Moody Mansion
Moody Mansion
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Restored to its turn of the century splendor, the 28,000 square-foot, four-story structure was completed in 1895. Today, our guests visit 20 rooms on a self-guided tour that depicts the home life of a powerful Texas family. The Moodys established one of the great American financial empires. Based on cotton, it grew to include banking, ranching, insurance and hotels. The mansion is one of the finest places to visit, a trip back in time. Touring the museum should definitely be on the top on the list for things to do on Historic Galveston Island. Tour Information: Self-guided Audio Tours: Children 6 & Under Free Self-guided audio tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (last tickets sold at 4p.m.; house closes at 5 p.m.) Behind-the-scenes Tours: Exclusive docent-guided tours to areas not normally open to the public 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday | limited size tours | reservations highly recommended Group Tours: Moody Mansion tour descriptions: Self-guided audio tours: Two audio tours allow you to set your own pace through the house and grounds. • The Moody Family tour features six members of the Moody family telling stories about their ancestors. This tour is also translated into Spanish. • Mary’s tour, appropriate for children and adults, is narrated by an actress portraying the late Mary Moody Northen as if she were guiding you through her home. Guided 25th Anniversary Tour: Behind-the-scenes tours celebrate the 25th anniversary of Moody Mansion’s restoration. A knowledgeable docent guides guests through areas not normally open to the public, describing Mary Moody Northen’s vision for preserving her home and sharing her collections. These tours are conducted at 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tour size is limited; reservations are highly recommended.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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See what travelers are saying
- BensMom2Fort Worth, Texas210 contributionsLovely tour of the Moody Mansion!My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour at this beautiful home.Beginning with 3 of the family cars in pristine condition. The tour was so professionally put together, along with a guided tour. But our favorite part was the info we received from Bobbi, a volunteer docent. You could tell she was so proud of the home and gave us so much extra information! It has a lot of the original furniture, and I loved seeing the fashion from the ladies of the home. Very well done!Visited September 2023Traveled with friendsWritten September 24, 2023
- sharrongegHenderson, Nevada3,698 contributionsGreat Galveston HistoryWe really enjoyed our visit to the Moody Mansion today. Adult entry was $15 per person and included a small car collection. You could tell that a few generations of the same family really loved this house. One downside….the audio tour is available by clicking on a QR code. Sadly a few senior people didn’t quite understand that they should keep the volume on their phones low. A hand held, wand type of audio guide would have made the self guided tour more pleasant. The audio guide was very good and often narrated by a living relative of the Moody family. We stayed just over an hour.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 14, 2023
- 404HappyTravellerSaskatchewan, Canada482 contributionsA wonderfully preserved period mansionThis is an outstanding example of the opulent style of lifestyle that the upper class of the time lived. It is a very well preserved and restored mansion, and is nicely organized for a very interesting tour throughout most of the house. There are several options for touring the premises and we chose to just wander through on our own and read the information as we went. In addition to the main house and family history, there several vehicles on display in the “garage” behind the main house. Very well done - interesting and informative.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 2, 2024
- Ed HGeorgetown, Texas128 contributionsThis is a must see.What a wonderful place to visit! It’s a beautiful well maintained mansion. What made it especially nice were all of the personal touches in other various rooms. All of the furniture was original from when the family lived there, and there was a lot of family history attached to everything. I would highly recommend spending a few hours here. The Moodys were quite a family!Visited April 2024Traveled with familyWritten April 19, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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MissyK91
23 contributions
Sep 2020
We took the self guided tour. It was awesome. They give you a small device about the size of a cell phone in a plastic zip lock bag. Yes, it works just fine in the bag. The whole tour is very well organized. When you enter a room there's a sign with a 3-digit number for the tour you're doing. You type the number into the device and a voice comes on giving you incredibly interesting details about what life was like living in the mansion. The cool part is if you do the "Mary Moody" tour, it's actually her voice on the device. It was just an awesome place to visit and experience.
Written October 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandy R
Taylor, TX91 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Enjoyed our visit. Like looking at old architecture and homes. Pocket doors and windows in the ballroom were especially interesting as well as the hidden indoor shutters. Good for those who like touring the past.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul P
Dallas, TX471 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
The Moody Mansion is a grand home definitely worth seeing. Admission includes a very comprehensive audio tour, much of which is narrated by Moody descendants. There are also a couple of docents inside the home to answer questions.
The ladies in the ticket office seemed completely befuddled by the fact that I had bought my tickets online and didn’t seem to care at all that I had the confirmation on my phone. They were not particularly welcoming, but we got past that.
The tour starts in the garage with a video about the family and a view of three of their cars. You then proceed to the mansion and enter the front door. All rooms on the first and second floor can be viewed and have audio.
There are stairs up to the front door and of course to the second floor.
The ladies in the ticket office seemed completely befuddled by the fact that I had bought my tickets online and didn’t seem to care at all that I had the confirmation on my phone. They were not particularly welcoming, but we got past that.
The tour starts in the garage with a video about the family and a view of three of their cars. You then proceed to the mansion and enter the front door. All rooms on the first and second floor can be viewed and have audio.
There are stairs up to the front door and of course to the second floor.
Written April 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EpicGuy12
Queen Creek, AZ876 contributions
Oct 2021
We were in town and wanted to take a tour of this wonderfully historic home. We paid the modest ticket price and decided to do a self-tour which was well worth it. While there is a 3rd story you aren't allowed up there unless you go on one of the guided tours of home. That being said this place is quite beautiful and frozen in time so it was amazing to see so much of the original furniture and decorations. The furniture was so intricate and the craftsmanship on the interior is something to behold. You really stand there and imagine what it must have been like back on the island at that time. This place really is worth a visit if you enjoy history.
Written November 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GinnyK
Choctaw, OK46 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
We decided to tour the Moody Mansion due to rainy weather and looking for an inside activity on a recent post cruise stay on the island. I love the history of Galveston especially around the era where the Moody family first owned the mansion. The mansion tour is very well done with an audio app accessed on phone via a QR code. There are also options if you aren’t connected to a device. There is a multitude of information given on the history of the Moody family and additional commentary by living Moody family members. Their influence and significance to the island amazing and still very present. All exhibits are very well maintained and all original to the mansion. The guide told us the Moody’s acquired then nearly new mansion just after the hurricane for $20K. It was their family home for many years and was preserved by the family as a museum after it was no longer a home. The tour includes grounds, cars and most floors. You can do a tour of upper floors for an additional fee at certain times (once per day a few times a week). Parking is ample and free. Tour is $15 per person. You can also buy a Broadway Beauties tour pass and tour Bishop’s Palace as well for a discounted price. We had done that tour before and it’s also worth the money.
Written April 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CKL
Georgia80 contributions
May 2021
This is a beautifully maintained mansion with many of the family’s original furnishings. It is a self-guided audio tour with 2 audio tracks to choose from. One track describes the rooms with additional narrative information provided by living Moody family members and relatives. The second track is a rather cloying and pretentious presentation of basically the same information by someone portraying Mary Moody at age 16. I found this second track annoying. While the descriptions of the rooms and their uses and inhabitants were interesting and detailed, I wanted more information about the specific objects in the rooms. I liked the small signs placed about the house reminding people to social distance and not touch the artifacts. They were light-hearted and got the point across without being negative or overbearing. The room detailing conservation measures was very interesting and provided a different way to look at objects. The family history is presented over and over until you feel the Moody family is part of yours! All in all, definitely worth a visit.
Written May 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MelissaWP
Shorewood, IL509 contributions
Aug 2022
We arrived here on a Tuesday late morning and it was not crowded with ample free parking in the back lot. We spent $30 for the self-guided audio tour for two of us, which was pricey in our opinion for the experience. It's a beautiful mansion and fascinating tour. Although the woman from whom we purchased tickets was very nice, the older woman inside of the mansion who had to let us exit was very rude and harsh.
Written September 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meggie
Baton Rouge, LA8 contributions
Jul 2023
Beautiful house wonderfully restored, full of history. Monday morning was not crowded, the parking lot is tight but was not full. $30 for two, took us a bit over an hour. Highly recommend bringing headphones and make sure your phone is charged. We would count down together, 3, 2, 1 Play then press at the same time so we could hear the same audio track at the same time. Felt transported to an older simpler time.
Written July 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Love2Wander
Parry Sound, Canada948 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Love the history on Galveston Island! I was at this historic house about 15 years ago when I lived on the island. My kids (ages 11 & 9) really wanted to see an old house in Galveston & they chose this one! The handheld audio was perfect for my kids to go to room to room & listen about the history!! It kept their attention & was long enough to give history & features of the rooms & family. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much better the museum had gotten with the addition of the garage area & children's museum! A must see if you're interested in Galveston's history!
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ANW1988
Nacogdoches, TX34 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We recently toured the Moody Mansion for the first time. We enjoyed it very much. The rooms are beautiful with such elaborate detail. We had the audio tour that told us about each room in the house. The curator was very helpful and was ready to talk to us and answer any questions that we had. The ladies in the gift shop were very kind as well. So cool to see a piece of history in this beautiful house.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There is a one person elevator. Worked for my friend. Request assistance at the ticket sales.
Written December 13, 2018
Hi, do you have to take the audio tour, or can you just look around? Thank you.
Written February 20, 2018
When we went we were handed the audio Tour because that was part of the admission price but by no means do you have to listen to it but is very informative
Written February 20, 2018
Is the Moody Mansion ADA compliant? My mother has a walker and we would like to tour next month.
Written May 1, 2017
I do not believe that it is. It is basically in it's original condition and I do not remember any ramps or such for a wheelchair and it is multi-story.
Written May 10, 2017
Sorry - I didn't see that. Doesn't sound right - there's no stables or anything like that on the grounds of Moody Mansion that I saw.
Written May 24, 2016
When will the Christmas decorations be taken down?
Written December 18, 2015
We were told in September by our guide that they would be up until the first day of Mardis Gras when there would be a big party with free food and drinks--the only day of the year that you can see the mansion decorated for Christmas for free! You may want to call to confirm.
Written December 20, 2015
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