Icy Galveston holiday starring SpongeBob

Inside a 28,000 square-foot tent on the tropical island of Galveston, Texas, a team of Chinese artisans are wielding chainsaws and picks to shape blocks of ice into a holiday themed event.  The climate-controlled environment is a frigid 9 degrees. Dressed in protective garb, the ice carvers are transforming blocks of pink, blue and green ice into Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, Christmas trees, and an assortment of  underwater creatures.

For 45 days, ice carvers will sculpt around the clock creating a winter wonderland at Moody Gardens.  If the 900 tons of ice blocks were stacked one upon another, they would be as tall as 11 Empire State buildings.

The public is not allowed inside until November 15 when ICE LAND: Ice Sculptures with SpongeBob SquarePants debuts. Excited children and their families will don courtesy parkas and enter a staging area to watch a video of how the magical world of ice was built, swoosh down an ice slide, and walk through nine holiday scenes featuring the Bikini Bottom inhabitants.  Krabby Patty not only wants the secret formula, but he is trying to ruin Christmas!  Find out if SpongeBob can save the day in this very cool exhibit.

The ice sculptures are the latest addition to Moody Gardens annual Festival of Lights celebration which features more than a million lights and an outdoor skating rink ($7.00 skate rental).  Admission to Festival of Lights is $8.95 per person. The ICE LAND exhibit  admission is $26.95 for adults, $21.95 seniors and $15.95 for children.  Both events are open November 15-January 3. Visit www.moodygardens.com to buy tickets.

Moody Gardens is an amazing educational destination with an aquarium, rain forest, theaters, paddle wheel boat and more.

For a unique holiday get-away book a room at the newly renovated Moody Gardens Hotel.  The “Family Package” includes a guest room for one night, 2 “adult” tickets &  2 “child” tickets to ICE LAND, 4 tickets to Festival of Lights, a $40 resort credit, 2 holiday plush toy at check-in, a special children’s turndown and valet parking.

Sunday-Thursday-$229.00 plus tax

Friday-Saturday-$279.00 plus tax

To book the ICE LAND Family Package call 888.388.8484 or visit www.moodygardenshotel.com.

Pricing good November 15, 2014 – January 4, 2015. Package is not available December 31, 2014.

Galveston is 50 miles southeast of Houston.  For assistance planning a trip visit www.galveston.com.