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Holiday in the Gardens
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Holiday in the Gardens
Celebrate 25 years of the Gulf Coast's biggest holiday event. Stroll along a mile-long sparkling Holiday Lights Trail (formerly Festival of Lights) set to your favorite festive music, then step inside ICE LAND, a frosty wonderland of towering, hand-carved ice sculptures.
Lace up for ice skating, dive into dazzling 3D and 4D holiday films, and settle in for the all-new A Very Electric Christmas Live Show.
Cap it off with festive dining the whole family will love. Holiday in the Gardens runs Nov. 21, 2026 to Jan. 2, 2027, with free parking throughout the festival.
Festival at a glance
Dates
November 21, 2026 to January 2, 2027
Where
Moody Gardens,
1 Hope Boulevard, Galveston, TX
1 Hope Boulevard, Galveston, TX
Hours
Holiday Lights Trail is open 5:30 to 10 PM. Holiday Evening Pass valid after 4 PM.
Tickets from
Holiday Lights Trail $24, ICE LAND $29, Holiday Evening Pass $55
Parking
Free throughout the festival
fun for
Families, couples, groups, school and corporate parties
HoLiday in the gardens
ticket options
Grab one ticket for the whole evening, or choose the one experience your crew can't wait for!
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Holiday Evening Pass
- ICE LAND
- Holiday Lights
- Aquarium Pyramid
- MG3D Holiday Film
- Four Arctic Slide rides
- 4D Holiday Film
- Kiddie Train ride
- Ice Skating Rink
Starting at $55*
Valid after 4 PM. Skate rentals sold separately.
Holiday Lights Trail
A mile-long walk through more than two million lights set to holiday music, plus ice skating rink admission.
Starting at $24*
Holiday Lights Trail opens at 5:30 PM. Skate rentals sold separately.
ICE LAND only
Timed entry to ICE LAND: Caribbean Christmas, kept at 9 degrees with parkas provided.
Starting at $29*
Adults (13-64) $35.
*Starting prices. Prices vary by age and date. Lowest Holiday Evening Pass and Holiday Lights Trail prices are on Value Nights, Sunday through Thursday nights between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17.
Parking is free throughout the festival. Visiting Sunday through Thursday? See Value Nights for 2-for-1 theme nights.
Holiday Hotel Packages
Stay where the holidays come to life. Moody Gardens Hotel has been refreshed top to bottom, and our newest redesigned rooms are some of the freshest accommodations in Galveston.
Wake up just steps from ICE LAND, the mile-long Holiday Lights trail, and every attraction during Holiday in The Gardens.
Each package below starts with an overnight stay in a refreshed room — most add holiday tickets and covered parking, so the whole getaway is wrapped up in one rate.
Holiday Value Package BEST VALUE
Hotel stay for couples (2) or the family (4), plus Value Day passes to every attraction and covered parking. Family Packages include a Holiday Kids Experience.*
Lights & Ice Package Great value
Room for a couple (2) or the family (4), plus ICE LAND, Holiday Lights & ice skating with covered parking. Family Packages include a Holiday Kids Experience.*
*Holiday Kids Experience: guided tour of the Aquarium Pyramid prior to opening (only available on select dates) and a surprise gift pack per night of your stay!
Plan your visit
What to Expect at Holiday in The Gardens
ICE LAND: Caribbean Christmas
Master carvers from Harbin, China, shaped more than 2 million pounds of ice into an undersea world. Ride an oil rig ice slide through the Flower Garden Banks, past tropical fish, eagle rays, turtles and sharks. Raise a festive cocktail at Shiver's Ice Bar, then warm up with hot cocoa once you're out of the cold.
Buy TicketsLearn More ›Holiday Lights Trail
Brighten up the holidays! A mile-long trail with more than two million lights and lighted scenes takes you around the Moody Gardens property with spectacular views of Galveston Bay. Enjoy the area’s only outdoor skating rink, concession areas with hot chocolate and festive food, holiday buffets and more.
Buy TicketsLearn More ›
A Very Electric Christmas Live Holiday Show
A Very Electric Christmas, a glow-in-the-dark live spectacle from the acclaimed Lightwire Theater. Watch the holidays light up as electroluminescent puppetry brings a wonderful winter journey to life on stage. Every show ticket includes Holiday Lights Trail admission.
Buy TicketsLearn More ›Ice Skating Rink
Glide under the lights on our outdoor rink. Rink admission comes with every Holiday Lights ticket and Holiday Evening Pass. Skate rental is extra.
Buy TicketsLearn More ›
Arctic Slide
Grab a mat and race down for a quick rush of winter fun. Four rides are included with the Holiday Evening Pass.
Buy TicketsLearn More ›
Holiday 3D & 4D Films
Scrooge 4D: A Christmas Carol and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4D play in the 4D Special FX Theater, with holiday 3D films in the MG3D Theater.
Buy TicketsLearn More ›
Train Rides
Little conductors roll through a stretch of Holiday Lights aboard the Kiddie Train, music and all.
Buy TicketsLearn More ›Family favoriteBreakfast with Santa
December 12, 13, 19–23
A family buffet breakfast and photo time with Santa on select December mornings in the hotel ballroom.
New this yearGingerbread House Dining
Now through January 2
Gather your crew inside a walk-in gingerbread house at Café in the Park for a two-hour holiday meal. $50 per party plus your entrées (entrée order required). Call (409) 683-4465 to reserve.
Holiday shoppingNutcracker Market
November 27–28
Shop local vendors for gifts, holiday decor and treats in the Moody Gardens Hotel ballroom. $5 admission, free for hotel guests.
%20-%20reduced.avif)
Holiday Dining
Enjoy festive buffets; Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining options and fine dining at Shearn's, all chef-crafted for the season.
Holiday dining optionsLearn More ›
Special Holiday Hotel Packages
Bundle a refreshed room with attraction passes and wake up steps from every light, slide, and show.
Explore packagesLearn More ›.avif)
Family New YearNew Year's Palooza
December 30 to 31
Two nights at Moody Gardens Hotel to ring in 2027. The package adds attraction passes, A Very Electric Christmas show tickets, and Palooza fun with laser tag, air hockey, bounce houses, a beach ball drop and fireworks at Palm Beach, then an adults-only party in the Moody Ballroom with Radio Live.
%20-%20reduced.avif)
Groups: Make it Merrier and Save 10%
Moody Gardens can accommodate groups of all sizes. Whether it's a group of 20 or more at our attractions or a large corporate holiday party in our ballroom, we'll make it memorable, all with a 10% discount.
Call:(409) 683-4558
Email:attractionsales@moodygardens.org
Plan your night: quick answers
When is Holiday in the Gardens open?
Nightly from November 21, 2026 through January 2, 2027. The Holiday Evening Pass is valid after 4 PM, and the Holiday Lights Trail opens at 5:30 PM. Check Daily Hours before you go.
How much are Holiday in the Gardens tickets?
Holiday Lights Trail tickets start at $24, ICE LAND at $29 and the Holiday Evening Pass at $55. Prices vary by age and date, and the lowest prices are on Value Nights, Sunday through Thursday between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17.
Is parking free?
Yes. Parking is free throughout the festival. See Map and Directions to plan your drive.
What should I wear to ICE LAND?
ICE LAND is kept at about 9 degrees. Parkas are provided, and hats, gloves and closed-toe shoes help you stay warm longer.
Is ice skating included?
Rink admission comes with every Holiday Lights Trail ticket and Holiday Evening Pass. Skate rentals are sold separately.
Can I stay overnight with a holiday package?
Yes. The Holiday Value and Lights & Ice packages pair a night at Moody Gardens Hotel with holiday tickets and covered parking. See holiday hotel packages.
Build your night
Who’s coming with you?
Pick your crew and we will map a route through Holiday in the Gardens, along with the ticket that covers it.
Little onesKids 48 inches and underKids and tweensSlides, ice and filmsDate nightTwo adults, one eveningThe whole familyGrandparents includedStaying overMake it a weekend
12341234123Dinner at Shearn’s
Holiday dinners at Shearn’s Seafood & Prime Steaks, with views of Galveston Bay.
Holiday Dining ›41Pick a Value Night
Sunday through Thursday nights between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17 bring the lowest prices of the season.
Value Nights ›23A Very Electric Christmas
A glowing live show the whole family can sit down for together.
Holiday Show ›4123
4Ring in the new year
New Year’s Eve Palooza is a family celebration in the hotel ballroom.
New Year’s Eve ›*Adult (13-64) starting price. Prices vary by date. Lowest prices on Value Nights, Sunday through Thursday nights between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17.
Ring in the New Year
New Year's Eve at Moody Gardens
Toast to 2027 in style — an elegant dinner with a view of the fireworks, or a dazzling night of music and dancing.
NEW YEAR'S EVE · DECEMBER 31, 2026
New Year's Palooza
Ring in 2027 with the whole family. New Year's Palooza takes over the Frances Anne Moody Ballroom at Moody Gardens Hotel and turns the last night of the year into an indoor playground.
Kids take on bounce houses, arcade games, air hockey, and foosball in the Family Fun Zone while parents unwind in the Adult Lounge.
New Year's Palooza hotel packages are available for one or two nights, Dec. 30 to Jan. 1, and include tickets to A Very Electric Christmas.
New Year's Eve Dinner
Shearn's Seafood & Prime Steaks
Celebrate with the three-course New Year's Eve Special and views of Galveston Bay and the evening's fireworks.
Make reservationsNew Year's Eve Celebration
December 31 · Moody Gardens HotelMusic by Radio Live
Celebrate, sparkle and dance your way into the new year with music by Radio Live. Enjoy delicious hors d'oeuvres, two complimentary drink tickets, a cash bar and a beach ball drop at midnight. This celebration is for guests 21 and older.
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