The day I spent in Galveston, Texas, at Moody Gardens was one of my most enjoyable ever for a day of learning fun. In summer you can begin with your family making castles on the beach in the white sand brought in from Florida. The playground there is also excellent. This is certainly the choice beach of Galveston Island .
I was there in fall, so I didn’t get to lie in the Texas sun or dip into the gentle, almost lake-like, warm waters of this bay or the Gulf shores. But I enjoyed a quiet ride on the on the Colonel Paddle Wheel Boat, a replica of the grand madams which transported passengers in the Island’s Nineteenth Century prime before the 1900 hurricane which laid waste this city, one of the most important port cities of the South until then.
There are three gigantic pyramids at Moody Gardens, each housing a different form of wonder. I spent the morning at the Rainforest, the largest indoor botanical garden in the United States. The plans for this amazing natural re-creation were begun in the 1980’s and required years to complete with all the natural world thriving within it. This is a truly amazing place where you can stroll on pathways through an authentic jungle which replicates a tropical rainforest. The plants are named and the signage is very informative. There are scores of species of birds and animals roaming freely within, so it is fun and challenging to spot them among the dense and beautiful foliage. You can find many at water’s edge near the lovely waterfall. The large fish of numerous different species are most interesting to watch at the lagoon area, but don’t put your hands in. Some rainforest fish are dangerous! I gazed in wonder at the tall canopy trees touching their glass roof and felt I was again in the rainforest of Costa Rica.
In the next pyramid I discovered an absolutely splendid aquarium, one of the best I have ever visited. My favorite section was the Deadly and Dangerous room (perhaps because this was as haunting as Halloween,which was approaching.) I learned so much from he signs, interactives, and videos as I moved slowly through, spending several hours here. Without feeling threatened, I peered through different protected glassed-in environments to try to find the many deadly but perfectly camouflaged species of snakes. Fascinating! One display showed many kinds of mushrooms, both deadly and edible varieties. I could not find any similarities or differences by which one could reliably identify the ones to eat. OOOh…scary! There were many other creatures from spiders to crustaceans, and plant species which I learned to identify while I observed them from the safe side of the glass.
The next section in which I delighted was to watch the Arctic penguins, who live in a large group as if at the North Pole. They are so fun to watch, and you can see the feedings of these and the nearby Northern Fur Seals. The seals are so playful, diving, swimming underwater, staring back at you through the glass, and you feel as if they are engaging you in fun. There are many other wonderful areas of the Aquarium from touching pools where kids and adults can get up close and personal with many different marine species as they learn about them from the docent, to the large walk-through tank that lets you see many fish as if you are in the midst of the ocean. You could never grow tired of spending time here, and for folks lucky enough to live in the area, there is an annual membership which is very modestly priced so you can enjoy everything Moody Gardens offers all year.
The third pyramid is a large hands-on museum and learning center with changing exhibits. When I was there many youngsters of all ages were having fun experimenting with sound, learning how it travels and making music from many unusual methods and traditional instruments also.
When you visit Galveston an ideal choice of hotels would be Moody Gardens Galveston Hotel, where the Gardens are located. Moody was one of the most prominent early citizens of the city, a philanthropist now known throughout the country for his many bequests. His wealth was made in the 1800’s, and you can tour the Moody Mansion on Broadway Street.
Galveston’s famous seawall was built by the citizens over a ten year period following the devastating hurricane in 1900.
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