After twelve years tucked into the basement of a Victorian mansion, the Galveston Children's Museum is packing up its Lego wall and pretend medical scrubs for a much bigger stage. Starting in November, the nonprofit will begin a two-year residency inside Moody Gardens' Discovery Pyramid, trading a historic home for one of the island's busiest tourist attractions.
The museum has operated since 2014 out of the ground-floor basement of the Moody Mansion at 2618 Broadway Street, a 28,000-square-foot Victorian Romanesque home built in 1895 for Texas financier W.L. Moody Jr., according to Visit Galveston. As reported by Click2Houston, the residency is set to run through January 7, 2029, moving the museum into the Discovery Pyramid, the smallest of Moody Gardens' three glass pyramids.
Executive Director Zahrah M. Ektefaei said the move represents more than a change of address, according to the outlet's reporting. She said the residency will build something rooted in Galveston's identity while widening the museum's reach, and added that every child should leave inspired by both the discoveries and the community around them.
What Happens to the Mansion Legacy
The Moody Mansion, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1967, per Moody Mansion, gave the children's museum its start when it was founded in 2014 by retired local educator Nancy Schultz, according to the Galveston Island Guide. Schultz spent 28 years teaching elementary school in Galveston and San Antonio before founding the museum as a dedicated play-based learning space, the outlet notes. The Mary Moody Northen Endowment, headquartered adjacent to the mansion at 2628 Broadway, provided the museum's initial space and ongoing support throughout its first decade, per Cause IQ financial filings showing the endowment granted the nonprofit $100,096 in 2024.
Those same filings show the Galveston Children's Museum has grown into a $500,000-plus organization, generating $518,250 in total revenue against $474,373 in expenses in 2024 while employing a staff of 19. The original mansion location built its reputation on hands-on exhibits for children ages 2 to 10, including the Kids Clinic, Tinker Workshop, the Building Zone Lego wall, and A Stroke of Genius art studio, according to Kidzapp.
A Bigger Footprint at Moody Gardens
Moody Gardens ranks among Galveston Island's largest nonprofit educational and tourist destinations, operating three signature glass structures — the Aquarium, Rainforest, and Discovery Pyramids — alongside a 428-room resort hotel and convention center, according to Moody Gardens. The Discovery Pyramid itself covers about 6,000 square feet and has traditionally hosted rotating interactive science and technology exhibitions, a role the children's museum will now step into with its own reimagined design.
Moody Gardens President and CEO John Zendt said the collaboration aligns with the venue's educational focus, according to Click2Houston's reporting. The museum plans new interactive exhibits and imaginative play areas built around Galveston's coastal heritage, maritime history, arts community, and innovation, along with expanded STEM activities and maker-focused, hands-on building experiences. Some familiar elements from the mansion years will carry over even as the museum designs a reimagined experience for its new pyramid home.
Admission Stays at $7 Despite the Upgrade
One of the biggest questions raised in the community after the announcement was whether visiting the children's museum would now require buying a full Moody Gardens park ticket. Museum leaders confirmed that will not be the case, according to the Galveston County Daily News, which reported the museum will maintain its standard admission rate along with its “Everybody Plays” discount program for low-income families enrolled in SNAP, WIC, or Medicaid.
Prior to the move announcement, that admission stood at $7 for visitors ages 2 and older, alongside monthly Family Free Nights held on the second Thursday of each month, according to Kids Out and About Houston. Whether those Family Free Nights or other specific programming details will carry over to the Discovery Pyramid residency has not yet been detailed by the museum.
Working Toward a Permanent Home
The nonprofit describes the Moody Gardens residency as a temporary step while it continues working toward a permanent standalone home, according to Click2Houston's reporting. In the meantime, the museum is asking artists, educators, makers, engineers, businesses, volunteers, and philanthropic partners to get involved, with community partners able to support exhibit design, sponsorships, in-kind support, and other collaborations.
Museum officials say membership, sponsorship, volunteer, and opening celebration details will be announced in the coming months. Ektefaei framed the move as an effort to expand hands-on learning and community engagement built by the community itself, with more information available through the museum's website and social media channels.
