Designing D Store

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Sea Center of Texas

Lake Jackson, TX - The Sea Center of Texas, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/seacenter/ , is a cute aquarium that is worth the visit if you are in the area.

The Sea Center of Texas is quite a drive from Houston. But bundle it with a trip to Quintana beach (see tomorrow's post for more details) and you have a full, fun day's outing. From the northwest (Cy-Fair) area of town it took me an hour and 15 minutes to get there. It took me, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy about 45 minutes to slowly walk through and see everything.

The Sea Center of Texas is FREE and offers a "touch" tank. The day we were there; they had a number of different types of crabs for the kids to pet. The kids loved it. Once done with the Touch Tank, turn around and find a table with crafts/coloring. Moving past the Touch Tank you come to a series of floor to ceiling tanks with a variety of fish including the ever popular shark. Continue viewing the tanks until you work your way back to the beginning. I think there were 5 tanks to view.

Outside they have a boardwalk where people can enjoy the sights and sounds of a fresh water wetland and a salt water wetland. It is a good length and has a couple of benches for resting. The Sea Center of Texas is also a fish hatchery. They offer tours of the hatchery, but bad for us, they did not offer any tours the day we went.

Hatchery tour or not, the Sea Center of Texas was a very nice stop.

Trip Stats:
  • Who: Mama, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
  • What: Sea Center of Texas, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/seacenter/
  • When: Thursday, late morning
  • Where: South of Houston near the coast in Lake Jackson (not Galveston)
  • Why: Outdoor play and education
  • Cost: Free Admission and Free Parking
  • Optional Cost: Donations are welcome and if you donate $5 or more, the gift shop will give you a poster.

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