste the following disclaimer: I hereby acknowledge that I have read and understand the rules for the Moody Gardens® Santa’s Festival of Lights Photo Contest and if I do not abide by these rules, I will not be eligible to participate.

When to send:

• Each contest week begins on Friday through Thursday at 12pm (See schedule below)

NAUGHTY

Do not submit photos that are:

• Inappropriate, offensive, spam or commercial in nature will not be considered

• Low quality photos (small, blurry, etc.)

• Copyrighted photos that do not belong to you.

• Photographs that are not associated with Moody Gardens® holiday events

• Photos from past years. Visit www.moodygardens.org for the 2011 Festival of Lights schedule.

Presents from Santa:

• The selected photo for each week will be featured on our Digital Billboard located on the west side of I-45 Southbound, south of Calder Road, and on the Moody Gardens® home page rotating banners.

• If you win one of the weekly challenges, you will be a part of our Season Winner Contest which will start on December 23. The 6 previous winning photos will be posted on Facebook by Moody Gardens® and the photo with the most “likes” will win our season prize which includes the following:

o Four (4) Tickets to all of the Moody Gardens® Attractions (Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, MG 3D Theater, 4D Special FX Theater, Ridefilm Theater, Colonel Paddlewheel Boat, Discovery Museum)

o Chance to Meet a Real Penguin in a Penguin Encounter for up to four people

Santa’s Timeline

Week One:

• Submit photos between November 11-November 20

Week Two:

• Submit photos between November 21-November 27

Week Three:

• Submit photos between November 28-December 4

Week Four:

• Submit photos between December 5-December 11

Week Five:

• Submit photos between December 12-December 18

Week Six:

• Submit photos between December 19-December 26

Season Winner:

• December 26: Voting Opens on Facebook.

• December 30: Voting Closes in the morning

• Week of January 2: Season Winner Announced Facebook in the p.m.

Terms & Conditions: By submitting photograph(s) to Moody Gardens®, the participant hereby agrees that all photographs submitted become property of Moody Gardens®. Moody Gardens® reserves the non-exclusive right to use any photograph(s) in publications or for promotional purposes. By submitting photos, the participant also acknowledges that any persons appearing in submitted photograph(s) have given the participant and Moody Gardens® consent for reproduction and promotional use. Participants must be 18 or older to enter. If participant is under 18 and wishes to participate, they may have a parent or guardian submit on their behalf. Participants may submit entries only once per weekly contest. If a participant is selected as weekly winner then they cannot win again. Only participants that have followed the outlined rules and regulations will be considered.

Have fun and think outside the (gift) box!

*Download contest information and rules by clicking here.

What Can You Expect at Moody Gardens This Holiday Season?

November 10, 2011 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Believe it or not the holidays have arrived at Moody Gardens! Holiday lights displays have been set up all around the property, holiday music is playing in employee offices and our giant Christmas tree is standing tall. We have a lot going on these next two months but don’t worry, we’ve got your one-stop guide to holiday fun at Moody Gardens right here. So pull out your pen and paper and mark your calendars because you are invited to a variety of holiday events at Moody Gardens:

Click here to view YOUR invitation!

Looking for more Holiday excitement? Here are some more events coming up this holiday season at Moody Gardens:

MOODY GARDENS PRESENTS: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS GIFT MARKET

When: Nov. 25, 5-9pm, Nov. 26, 10am-9pm, Nov. 27, 11am-4pm
Where: Moody Gardens Convention Center
What: An extraordinary holiday shopping experience that will include a wide variety of jewelry, hand bags, Yellow Box, personalized gifts, clothing for adults and kids, holiday décor, quilts, linens, books for all ages, mosaics, embroidery, designer, florals and more!
Visit http://www.moodygardens.org/seasonal_fun/holiday_gift_market/ for tickets and more information.

IMAGINE CHRISTMAS: A HOLIDAY MUSICAL AND DINNER SHOW

When: December 15-December 27
Where: Moody Gardens Convention Center
What: Imagine Christmas combines inspiring music, beautiful dance and imaginative aerial acrobatics to tell the story of Christ’s birth in a way that evokes child-like wonder, awe and amazement.
Visit http://www.islandstarlive.com/ for tickets and more information.

Moody Gardens