Sep 27-28: Moody Gardens Aquarium
Aquarium Pyramid
Moody Gardens Resort
One Hope Boulevard
Galveston Island, TX 77554
Allow 3½ to 4+ hours for travel each way.
Keep an eye on traffic through Houston and plan accordingly. Moody Gardens has plenty of free parking. Try to park near the big BLUE (Aquarium) pyramid.
Families should arrange their own transportation. For more fun (and to help the environment) you could ask another Cub Scout family in your Cub’s den or another den if they’d like to travel together in a carpool.
Museum sleepovers are always the farthest of all Pack 421 outings in any given year. To make the most of your trip to Galveston, consider leaving Austin early enough on Saturday morning to visit other Galveston-area attractions before sleepover check-in (Sat 6:00pm) and/or after sleepover dismissal (Sun 8:00am).
SCHEDULE
The aquarium will be closed and locked to the public the entire time we’re there. We will not have in-and-out privileges or access to our vehicles during the sleepover, except to leave for emergencies.
SAT, 27-SEP-2025
6:00pm-6:20pm Gather at pyramid entrance (bring personal gear and paperwork)
6:20pm-6:30pm Opening ceremony & announcements
6:30pm-7:00pm Take personal gear down to sleeping areas
7:00pm-9:00pm Activities & education program
9:00pm-9:45pm Pizza snack
9:45pm-11:30pm Activities & education program
11:30pm Lights out (*see note below)
SUN, 28-SEP-2025
7:00am Wakeup call
7:00am-7:45am Grab-and-go breakfast
7:45am-8:00am Group departure from the pyramid
*The program schedule for museum and zoo sleepovers always go late because the venue’s organizers want all of the kids to be dead tired at lights out. As the parent of a younger Cub this can be quite a shock and challenge—but don’t let it scare you. Cub Scout families have been happily surviving these sleepovers for many years. We might be able to arrange an “early-sleep” option for those who want to go to sleep right after pizza, but this cannot be promised. Please come with an attitude of flexibility.
FOOD & DRINKS
Eat some dinner before you arrive. The provided pizza “snack” will be at 9:00pm and includes 2 slices of pizza, a cookie, and one non-caffeinated beverage per person. You may bring your own individual, prepackaged and sealed snacks (e.g., chips and crackers) to eat as needed or as an alternative for pizza if you have special dietary requirements. Please do not bring sugary drinks or sugary snacks, and please no caffeinated beverages for kids.
The grab-and-go breakfast on Sunday will be muffins and juice (or similar light fare)—probably not be enough to hold over anyone to lunch, so bring snacks for after you’re back in your car or plan to stop somewhere for brunch later in the morning. The aquarium will not provide coffee on Sunday morning, so if you want (or need) coffee to get yourself going, bring your own pre-brewed coffee in an insulated container.
The aquarium limit wants to limit coolers to just one cooler for the whole group. The Pack will bring a big cooler with individual water bottles on ice for everyone to share as needed. If you bring your own personal drink bottle, remember no sugary drinks.
COST & HOW TO SIGN UP
The activity fee for this sleepover is $65 per person (children and adults).
Minimum age to participate is 5 years old.
Sign up deadline is Thursday, September 4th.
Headcount is capped at 125 people, so don’t wait to sign up. If we run out of space, we will start a waitlist. Sign up at our Pack online store:
No refunds after September 4th unless the spots can be filled from the waitlist.
Policies
Non-Scout siblings: Non-Scout siblings are welcome to attend Cub Scout overnights as long as they meet the age restrictions of the venue. Minimum age for Moody Gardens is 5 years old.
Adult partner: Every youth must be accompanied by at least one parent/guardian on all Cub Scout overnights. Under certain conditions, a Cub may come with another Pack 421 family or an adult who is not the Cub's legal parent/guardian (e.g., a grandparent), but this needs to be cleared with Pack leaders far in advance (i.e., before paying or reserving a spot). Email Pack leaders if this applies to you.
Required Paperwork
1. Med Forms: Every participant (youth and adult) who attends a Cub Scout overnight must have a medical release and medical history on file in hardcopy with the Pack, dated and signed within the last 12 months. Since the Moody Gardens sleepover is the first overnight for the year, everyone should print fresh copies of their Med Forms (Parts A, B1, and B2) for each member of their family who is going, and give the hardcopies to a Pack leader at the September Pack meeting or, at latest, upon arrival at Moody Gardens.
2. Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT): Every adult who attends a Cub Scout overnight is expected to have taken the SYT online training and provide a printed copy of the completion certificate to the Pack every 12 months. Please bring a hard copy of your current SYT Completion Certificate with you to turn in your Med Forms.
PACKING LIST
This overnight is indoor camping. Pack light. Make sure everything your family needs can be carried in one trip. It's a bit of a walk from the parking to where we will be sleeping. You may use a large cargo duffle with shoulder straps or a small wagon, if necessary.
Essential items:
Sleeping bag and pillow
Basic toiletries (e.g., toothbrush, toothpaste, comb)
Personal medications (adult partner should keep secure)
A positive attitude and sense of adventure
Recommended items:
Sleeping pad, air mattress, or cot
Change of clothes/pajamas for sleeping
Slippers or sandals for nighttime restroom visits
Eye mask and ear plugs (highly recommended for light sleepers)
Personal non-sugary snacks individually wrapped and sealed (optional)
Personal water bottle (optional, no sugary or caffeinated drinks for kids)
Personal insulated bottle with coffee or tea (optional, for adult only)
Do NOT bring:
Items of value
Selfie sticks
Electronics, speakers, etc.
Caffeinated beverages or sugary treats
Alcohol, cigarettes, or vapes
Tents or pop-ups
Pets
Other Things to Know
This event will proceed rain-or-shine.
There are no showers for guest use at the Aquarium.
As an overnight guest, you may re-enter the Aquarium pyramid at no cost when it opens to the public at 10:00am on Sunday morning. However, if you wish to visit either of the other pyramids or other attractions at Moody Gardens, there will be an extra fee. Be aware that all of the pyramids and other attractions at Moody Gardens have limited public opening hours this time of year (e.g., 10am-4pm), even on weekends.
Check out the Visit Galveston website for ideas about other places to visit while you’re in Galveston, before or after the sleepover, if you have time.