The Galveston Children's Museum opens in the Moody Gardens Discovery Pyramid on Sunday, November 1, 2026, with admission included in your Moody Gardens ticket.
The Galveston Children's Museum opens inside the Discovery Pyramid at Moody Gardens on Sunday, November 1, 2026, beginning a two-year residency that runs through January 2029. It is a new chapter for a museum that has been part of Island life since 2014, and one more reason for families to plan a full day with us.
The reimagined museum features hands-on STEM exhibits, imaginative play, and maker activities inspired by Galveston's coastal heritage, maritime history, and arts community.
Starting Sunday, November 1, the Discovery Pyramid takes on an entirely new personality.
Since opening in 2014, the Museum has grown into a regional destination for play-based learning, reaching thousands of children and families every year through interactive exhibits, camps, field trips, homeschool programs, and community events.
For families already planning a visit to Galveston, it means one more hands-on stop on a campus built around curiosity.
"This is much more than a new location," said Zahrah M. Ektefaei, Executive Director of the Galveston Children's Museum. "We're entering our next chapter. This residency gives us the opportunity to create something that reflects the creativity, history, and spirit of Galveston while expanding our impact across the Gulf Coast."
This is not a copy-and-paste move.
The Galveston Children's Museum built its new experience specifically for the Discovery Pyramid, drawing on Galveston's coastal heritage, maritime history, arts community, and spirit of innovation. Working alongside local artists, makers, educators, and community partners, the Museum created immersive experiences that celebrate the Island's character while encouraging kids to explore, create, and discover.
Families will find the exhibits they already know and love, plus expanded STEM experiences, new interactive exhibits, imaginative play areas, and maker activities. The residency also opens the door to fresh collaborations with schools, cultural organizations, and local businesses across Galveston County.
Starting Sunday, November 1, 2026, the museum is open daily during Moody Gardens attraction hours, and 9 to 10 AM is reserved for Galveston Children's Museum members. Check today's times on our Daily Hours page before you go.
Admission is included with your Moody Gardens ticket, so a morning in the Rainforest Pyramid and Aquarium Pyramid can roll right into an afternoon of play upstairs in the Discovery Pyramid. The museum is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and the Sunday after the Momus Parade.
Downstairs, the Audience Recognition Theater keeps running 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: An Interactive Adventure, where guests help steer the Nautilus alongside Deep, Echo, and Torque.
From there, the rest of Moody Gardens is steps away, including the Aquarium Pyramid, the Rainforest Pyramid, the MG3D and 4D theaters, the Ropes Course and Zip Line, and everything else on property.
Education has been part of the mission here from the beginning.
"Education has always been at the heart of Moody Gardens' mission, and we're pleased to welcome the Galveston Children's Museum to the Discovery Museum," said John Zendt, president and CEO of Moody Gardens. "Their hands-on approach to learning complements the educational experiences offered throughout our property while creating new opportunities for children and families to explore, discover and play together. We look forward to working together with the museum as it begins this exciting next chapter."
Moody Gardens is a public, non-profit destination focused on conservation, education, research, and rehabilitation. A children's museum built on learning through play is a natural fit next door to a rainforest and an aquarium.
The Galveston Children's Museum is asking the Island for help.
The Museum continues to invite artists, makers, educators, engineers, fabricators, businesses, volunteers, and philanthropic partners to take part through exhibit design, sponsorships, in-kind support, volunteer opportunities, and creative collaborations.
"The Galveston Children's Museum has always been built by the community," Ektefaei said. "Every exhibit, every program, and every milestone has been possible because people believed in the power of learning through play. As we begin this next chapter, we're inviting our community to help us create a children's museum that could only exist in Galveston."
.avif)
%20(1).avif)
