Come and explore the extraordinary world of science at the Discovery Pyramid®. Spectacular traveling exhibits from around the country provide interactive demonstrations showcasing the world of science that surrounds you.
OPENING NOVEMBER 21 Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America through Galveston Island
OPENING WEEKEND EVENTS Presentation & Guided Tour by Suzanne Seriff Saturday, Nov. 21: 12 p.m. 2 p.m., 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22: 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m. Special presentation & guided tour through the Forgotten Gateway exhibit given by the exhibit curator Suzanne Seriff Ph.D. Free Showing of Galveston, Gateway on the Gulf Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m. 11 a.m. The story of Galveston immigrants and how they shaped the social, cultural and economic life of the island from 1835 to 1935. This 2D show will be shown in the 4D Special FX Theater free. PBS production The Houston Civic Symphony Concert Sunday, Nov. 22, 3 p.m., $15.95 (Concert + Forgotten Gateway) Please see below for more information.
The traveling exhibit Forgotten Gateway chronicles the Port of Galveston’s largely forgotten history as a major gateway to American immigration from 1845 to 1924. Forgotten Gateway builds on a growing scholarly and public interest in the history of migration patterns to America and Galveston’s place as one of the nation’s top immigrant ports in that history.
This exhibit is the first of its kind to explore Galveston’s legacy as a port of entry on a national scale. It will bring to light the little-known yet rich era of Galveston’s history and just how important it was to the growth of Texas and the American Midwest.
Long before Ellis Island processed its first immigrant, Galveston was a port of entry for hundreds of thousands of immigrants. While the New York counterpart made it a natural port for Europeans, Galveston attracted a diverse group of people from Europe, Mexico, South and Central America and even Asia. In addition, before the Civil War, it was a major port for forced migration – the sale and transport of slaves from Africa and other points in the United States to Texas.
The exhibit highlights enduring humanities themes in the history of immigration including: the dangers of the journey; making a life in a new land; navigating bureaucracy; confronting discrimination; and becoming “American.” These trials and tribulations are illuminated through personal stories, dynamic visitor interactive kiosks, engaging media pieces, and more than 200 original artifacts and documents. The exhibit originated from a comment a 10th-grader made on a heritage trip to Ellis Island. “Why do we need to go to New York,” asked the student. “My grandparents came through Galveston.”
Admission: $8.95
Also Watch... Across the Sea of Time 3D IMAX® Click here for more information
SPECIAL EVENT Visit Forgotten Gateway and See a Special Concert Presented by the Houston Civic Symphony Sunday, Nov. 22 Date: Sunday, November 22 Time: Concert at 3 p.m., Forgotten Gateway open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Location: Concert Moody Ball Room, Moody Gardens Hotel Ticket: $15.95 one-day only combo ticket to concert + Forgotten Gateway Buy Tickets Now
To commemorate the opening of the Forgotten Gateway, Houston Civic Symphony will present a concert of three classic European works.
Bedrich Smetana’s Die Moldau opens the concert. Written in the 1870s as one of six works known collectively as Ma Vlast, or “The Fatherland”, Die Moldau paints the picture of one of Bohemia’s great rivers commonly known by its German name, The Moldau. The tone poem paints the picture of the river from its quiet origins, building and flowing through the Czech countryside, then flowing onward to the sea, much like the immigrants from the region would do in the next half century, headed for the New World. One of the melodies employed by Smetana in the work is derived from the old Italian folk tune La Mantovana, in which the Israeli National Anthem, Hatikvah, has its roots.
Next, the orchestra will perform Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77, by Johannes Brahms. Aija Izaks is the violin soloist. She has studied music performance at some of the finest music institutions in Europe, such as the Rimski-Korsakov Music School for the Gifted (St. Petersburg, Russia), Emils Darzins Music School for the Gifted (Riga, Latvia), and has earned her Master's Degree in Music Performance from the prestigious Music College, Latvian Music Academy (Riga, Latvia).
Aija moved to the U.S. in 1994 and her own dream came true – she became a citizen of the United States. While performing this Old World work in the New World, and indeed, throughout her entire professional and personal life, Aija stands as a tribute to those would came before her to seek opportunity, and as a inspiration to those who will follow in her footsteps.
The concert concludes with Ravel arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The audience is led through the gallery, musically viewing pictures of scenes from France, Italy, Poland, and Russia. It serves as an overview of the world left behind as immigrant streamed across the Atlantic, seeking opportunity, escape from oppression, and freedom of expression and thought.
Moody Gardens® is a public, non-profit educational destination utilizing nature in the advancement of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation and research.
