Moody Gardens
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. Expanded to 60,000 square feet to accommodate trade shows, conventions and events. Now named the Moody Gardens® Convention Center.
1988 – PALM BEACH: Tons of white Florida sand were 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® 3D Theater showcases films by some of the world’s top filmakers.
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 – HOTEL: The new 303-room Moody Gardens® Hotel, which opened January 1999, offers all the conveniences and features of a big-city meeting destination nestled among breathtaking gardens and majestic pyramids. Flexible spaces to accommodate any group size, a 15,000 square foot ballroom, elegant and casual dining, spa, exotic pool and swim-up bar, and a host of services make the Moody Gardens® Hotel the ideal meeting and vacation destination. Located next to the existing conference center, the hotel will further compliment Galveston Island’s ability to serve Texas’ growing convention market.
1999 – THE AQUARIUM AT MOODY GARDENS®: The giant, 1.5 million-gallon Aquarium Pyramid®, offering 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: Moody Gardens recently completed an expansion project that provided an additional 125-room wing to the hotel and expanding 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.