About Moody Mansion

Explore Galveston History at Moody Mansion

Restored to its turn-of-the-century splendor, Galveston’s 28,000-square-foot, four-story Moody Mansion is an historic home completed in 1895. The home has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior since 1994 and a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark since 1967.

Today, our guests visit 20 rooms on a 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, newspaper publishing, railroading, and hotels.

W.L Moody Jr. bought the Galveston Broadway mansion from the heirs of the original owners soon after the Great Galveston Storm of September 8, 1900. It was designed by British architect William H. Tyndall and decorated by the world-famous interior design firm of Pottier & Stymus of New York.

Mr. and Mrs. Moody and their four children celebrated their first Christmas in the house in December of that year, just three months after the 1900 hurricane. The house remained home to Moody family members until 1983, when Hurricane Alicia caused major damage. Following repairs and restoration, it was opened as a house museum in 1991. Today, its rooms are filled with the furnishings and personal effects of the family.

The philanthropic legacy of the Moody family of Galveston is carried on today by the Moody Foundation and the Mary Moody Northen Endowment. Both charitable foundations are major forces in health care, education, historic preservation, and the arts.

Touring Moody Mansion

Self-guided audio tour:

  • Listen to the narrative about each room on your mobile phone as you explore at your own pace

  • Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last ticket is sold at 4 p.m.)

  • No reservation needed

  • Adults (age 18 and older) $15

  • Family/Friends package save 15% when purchasing tickets at the same time

Guided All-Access 2-Hour Tour:

  • Join us for an exclusive guided "All-Access" tour at 3:45 p.m. on Fridays and twice on Saturdays: 8:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.

  • The tour lasts approximately 2 hours

  • Admission is $40 per person, all ages

  • A knowledgeable guide takes a limited number of guests to areas of the historic Galveston home not normally seen by visitors

  • Tours are limited to 10 people

Gather a group:

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To view our museum orientation video about the Moody Family’s history, click above.

The Galveston Children’s Museum

The Galveston Children’s Museum on the ground floor of Moody Mansion has a wealth of hands-on activities for children.

A separate fee is charged for admission.

Learn more
Illustration of a sandcastle with a flag on top, with the text 'Galveston Children's Museum' beside it.

Tour Our Latest Exhibit - “Women of Moody Mansion”

“Women of Moody Mansion” is our new exhibit about the three women who lived here during the early 1900s, and how they were shaped by their times and in turn how they shaped society as we know it today.  You’ll meet the mother, who ran the Moody household and guided her daughters through their early years, the eldest child, Mary Moody Northen, who inherited the family fortune and her father’s ability to manage it, and youngest child, Libbie Moody Thompson, who became a guiding force in the nation’s capital.

A historical display titled 'Women of the Moody Mansion: Their Lives in the Early Twentieth Century' showing portraits of three women: Libbie Rice Shearn Moody (1869-1943), Mary Moody Northen (1892-1986), and Libbie Moody Thompson (1897-1990). The display discusses women's suffrage movement and their contributions, highlighting their lives in the early 1900s and their roles in society.

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