Moody Gardens is a tourist complex, with zoo, gardens, beach, waterslides, paddlewheeler, cinemas and hotel in Galveston, Texas. It is owned by the City of Galveston but funded, operated, and supported by the multi-billion-dollar Moody Foundation, through a complex agreement.
Moody Gardens features two main pyramid attractions: the Aquarium Pyramid, which is one of the largest in the world and holds many species of fish and other sealife; the Rainforest Pyramid, which contains tropical animals and plants, birds, butterflies, reptiles and a variety of other rainforest animals including free-roaming monkeys and two-toed sloths; and the Discovery Pyramid, which focuses on science-oriented exhibits and activities.
Another major attraction is Palm Beach, a landscaped white sand beach with freshwater lagoons, a lazy river, tower slides, and splash pad play area for children. Moody Gardens also has a RideFilm Theater with motion-based pod seating, the MG 3D Theater features the largest screen in the state of Texas, 4D Special FX Theater, paddlewheel cruise boat, a hotel and a convention center.
The complex attracts many local tourists from the city of Houston and its outlying suburbs. The owners of Moody Gardens commissioned a landscape design from Geoffrey Jellicoe. It is described in Gardens of the Mind: the Genius of Geoffrey Jellicoe by Michael Spens (Antique Collectors Club, 1992).
Read more about Moody Gardens: Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, Discovery Pyramid, Festival of Lights
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