Moody Gardens
Moody Gardens
One Hope Boulevard
Galveston, Texas 77554 (MAP)
1-800-582-4673
How We Began
Moody Gardens® began in the mid '80s with only a horse barn and riding arena. The purpose was to begin a hippotherapy riding program for people with head injuries. Today Moody Gardens® is one of the premier educational/recreational facilities in the Southwest. It also provides horticultural therapy, education and employment for persons with a wide range of physical and emotional disabilities.
How We Grew
Since its inception in 1983 and adoption of an eight phase master plan in 1985, Moody Gardens® has illustrated through its various attractions numerous innovative and creative programs - resulting in a visitation count of approximately 2 million visitors annually.
1986 – Hope Therapy: Site secured by The Moody Foundation to establish a hippotherapy program. Later expanded to include animal and horticultural therapy, education and employment for persons with physical and emotional disabilities.
1986 – Convention Center: Originally opened as Hope Arena. It later expanded from 35,000 to 60,000 square feet to accommodate trade shows, conventions and events. It is now known as the Moody Gardens® Convention Center.
1988 – Palm Beach: Tons of white Florida sand was barged in across the Gulf of Mexico to create this exotic family beach.
1988 – The Learning Place: Originally opened as Seaside Safari. Now the home of our educational programs.
1990 – Production Area: Includes two greenhouses used to propagate most of the plants seen on our grounds and for our Medicinal Plant Program. Our Water Treatment Plant takes effluent from Galveston's water treatment facility and treats and polishes it for use on all exterior landscaping.
1993 – Rainforest Pyramid® and IMAX® 3D Theater Complex: More than 1,700 exotic plant and animal species from the rainforests of Asia, the tropical Americas and Africa are featured in the Rainforest. The Visitor Center houses the Garden Restaurant and Dancing Waters light and fountain show. America's first IMAX s® 3D Theater showcases films by some of the world's top filmmakers.
1997 – Discovery Pyramid: Moody Gardens®' second grand pyramid. Debuted with NASA - inspired exhibits, and now features traveling and other science exhibits. Also home to the Ridefilm Theater, offering a thrilling motion simulation experience.
1999 – Moody Gardens® Hotel and Spa: Nestled among acres of tropical gardens and magnificent pyramids, sits the luxurious Moody Gardens® Hotel, an architectural masterpiece, with 428 beautifully decorated rooms, over 22,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, dining, and a full service salon and spa.
1999 – Aquarium at Moody Gardens®: The 1.5 million-gallon Aquarium Pyramid® is a splashy tribute to the North Pacific, Caribbean, Tropical Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans, opened in the summer of 1999. As one of the largest aquariums in the world, the facility features close-up views of penguins, sharks, seals, seahorses, moray eels and much more.
2004 - Hotel and Convention Center Expansion: This expansion project provided an additional 125-room wing to the hotel and expanded the Exhibit Hall to 60,000 square feet. This flexible meeting space is available for events ranging from trade shows and concerts to large gala dinners.
2005 – 4D Special FX Theater®: The 4D Theater features 3D images and extra special effects such as leg ticklers, seat buzzers, scent, mist, snow and more to enable you to see, feel, hear and smell the action!
2008 – Moody Gardens Golf Course: Galveston's premier public course opened in June after two years and $16 million-comprehensive renovations to the former Galveston Municipal Golf Course. Lush paspalum fairways are lined with 500 palms and shorebird habitat.
Moody Gardens® is a public, non-profit educational destination utilizing nature in the advancement of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation and research.
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