Aquarium At Moody Gardens

Bought tickets in October and got a flat tire on the way. Called and staff gave me a 90 day rain check to use my tickets which was so helpful and appreciated! Finally got to go on a wonderfully sunny day and completed the aquarium in approximately 1 hour with my two under two daughters! The exhibits were very kid friendly and allowed my daughters to get close to the aquatic life . We got to see penguins, fish, jelly fish, sharks, seals and much more ! They offer a gift shop and a cafeteria with many options as well as restrooms located throughout. Plenty of parking too! Would definitely go back again! This aquarium is much larger than the downtown Houston aquarium.

My wife, my toddler and I came to visit the aquarium before a cruise on January 18th. We had such a good time. It kept the toddlers attention the whole time. The exhibits were nice and you can get close enough to actually see what is swimming around. The shark exhibit was awesome! You can sit right next to the glass and watch them swim. We used Groupon to get our tickets and paid around $54 for the aquarium and rain forrest. Just a heads up, the rain forrest will be extremely warm and humid. Dress accordingly!

Very nice place. It's big. It might have been 5 stars, but it's pretty pricey. And in all honesty, I don't think I got my money's worth. Friendly staff. Beautiful setting. But definitely a one and done for me.

This place never gets old. Been here only a few times with in the last 20 years. We saw the 3D movies first and then explored the pyramids. The Discovery Pyramid wasn't open b/c they were doing a new exhibit or something which kinda sucks now that I think about it. Since you miss out on it we should have a reduced price. It's not right to pay for it all when you can't experience it all. Happy its free refills on drinks in your souvenir cup. The zoo doesn't do that which is mind blowing. The employees are wonderful. The woman in the main gift shop was so nice to me and my grandkids. We spent opening till close there. Had 2 big pretzels and cheese sticks throughout the day. Thank you for not being expensive. It's a bummer when you pay a lot at the door and can't afford to buy food. We had to see this one more time before we move to Vermont in a few weeks. There was barely anyone there. Perfect timing. We went on a Tuesday. 2.10.26

There was a delayed opening when we went as there were leaks in some of the tanks. Seems like the facility is not aging well. Still had a good time seeing the sea creatures. Thought 48/person just for the aquarium to be excessive. though.

The aquarium was so much fun! Our toddler absolutely loved it! Well worth the money. The pyramid was a flop compared to the aquarium mostly due to the high price and the crazy amount of people. Hardly and animals were out and about.

This aquarium is so nice! I love the many animals they have there from jellyfish, penguins, and many more. I also loved how there was an attraction where you can see touch the stingrays. Overall, I recommend this aquarium due to its large size, attractions, and diversity of animals. 🪼🦀🪸🐚🐠

It's a great place to bring the family and enjoy the different things it has to offer. I recommend getting the pass that lets you into all the attractions and going in on a weekday when there are less crowds. If you go during the hot season I would recommend wearing a mosquito repellent.

I had been to this aquarium a couple of times, and it's a fun little outing. Some of the exhibits are cooler than others, but it's a fun place to stop on your way to Galveston or if you're there for the water park The aquarium is located in one of the Moody Garden pyramids, and an aquarium ticket will get you access to all the exhibits in the aquarium There is an interactive stingray exhibit where you can touch sting rays in a shallow pool of water. My personal favorite exhibit is the jelly fish area There is plenty of parking, but this aquarium is a bit out of the way. I might be jaded after visiting the ATL aquarium and other aquariums abroad, but this aquarium does seem small. You can probably knock it out in under 2 hours Cheers!!

Went to this aquarium due to my family member having free tickets! I don't think I would've ever gone if that wasn't the case because I don't even know this place existed! The place was small, straight to the point and had pretty decent exhibits. Nothing that made you go "wow" though. The customer service was nice. Though the place needs to TLC, smells like mold and there were a lot of cracks in the walls and what seems to look like water damage on the inside. I don't think the place is worth the price either. The part I liked the most was water tunnel part and the diver who was giving education on the marine life around her. That was pretty dope! Overall, I wouldn't come back, but it's decent for young kids fasho!

Had a great visit to the Aquatic Pyramid. My grandson loved it! The set up was really nice. There is a path you follow through the aquarium which creates a nice flow no matter how crowded or not crowded it is. Definitely worth a visit!

There was no wow. The exhibit was not huge but nice. The cost was pricey for such a short visit. The animals and fish all seem happy and taken care of. The staff were all kind. The place was clean. Exciting for children. Decent experience otherwise. Great chili cheese fries. The gift shop was also pretty cool. The parking was free but a Ferrari event was taking place near the convention center so it was a very long and inconvenient walk.

I came to this aquarium with my GS troop during the first week of June, and while the price for entry is steep, the air conditioning on a scorching hot June day can't be beat. While this is not the largest aquarium, it does have some pretty neat exhibits. Each exhibit in the Aquarium Pyramid inspires a sense of wonder and empathy as they emphasize the importance of conserving our oceans. Visitors can get an up-close look at different marine sanctuaries and the aquatic life that calls them home. One of the fan favorites is the penguin exhibit, which houses: King, Chinstrap, Gentoo, Humboldt, and Macaroni species. Many of these penguins can be seen waiting for their next meal while others are busy amusing visitors with their water acrobatics or pausing at the glass window to peer out at an admiring visitor. They will even play games with you through the glass. Another room is devoted entirely to jellyfish, including Pacific sea nettle, moon jellyfish, and comb jellyfish. These ocean inhabitants sink if they don't swim, so they swim -- incessantly. Although sea nettles are the largest and most colorful, it's the many moon jellyfish that amaze with their white, disk-like bodies pulsing against a sea of black. What is also not to miss here is the two-story 30,000 gallon round aquarium topped by a 23-foot scale model of an oil production platform, which is a focal point soon after entering the Aquarium There is also an eatery, gift shop and other exhibits. There is certainly something here for everyone.

I liked the layout of the aquarium especially the jellyfish area. It is on the smaller side for $38-41 for one adult. I would only come here if you're already in the area and you're looking for something to do. There is an area that you can touch stingrays, although it can be even more difficult if you come on the weekends and you're surrounded by kids. The whole layout is wheelchair friendly. You can probably go through this in 30-60 mins depending on how many pictures and videos you take.

We had a really fun time at this aquarium. We got there right when they fed the penguins so my son was super happy. The sea otters and jelly fish exhibits were my favorite. It's definitely not a huge aquarium but the exhibits are very well done and there's a lot of sea life to see. Plus the staff was all amazing

We loved this place...visited in January and enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the aquarium. The 4d and 3d movies were outstanding!!!

I took my son to Moody Gardens this past week and we had a great time. We visited the Aquarium, the 4D experience and the 20,000 Leagues experience. We also walked around the walking paths. This is expensive so look for bargains like the combo deals. They also have memberships if you live nearby. As adults only, it took us an hour to go through the aquarium. It would have been longer with kids as there are special things for them to do like petting the stingrays (I did do this!). It was not the best aquarium I have been to, but it was excellent for its size. The 4D and 20,000 League experience was fun. Kids will love this. I can't tell you everything that happens in there, but it is definitely worth going to. I will definitely be going back.

If you are staying at Moody gardens, it is a must. We stayed there and we got the value pass as a package deal with our 2 night hotel stay. The pass was good on the day of check in - before we checked in through the day of checkout. And yes, after we checked out we were able to check out a few things. The value pass itself is good for "Ticket offers admission to the Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, Discovery Museum, Dino's Alive, Colonel Paddlewheel Boat (sailing Sat & Sun only until summer) and a show in each theater (MG 3D Theater, 4D Special FX Theater, 20,000 Leagues Interactive Adventure) " But this review is about the aquarium, so the aquarium isn't that large. They have a few sharks, penguins ( so cool), sting ray petting, seals and various other fish. The layout is cool as you can view the aquarium from below. I think my youngest formed a special bond with a penguin. It was cute watching them play. It's great for kids and isn't so large to be overwhelming.

A great aquarium! We went at 1:30pm and almost had the place to ourselves. The exhibits were wonderful and the place was sparkling. Hint...school field trips usually go in the morning. If you want to avoid them, go after noon.

We had a nice time at this aquarium, it was not crowded. We really liked all of the exhibits. Getting to touch a stingray is always exciting. The 3D shark film and the 4D Beneath the Sea films were both GREAT! Highly recommend both of the films!! My only negative comment is that I bought my son a pretzel for a snack and it was awful! It was so hard, probably been there since they opened.

I felt like this was overpriced, but it was a good experience and definitely better than the downtown Houston aquarium. This has penguins, jelly fish, seals, sharks, and plenty of fish. Overall this was a great aquarium, but I think it is highly overpriced. There is a lot for kids to do and a lot of informational about preservation.

A good way to spend a few hours although you'll find it's pretty small for the price. What they lack in space they try to make up for in their exhibits. The sunken ship and overhead aquarium walk were my favorites and my grandson got a penguin to follow him through the glass...pretty cool.

We Loved our visit here! you can choose from a variety of packages see different parts of the aquarium....we chose the aquarium Pyramid and The Rainforest pyramid. There was a ton to see...Great atmosphere for a relaxing afternoon walking around. I Highly recommend it.

So fun and even as adults we loved it. An experience for the whole family for sure. We were on vacation from NY to get away from the cold & this was the highlight of our trip!

Been to over 3 dozen aquariums, and this one ranks near the top w the best of them. Much smaller but well curated as it shows the various regions and has a few very lrg tanks where views were. Yr into the tank. Will definitely come again. Even more impressive was the Rainforest next to it!! Great for the young and young at heart.

I have been here twice now. Didn't start visiting till about 3 years ago when first taking my youngest son to the beach and needing a little time out of the sun and surf. He loves aquariums and this one is up there with some of the good ones in big cities. A couple highlights: 1. Penguin exhibit and feeding time 2. Seals 3. Sting rays - you can touch 4. Jelly fish - you can touch 5. Starfish - you can touch 6. The diver in the oil rig tank 7. The tunnel tank - these are common but still cool There is also a gift shop, concessions area, tickets include 3D and 4d experience(haven't personally done those), and parking is FREE!! Did I mention this is all inside a pyramid which is just awesome! Pro Tips: Get there early and dodge the crowds and buy your tickets on line.

Moody Gardens, the Aquarium Pyramid, great family fun, a must-see attraction while in Galveston!

Words can not describe how incredible this place is. It was the coolest Aquarium I have went to , so beautiful.. The Aquariums had so much detail so much to look at. The animals looked very happy and healthy. How the Aquariums where made perfect for viewing the animals/creatures/plant life at all angles of the tanks.I highly recommend coming to visit here , we did the combo tickets Aquarium/Rainforest $52 a person most definitely worth it.My daughters loved petting the stingray's.It was very clean facility employees where very nice AC was nice and cool felt so nice in that building. We took our time and just enjoyed our self.

First of all this is a small aquarium and OVER priced. Do not waist your money!! One adult 3 kids $140.00 not worth the money for what you will experience in their. Save it to something else!! It will get crowded and humid I wish i would read one star reviews before spending $$$.

I was hoping that our visit would be a little longer but it was only about 30-40 minutes. The entrance was grand and the aquarium is beautiful, but I was expecting for it to be a little bigger so we could spend more time. I assume if you stop at every single display and read and do the little activities the visit would probably turn into 1.5 hours at the absolute most. However, most people wont do that. Especially the parents with children. My most favorite exhibit was the sting ray tank. . .you are actually allowed to touch them. "2 fingers only, please!" I probably wouldn't visit again. The prices are ridiculous as well.

It's ok nothing spectacular to make me return a second time. The walk through the aquarium is about an hour or so. Texas State Aquarium in corpus is 100x better. I have 4 kids ages 13-3 and my husband and I went searching for dinner options we where recommended the restaurant buffet but it was a dump! Fried foods, dry dry chicken, looked reheated multiple times and the decore is of the 80's and smells like it too! Terrible

It's definitely a great place for some inside entertainment. We got combo tickets for the aquarium and rainforest. All of the animals at the aquarium were very active and there were plenty of viewing spots. The rainforest was fun but didn't have as much to see as the aquarium and you could get through it within 30 minutes. I recommend going as soon as they open because there will be less people. If you plan to only do one of the attractions, then go with the aquarium. However, if you want to do more than one attraction, then I would just get the full pass instead of combo tickets.

We enjoyed the aquarium very much great place to get out of the heat or escape a thunderstorm. The jellyfish exibits were really cool. We were all very relaxed after our walk through.

Definitely a bit pricey and not the biggest aquarium but it definitely makes up for it in many ways. All the tanks were so beautiful and the penguins were really cute! If you walk slowly and appreciate everything it will be about an hour walk.

Not worth the price. The style of the pyramid is misleading.... it is actually a quite small museum. There are two touch tanks which are cool for kids but aren't very large and are the most hands on feature of the museum. It is essentially two and a half floors and many of the exhibits are shown from different angles but are actually the same exhibit. If you have very small children it might be a decent investment simply because it can be walked through in less than an hour. Definitely add in a 3-D or 4-D experience if you're looking for an activity that will fill the whole day. The staff is passionate about their work and the exhibits are set up very nicely for some good time photos. You could make a good time for kids and I did enjoy several of the exhibits but adult only groups....keep looking elsewhere

Went here for a homeschool filed trip as my kiddos are studying penguins. This did not disappoint one bit. They had multiple areas to see penguins, and we watched them be fed as well. They had big statues to look at and take pictures with. The seals we're super fun, we got to pet stingrays and jelly fish and look at different corals and reefs. It was a great experience and we'll definitely be back. Parking is free, everything is easy to find, clean restrooms and helpful staff.

The reviews here are mixed but we loved it! My kids got to see tons of fish and got to pet the stingrays and starfish. Took us about an hour to walk through. We went right when it opened so there was no line and not busy at all!

$400 to take your family here. Definitely not worth the cost of $85 a person. There's plenty of other things on the island you can do with your family than to bring them here. Nice place just way overpriced.

Very expensive for such a small experience. It was something to do while on vacation with the kids but won't make that mistake again. I've been to way better aquariums for less cost.

Great place to go anytime of the year. Fun for the whole family clean and very well maintained. What a blessing to have this to go to so close

I really liked this Aquarium. Tbere were multiple view points to see the penguins and seals and sea lions so you could see them swim and see them on their land. There were so many touch tanks! I liked the sea stars, sea urchins, shirmp, lobster, sting rays, and jelly fish touch spots!

This place is awesome. Our kids really love it - the penguins are amazing. Shark exhibit it great too. I suggest buying tickets online first!

We loved the Aquarium in Galveston! We popped in when we were at a tournament and it provided the perfect amount of entertainment for our kiddos. They enjoyed the glow in the dark jelly fish, the stingrays, and the sharks. It was well laid out and clean. The staff were friendly and informative. My only complaint was the prices. Having been to larger aquariums that charged roughly the same but offered more, we felt it was not worth the prices. But it was still a great experience!

Really disappointed. We were told they would be taking limited amounts of people inside and that everyone had to pay in advance. Sounded safe. But as we walked up people were buying tickets and no one was enforcing social distancing. It was not as crowded as before the virus, but people were still breathing down each other's back. To top that off we went downstairs to the cafeteria and it was super limited options and FILTHY! There was not one clean table and the floor has food scattered everywhere along with spilt drink. There was no hand sanitizer available anywhere. It was super dirty according to pre virus expectations let alone NOW. I hope they improve the staff and the sanitation of the facility. We come here often and were looking forward to some form of normalcy.... what we got was way worse. I had to ask the lady working at the counter for some paper towels and disinfectant spray so we could clear a table to eat at. She almost handed me the supplies before realizing she should be the one to clean up the mess. You pay way too much to have an experience like that.

Took the family to the aquarium for a day of fun but my little girl tripped and skinned her knee on the way in. We went to the bathroom to fix her up, but no paper towels. No big deal, I went over to the two young girls scanning tickets and asked if they had any paper towels or anything to put on her knee to wipe off the blood. They shook their head no. Husband comes in from buying tickets to see if we were interested in an annual pass, I went back to the bathroom to rinse off the blood now dripping down her leg. Husband asks two girls if they have a safety kit or if they can find someone else who can assist us. He was not rude or loud. They do not respond to him. They ignored him. I've never had such a bizarre and disappointing experience. Humanity at its absolute worst. There are better aquariums in Houston. Moody Gardens is an embarrassment to Galveston. Your time and money are better spent elsewhere. Take a dolphin tour and see the 1877 Elissa instead.

Not that much to look at. Also it is so crowded that your nose to nose with people and impossible to enjoy it. People are rude and will push right through you. If you are worried about Covid, do not come here! They should do reservations or something.

I was disappointed with the aquarium. It was so small. We finished in like 20 mins. They charge more that the big aquariums. And there wasn't a whole lot to see.

It seemed like the same fish were in every display. Very quick tour. Not worth the money.

I've been in Houston for about 4 yrs and finally made my way to galveston. The aquarium wasn't bad but wasnt amazing either. I am happy I went and it was worth the money spent but thats about it. The penguins and sea lions were pretty cool and they gave underwater viewings also which I enjoyed. If you have not had a lot of experience with aquariums then it would be a great experience. Unfortunitily, I grew up near a couple great aquariums in California so my expectations may be a little high. Overall if you are in the area and like sea creatures it is worth the time to check it out.

After hearing about the "Multi-million dollar" renovation, myself and my family decided to spend an afternoon visiting the aquarium. I was not very impressed with the renovations. The seals had a neat exhibit as well as the penguins. The Jellyfish room only had a couple tanks with Jellyfish. The exhibit was very short, not what I would have expected for the price that we paid. There were many knowledgeable staff walking around presenting interesting information about the sea life.

The worst!! We went today traveled around the pyramid and the kids were hungry so we went to the food court. Ordered ONE chicken tender basket for them. Waited 30min and nothing!! We noticed a lot of people standing around. I was number 63. There was a gentleman that was number 43 and still not served. Customers began asking for food and the boy taking orders just went "um". A lady went to the counter and asked for fries. She was served IMMEDIATELY. Then she noticed there were nuggets on the bottom and told the boy that she didn't want nuggets but just fries. After she touched them he put it back under the heating lamps! Talk about a food sanitary violation! I went to the counter and asked for a manager. He came 5min later I told him everything (from the poor service to touched food being returned) his response? "It's busy"... please. I know it's spring break but you have 2workers only? And touched food returned? So I asked to speak to someone above and he said "I'm the highest manager". Well dude. You suck. You suck at managing. He left and 10min later returned with a number 409-683-4254 for Andres... no one answered. I'm so upset I'm on the verge of Reporting the unsanitary conditions!!! Do not go there or eat there!!!

I saw some of the cutest baby penguins here. Some of them were even obese and you can watch the keepers feeding them a certain times. Just one of the things that stood out to me.

Very small aquarium with few exhibits that stand out. I was a bit disconcerted that they didn't have more devoted to sea life in the Gulf of Mexico. The sea-lion exhibit was great, as were the penguins. Educational staff floating around to answer questions-- very informative. We were a bit surprised at the pricing- very expensive for the experience. Overall disappointed in the value for the money spent.

Seals and penguins are fun to watch for a while.

We had a wonderful time!!! The exhibits are cool and the staff was very nice! I will say it is PRICEY though!!! $72 for just 2 people!

I've lived in the South Houston area for years and years and never went to the pyramids. Finally went for Easter. It wasn't crowded. I enjoyed exploring the section and different cries of the larger tanks. They have a seal attraction that you can view from the too, and 3 other sides from under the water. The penguins were the same they offered different views of Their habitats. The smaller aquariums were labeled well and educational. I would recommend looking at groupon or other discount ticket apps. 39.95 per person is a little high in my opinion. (Maybe I'm cheap) it's not huge, but they do have a nice variety of fish/animals.

This is such a small aquarium. Really there wasn't much to see at all and it's super expensive. $120 for 3 adults 1 child. Super packed. It was so busy and the parking was pretty far. Kids were screaming and running everywhere. It was hard also to figure out where to go in the exhibits. We ended up at the door to leave and realized we missed some stuff had to back track through the crowds and exited out the front.