Tag: ICE LAND

Families Will Discover the Wonder of the Holiday Season at Moody Gardens

May 14, 2024 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Giant Ice Sculptures, Festival of Lights, Ice Skating, Dinner Shows and More!

Festival of Lights Display across the water at Moody Gardens during the Holiday in the Gardens event. — Festival of Lights display across the water at Moody Gardens.

The countdown to the holiday season has begun as preparation for one of the largest holiday events on the Gulf Coast is underway. Moody Gardens, one of the largest tourist venues in Texas will transform into a festive wonderland with Holiday in the Gardens featuring 40 days of holiday activities for visitors to enjoy on Galveston Island Nov. 23 to Jan 1.

This season, ICE LAND: Pole-to-Pole, a towering ice sculpture attraction takes guests on a journey from the North to South poles. A team of master ice carvers from China will arrive in early October to hand carve two million pounds to create an amazing presentation and immersive experience with a giant ice slide being the centerpiece that will take guests on a glacial journey.

Guests will encounter polar bears, penguins, humpback whales, snowy owls, walruses, and of course, reindeer ice sculptures – individually crafted by this world-renowned team of artists. This breathtaking spectacle is created inside an enormous, insulated tent structure chilled and maintained at nine degrees. Shiver’s Ice Bar also returns to ICE LAND this year as guests enjoy ultra-cool holiday spirits as they enter this bar made completely of ice in the form of an igloo this year to fit the Pole-to-Pole theme.

Father and son sledding at Holiday in Gardens ICE LAND. — Father and son sledding at ICE LAND.

Visitors can explore a variety of other holiday attractions as the Festival of Lights features a mile-long trail illuminated by two million lights themed to holiday music, outdoor ice skating, the Arctic Slide, train rides, 3D holiday films, and Rudolph 4D Experience. Nightly holiday buffets as well as Breakfast with Santa, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinner provide guests with seemingly endless dining options that range from funnel cakes to fine dining.

The New Year’s Palooza Family Celebration at the spectacularly decorated Moody Gardens Hotel is one of several special holiday hotel packages that feature offer guest perks, savings and Kid’s Crew activities as the ideal venue to create those special memories.

This year introduces Holiday Fantasy: A Live Show Spectacular, a Mirage Entertainment collaboration, blending Broadway-style performances with acrobatics, illusions, stunning visuals and electrifying performances into a heartwarming spectacle that will ignite the holiday spirit for audiences to enjoy.

Tickets start at $21.00, with various discounted and bundled options available for those eager to partake in the holiday celebrations. Additional information, ticket options, and hotel packages coming soon!

Train ride through the Festival of Lights attraction.

Your Caribbean Destination Awaits!

November 3, 2016 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

With just nine days remaining until opening day, the CAA Harbin Ruijing Carving Team of master ice carvers from Harbin, China are adding the finishing touches as the work of over 100 towering ice sculptures are completed at ICE LAND: Ice Sculptures, A Caribbean Christmas. Beautiful coral, a wide range of marine life ranging from spinner dolphins and other fish, a giant hammerhead and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles as well as the finishing details at Shiver’s Ice Bar, the Oil Rig Ice Slide and more with Christmas theming throughout are the nuances that will provide a unique experience unlike any other for visitors to enjoy this holiday season when the attraction opens November 12.

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In its third year, ICE LAND will have guests embark on a breathtaking underwater journey from the shores of Galveston Island through the Gulf of Mexico. As they explore the oceans depths, they will discover sunken treasure and see Christmas surprises along the way. An ice slide takes the form of a towering oil rig and gives an opportunity to venture through the beautiful Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary for encounters with spectacular schools of colorful tropical fish, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins, hammerhead sharks and more on the way to their Caribbean island destination.

ICE LAND will offer a unique holiday experience for the entire family and will be open November 12 through January 8, as Galveston makes its transition into the Winter Wonder Island. Admission for adults is $26.95, $21.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children. A Value Days discount of $5.00 is available Sunday through Thursday, November 13 – December 15 and January 1-5 excluding Thanksgiving Day. Festival of Lights admission is $10.95. Additional combination tickets such as the Holiday Pass are available online for $34.95 and offer admission to ICE LAND, Festival of Lights, plus one attraction. Special packages are available for groups of 20 or more. Hotel Packages are also available.

In addition to ICE LAND: Ice Sculptures, A Caribbean Christmas, Moody Gardens will be home to seven other holiday attractions this season. Guests can take a stroll through the Festival of Lights, a one mile walking trail that features hundreds of light displays, including the area’s only outdoor ice rink. They can also enjoy the Arctic Slide, train rides, a variety of holiday and traditional films at the MG 3D theater, and a new Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Experience at the 4D Special FX Theater. The Rainforest, Aquarium and Discovery Pyramids will also be open. A Holiday Buffet will also be available nightly. The Holiday Gift Market will be featured at the Moody Gardens Convention Center Thanksgiving Weekend and guests can enjoy the new Cirque Joyeux Noel Dinner & Show December 16 – 26 at the Moody Gardens Hotel.

For more information call 1-800-582-4673 or visit www.moodygardens.org .

The Story Behind our Chinese Lanterns

November 30, 2015 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Coming to Moody Gardens for the holidays is an enchanting experience that offers worlds made of ice, lights, and adventure. Part of the enchantment is due to the collection of pandas, jellyfishes, and cherry blossom tree lanterns that we have along Hope Boulevard.

These lanterns are just some of the many that we have in honor of the Chinese Lantern Festival. The connection between the Chinese Lantern Festival and Moody Gardens is rooted in our ice carvers that come to us all the way from Harbin, China. Our skilled and talented ice carvers came to America sharing their cultural with staff and guests alike and we thought it was only fitting to represent them on their property.

The Lantern Festival has been part of Chinese New Year celebrations since the Han Dynasty of The Chinese Empire (206 BC- 221 AD). The Chinese Lantern Festival is usually held on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar and marks the end of New Year festivities. The people of the Han Dynasty believed that fire contained mystical properties that would ward off evil and prevent natural disasters as well as bring blessings such as a bountiful harvest to the people.

Over the past centuries the lantern festival has evolved and now features lanterns in all shapes and sizes. These modern lanterns come in elaborate sets of vibrant color, dazzling lights and eye-catching design like the ones found on our property.

Chinese Panda Lanterns

When you come to Festival of Lights be sure to check out this unique cultural aspect that also makes for the perfect backdrop for photos with our playful pandas in a bamboo forest!

The Festival of Lights is a mile-long trail of more than 1 million lights. It runs daily until Jan. 10.

Admission to the Festival of Lights is $10.95, including ice skating admission. Guests can bring their own skates or skate rental is available for $7 with the purchase of a Festival of Lights ticket.

A frosty new addition to the Festival of Lights this year is ICE LAND: Ice Sculptures with SpongeBob SquarePants. Being the only holiday ice exhibition on the Gulf Coast, this vast and magnificent display of 900 tons of ice creations has transformed Moody Gardens into the largest holiday destination in the Southwest. Chilled and held at a temperature of 9 degrees, guests can witness these works of art through January 4. Admission to the exhibition is $26.95 for adults and $21.95 for seniors and children.

Creating ICE LAND Ice Sculptures: The Team

November 10, 2014 / Moody Gardens / 1 Comment

If you want the best, you need to hire the best! That’s why Moody Gardens traveled to Harbin, China, to recruit the award-winning VYA Ice Carving team.

On Sept. 27, Moody Gardens gave an official warm Texas welcome to these 31 master ice carvers from China.

The carvers traveled half way around the world to Galveston where they will transform 900 tons of ice into towering and majestic works of art featuring the beloved underwater characters from SpongeBob SquarePants during the holidays.

The conception of ICE LAND was inspired several years ago by the world’s largest International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin.

Known as the Ice City, over 3,000 of the world’s top artisans create a 100-acre walk-through Ice Park complete with thousands of immense ice sculptures made from millions of pounds of ice.

The temperatures in Harbin stay below freezing for almost half the year, so spending approximately 1,080 hours within the ICE LAND tent that is chilled to nine degrees could actually be a warmer option for these professional ice carvers.

The VYA Ice Carving Team is led by Mr. Qui Guanghui, one of the top carving artists in the world.

Immediately after the welcome ceremony, the team went to work.

In a matter of hours, there was already a ton of progress from these incredible artists.

Stay tuned for our next Creating ICE LAND Ice Sculptures blog post where you’ll get a behind the scenes look at the ice carving process.

ICE LAND will be a frosty new addition to the Festival of Lights and other holiday attractions this year as Galveston makes its holiday transition into a Winter Wonder Island. Admission to the exhibit is $26.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children, and will also be included in a Moody Gardens Value Pass that includes admission to the various Moody Gardens attractions and Festival of Lights for $59.95. A two-day pass is available for $79.95. Courtesy parkas will also be distributed to each guest. Visit moodygardens.org/iceland for more information and to purchase tickets.

Creating ICE LAND Ice Sculptures: The Construction

November 4, 2014 / Moody Gardens / 1 Comment

One of the biggest questions people have is how do you make it 9 degrees in Galveston?

The answer is a lot of planning and a lot of hard work under the Texas sun.

A skilled team from the Gilbane Building Company in Houston prepared for the construction of the tent for more than a year.

There were four stages to the development process that will be executed by a team of roughly 48 people.

The crew worked all day to make sure tent was ready in time for the arrival of the ice blocks

The first stage was pouring concrete footers to support the structure.

To make sure the space for the tent remained a usable parking lot for guests once the structure is removed in late January, the concrete for the footers was poured flush with the existing concrete so it was less noticeable and ensured that there is no damage to cars.

The next step was to erect the insulated tent.

The frames of the tent begin to go up

The Moody Gardens “skyline” beginning to change

The tent starts to take shape

Once up, the inside had to be insulated

Then the flooring was placed to insulate the tent at its ultimate 9 degree environment.

The finished product was an impressive 28,000 square foot tent that towered 40 feet into the air.

Stay tuned for our next Creating ICE LAND Ice Sculptures blog series! We’ll be getting to know the award-winning VYA Ice Carving team that will be creating the ICE LAND Ice Sculptures.

ICE LAND will be a frosty new addition to the Festival of Lights and other holiday attractions this year as Galveston makes its holiday transition into a Winter Wonder Island. Admission to the exhibit is $26.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children, and will also be included in a Moody Gardens Value Pass that includes admission to the various Moody Gardens attractions and Festival of Lights for $59.95. A two-day pass is available for $79.95. Courtesy parkas will also be distributed to each guest. Visit moodygardens.org/iceland for more information and to purchase tickets.

Creating ICE LAND Ice Sculptures: The Ice

October 16, 2014 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

One of the first challenges when creating ICE LAND was where to find 900 tons of ice. That’s not exactly something you can make in your refrigerator using an ice cube tray.

To create the ice, Moody Gardens enlisted the services of Flying Penguin Ice in Bryan, Texas.

Creating the ice wasn’t a simple process. First the colors had to be mixed in some of the biggest ice cube trays you will ever see.

After several of days freezing, the ice was removed…

The color was tested…

Clear block of ice

Blocks were shaved to the proper size.

They made it as smooth as possible

One of the many trucks ready to take ice to storage area

It took several days and 42 truck loads to bring all 6,000 blocks of ice to Galveston.

Moody Gardens staff unloaded the ice

The giant tent was quickly filled with pallet upon pallet of ice.

By the end, some of the ice was stacked up as high as five levels.

Stay tuned for our next Creating ICE LAND Ice Sculptures blog series! We’ll be taking a look at how a 28,000 square foot tent is built from the ground up.

ICE LAND will be a frosty new addition to the Festival of Lights and other holiday attractions this year as Galveston makes its holiday transition into a Winter Wonder Island. Admission to the exhibit is $26.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children, and will also be included in a Moody Gardens Value Pass that includes admission to the various Moody Gardens attractions and Festival of Lights for $59.95. A two-day pass is available for $79.95. Courtesy parkas will also be distributed to each guest. Visit moodygardens.org/iceland for more information and to purchase tickets.

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, July 19!

July 17, 2014 / Moody Gardens / 0 Comments

Galveston is the Winter Wonder Island of Texas, and this season the island will offer visitors more than 1,000 magical holiday events! This summer, be sure to visit with Santa at a variety of events throughout the island. You’ll also have the chance to win some cool prizes by participating in Galveston’s Photo Contest.

GALVESTON ISLAND PHOTO CONTEST, 2 – 6 PM:

It’s Christmas Around the World as Santa travels from the North Pacific to South Pacific in the Aquarium Pyramid to Asia, Africa and the Americas in the Rainforest Pyramid and Palm Beach. Free Santa Hats are available as supplies last. Get your picture and go to Galveston.com/holiday to register for prizes! Stop by the Garden Lobby with the kids and enjoy some free Arts & Crafts activities from 2 – 4 p.m. as well.

SNOWMAN SAND CASTLE COMPETITION, 2 – 4 PM:

A few slots remain, so register now to participate in our Snowman Sand Castle Competition on July 19 at Palm Beach. Participants will receive a Snowman Sand Castle Building Kit, then will have until 3:45 p.m. to build their very best snowman. Judging will begin at 3:45 p.m. and winner will be announced at 4 p.m. The winner will receive a Penguin Encounter Certificate for 4 people and tickets to all Moody Gardens Attractions (Including ICE LAND Ice Sculptures, Festival of Lights and Arctic Ice Slide) for 4 people.

CLICK HERE for complete rules and to register for the competition (limited spots available)

GET SOCIAL & WIN PRIZES WITH #CHRISTMASINJULY:

Celebrate Christmas in July by connecting with us through Social Media and you’ll get the chance to win a Holiday Four-Pack to Moody Gardens, which includes tickets to all attractions as well as the ICE LAND Ice Sculptures opening November 15, 2014.

TO PARTICIPATE: Visit our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram each week in July and participate in our Christmas in July trivia questions by using the handle @moodygardens and the hashtag #ChristmasInJuly. If you answer correctly you will be entered into our weekly drawing. Remember to use our handle and hashtag!

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Inc., Twitter, Inc. or Instagram, Inc. Must be 18 years or older to win.

JOIN US THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

ICE LAND Ice Sculptures makes its debut November 15 – January 4 for the first time in South Texas. Marvel at the artistry of the internationally acclaimed VGA Ice Carving Team from Harbin, China, as they bring their extraordinary talent to sculpt 900 tons of ice into a vast and amazing display of towering ice sculptures held at a cool and constant 9 degrees as Galveston makes its transformation into the Winter Wonder Island. There is more than ever for your family to enjoy! Be among the first to experience the ICE LAND Ice Sculptures attraction, Festival of Lights, Arctic Ice Slide, Ice Skating, holiday films and much more!